CB1100 Monthly Photo Challenge

[Gone in 60]

Getting back to the CB, I had another Ducati neighbor in my parking space, and a light blue Cobra had parked next to us.


I feel like I know enough about Cobras to be semi-dangerous, and I have a ton of sweat equity in a Factory Five replica Cobra build with a friend. Looking over a Cobra, there's always that "could it be real?" feeling, but in reality, who would be driving an authentic Cobra in city traffic?

Looking over this car, I saw a lot of elements that just didn't look right. Wide fenders like a 427, but tapered body lines like a 289, and a small block under the hood. I dismissed it as a very nice replica with some vintage elements under the hood for effect. The yellow stikes across the front were also a nice touch, Dan Gurney's personal livery.


The owner, an older gentleman wearing a COBRA hat walked up. I asked about the car. "I know it's not a Factory Five, doesn't look like a Superformance... what is it?"

The answer was staggering: "This was a Shelby mule from 1963. They were trying to homologate the Cobras for FIA international racing, but they knew the little 260 and 289 cars weren't going to get the job done. So, they stroked the engine to a 302, which was the FIA maximum displacement for its class. To make it handle better, they tried out a coilover suspension, which they ended up using on the big 427 cars. They knew it needed wider tires, so they tried stretching the ass-end, and flaring the front fenders. Too much tire in my opinion, but it worked. Then, they gave it to Dan Gurney (you probably never heard of him) and he took it out and flogged the crap out of it. I found it about 30 years ago and it was pretty used up, but we got it put back together."

This began an hour-long conversation where I learned more about Cobras than I though I'd ever learn. There was one element about the car that might strike a chord with anyone who saw "Ford vs Ferrari."

Early on in the movie, Ken Miles is in the pits at Willow Springs, hammering out the inside of the trunk lid on his white Cobra. He was furious about a new FIA rule that designated that a specific size box fit in the storage area of the car, and it would not fit in the standard Cobra trunk.

His fit of anger and taking a hammer to the car seemed like a throw-away scene to show how furious Miles could get, but there was an element of reality. Looking at the trunk lid on this "Mule" Cobra, I noticed a raised ridge along its rear edge. That was a modification so that the box referenced in the movie would fit in the trunk of the Cobra.


Sometimes, you never know what you'll see at a car show!
Ferret, that little yellow bike is a Whizzer. A few of them always show up here.