E-Delivery

Gino's car is based on the original but it's a little bit longer. The history of the first Cobra goes back to a British specialist manufacturer, AC Cars. Its AC Ace was a small, low production, two-seater roadster. These had a hand-built body with steel tube frames, and aluminium body panels that were made using English wheeling machines. The engine was a pre-World War II design of BMW which by the 60s was considered dated. In 1961, Shelby airmailed a letter to AC asking them if they would build him a car modified to accept a V8 engine. AC agreed, provided that a suitable engine could be found. The story goes that Shelby first approached Chevrolet to see if they would provide him with engines. They said no, not wanting to add competition to the their Corvette line. However, Ford wanted a car that could compete with the Corvette and they happened to have a brand new thin-wall small-block engine which could be used in this application. Ford provided Shelby with two engines. In 1962 mechanics at AC Cars fitted the prototype chassis with a 260 CI Ford V8 borrowed from Ford in the UK. After testing and modification, the engine and transmission were removed and the chassis was air-freighted to Shelby in Los Angeles. His team then fitted it with an engine and transmission at Dean Moon's shop in California, and began road-testing. That was the start of the Cobra line and the legend behind it. All models of Cobra produced after 1967 have been continuations. Gino's love of his finely crafted continuation doesn't preclude its sale. He has several project cars and if he found the right buyer, he'd part with the Cobra to fund... new adventures. "Any buyer interested in the vehicle should really get a cardiac stress test prior to taking this out for spin," says Gino. As he says this, he's looking down the long winding gravel road that leads back to Kelowna. It's hard to tell if he's joking. 52

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