Long long thread on MacDonald racing Cobra 260 at Riverside

[Historybuff]

I was looking for pictures of the early Cobra tested by Ford in Dearborn (full width frameless plexiglass windscreen) and didn't find it but did run across a long long thread of early 260 Cobras racing at Riverside. Never saw so long a thread..don't think it's the same car that went to Dearborn, as this Riverside car only has plexiglass windscreen for the driver.

https://www.davemacdonald.net/galler...60firstwin.htm

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by Historybuff

I was looking for pictures of the early Cobra tested by Ford in Dearborn (full width frameless plexiglass windscreen) and didn't find it but did run across a long long thread of early 260 Cobras racing at Riverside. Never saw so long a thread..don't think it's the same car that went to Dearborn, as this Riverside car only has plexiglass windscreen for the driver.

https://www.davemacdonald.net/galler...60firstwin.htm

I'm a long fan of Dave McDonald, especially the connection to the King Cobra:
https://www.davemacdonald.net/galler...nkingcobra.htm

[Historybuff]

Haven't seen the 2017 book on Shelby's first dealer but a lengthy excerpt from it in Hemmings might answer the question I have about identity of the Cobra sent Ford to evaluate.

"With Ford finally ready to move forward and possibly finance Shelby’s project, two of Hugus’ Cobras were immediately purchased by Ford for evaluation by their Special Vehicles Team in Dearborn, Michigan. CSX 2003 was inspected and driven by engineers, department heads and even Henry Ford II. Engineers partially dismantled and rebuilt CSX 2004, using updated engineering and as many Ford components as possible. Within weeks of experimenting with CSX 2004, Ford also purchased a third Cobra, CSX 2008, for a second rebuild attempt and a production/design study. That Cobra would be ordered directly from A.C. Cars and paid for by the Ford Motor Company under the first Shelby-Ford financing contract."

Since I haven't seen the book and its pictures don't know if one of those had a plexiglass full width racing windscreen.

Later on the same Hemmings article, it implies Ford tried a fiberglass body but I think that's a grammatical mistake, that they thought of fiberglass but didn't actually build it.

I met Mr. Hugus and he told me at that time he rescued the Cobra project by buying the first few cars and make them road ready himself. He was a no nonsense guy, a WWII combat vet

One puzzling line in the excerpt is the assertion Ford said Shelby had no dealership experience. Maybe they never saw pictures of Carroll Shelby Sports Cars, a dealership that handled several brands including Rolls Royce

Here's the story from Hemmings
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/201...-shelby-cobras

[Harpoon PV2]

The Ed Hugus cars were some of the most interesting looking cars because of the badge placement. On CSX2003 and at least one other, if not more, the standard AC medallion on the nose and script on the boot were retained, with the winged Shelby AC Cobra badges placed above the AC badges! Plus Hugus saved old Carrol's rear twice, at the beginning, by fronting money for the cars, then latter when Shelby called up Ed and said that Ford was going to take the whole program away from him. Neither ever said what Ed did, but the fact that a couple of weeks later, an accountant from Ford showed up, and proceeded to get the Cobra program back at least into the low black, probably says it all!

[Harpoon PV2]

CSX 2009 was suppose to go to LA, then was going to go to FoMoCo, but at the last minute was diverted to Holman & Moody, where it was raced and modified a lot over it, career, including wind screens. Here is a great article on the car! https://www.dhrofgo.com/sold/1962-sh...ory-from-1962/