r/sportsandclassiccars

Saw this at the gas station in Long Beach. Great looking car.

The story of how the prototype Cobra CSX 2000 came to be had been retold many times by Carroll Shelby through the Ford Motor Company, with several different and enhanced versions printed for the sake of publicity. Essentially, CSX 2000 was not much more than just a standard late production AC Ace. It still had an antiquated front and rear transverse leaf spring suspension that had been based on an obsolete 1940s Fiat production car, which had its roots dating back to the horse-drawn buggy and wagon era of the 1800s. That Ace design had only been slightly modified by AC Cars to receive one of the new Ford thin-wall 221 cubic inch Windsor-family series engines, which was still evolving at Ford in 1961.

Aside from slightly thicker main chassis tubes and modified engine mounts, few changes were initially made by AC Cars to the prototype Cobra chassis, which would hopefully accommodate additional V8 horsepower. By late 1961 AC Cars had installed one of the new Ford 221 cubic inch engines in CSX 2000 and tested the car at the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA) track in central England. After many test laps and a superficial evaluation, minimal modifications were deemed necessary with the car’s suspension components. The A-arms, front spindles, hubs and leaf springs were slightly modified. Throughout leaf spring Cobra production additional modifications by AC Cars and Shelby American Inc. would be an ongoing exercise until leaf spring Cobra production ceased in 1964.

When CSX 2000 arrived in the United States by airfreight in February 1962 without an engine, transmission or paint, the name Cobra had yet to be created and the prototype car was simply christened “Shelby.” That name was hand painted in script letters on the car’s nose and trunk lid after the Ace badges had been removed. The colorful story of the name Cobra coming to Carroll Shelby in a dream was also concocted by Shelby for the sake of publicity. Not until several months later in June-July when the first two production Mark I Cobras (CSX 2001 and CSX 2002) were being built did the name begin to appear on Cobra badging.

Even though CSX 2000 was the prototype Cobra and technically the first Mark I built, it was assembled with many components that would not be found on the 125 production Mark I cars that would follow. CSX 2000’s visually different components consisted of inboard rear brakes, squared-off Ace seats, cast (non-tubular) hood and trunk hinges, Ace dash, stubby Ace bumper overriders, fuel filler location on the left rear fender and a longer Ace-style trunk lid.

When CSX 2000 had arrived, the aluminum body had been left unpainted and was first brightened and polished with steel wool. In preparation for the 1962 International Automobile Show held at the New York Coliseum on April 21-29, CSX 2000 received its first paint job in a fluorescent yellow color. Exaggerations over the years have claimed that CSX 2000 had been repainted numerous times in the mid-months of 1962 with the hope of convincing auto magazine staff reviewers that Cobras were already in full production. That is a good story, but the only color reported to be showing through CSX 2000’s present cracked (medium-dark metallic blue) paint is the original fluorescent yellow.

In preparation for CSX 2000’s first paint job in early spring 1962, the hand lettered “Shelby” had been sanded off. The car was then displayed at the New York Auto Show in yellow paint without a name attached, although the signage for that Ford display did identify the car as “The SHELBY AC-Cobra”. Shelby was not yet licensed as an automobile manufacturer and CSX 2000 was registered with the state of California Department of Motor Vehicles with the 1956 issued series black letters and numbers on yellow license plates XJJ 292.

Carroll Shelby had retained ownership of that prototype Cobra since its completion in February 1962. Years after Shelby’s passing in 2012, CSX 2000 was consigned by the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust to RM Sotheby’s auctioneers for their August 19-20, 2016 sale at the Portola Hotel in downtown Monterey, California during car week on the Monterey Peninsula. CSX 2000 was sold to Boulder, Colorado resident Greg Miller for $13,750,000 (with commission). CSX 2000 has since been displayed at the Shelby American Collection museum at 5020 Chaparral Court in Boulder.

Can-Am McLaren, Lancias, R5 Group B with tits, Quattro SWB, Metro R64, Lancia Beta Montecarlo

Bonus points for anyone who can name them all. I took literally hundreds of photos so I will keep them coming.

Throughout the 1980s, the World Sportscar Championship and top flight prototype racing in general had been in rude health; an abundance of manufacturers were taking part and competitive cars for privateers meant grids were normally packed. However, when the FIA tried to phase in a 3.5-litre N/A engine rule from 1989, costs began to rise exponentially. With turbocharged Group C cars no longer eligible from 1992 and most major economies in free fall, the World Sportscar Championship struggled for support. As a result, the 1993 season was cancelled altogether.

What emerged in its place was the return of GT racing: privateers running competition-prepared versions of genuine production cars. With manufacturers no longer spending much, homologation requirements were slackened to the extent that, so long as one road-going version of a car had been made, racing versions were permitted to compete. The four new classes for 1993 comprised GT1 through GT4.

Porsche initially offered its customers two new racing models for 1993: the 964-based 911 Carrera RSR 3.8 and the 968 Turbo RS. Additionally, the factory developed a unique GT1 works car: the 964-based Turbo S LM. Having appeared at Sebring and Le Mans in 1993, the Turbo S LM was loaned to Larbre Competition for 1994 when it won the four BPR GT Championship races it contested. That season, the car ran a new 3.6-litre engine which would go on to appear in a turbocharged 993-based customer racing car for 1995: the 911 GT.

During the 1995 season, the 911 GT raced in the GT3 category. For 1996, it was moved up to the GT2 class. As a result, it is commonly referred to as the 993 GT2. The 911 GT racing car was launched at the Essen Motor Show in November 1994. The 911 GT Straßenversion followed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1995 where it was unveiled alongside the new series production 911 Turbo.

When placing their order, buyers were given three specification levels to choose from. Option code M001 was for racing trim, M002 was for a Comfort street version and M003 was the Club Sport street version. M003 Club Sport 911 GTs came with a fully integrated body coloured roll cage, Recaro bucket seats trimmed in fire-retardant fabric, six-point harnesses, a battery cut-out switch and fire extinguisher. The carpet and sound deadening was deleted. To further reduce weight, a clutch disc with torsional dampers was fitted instead of a dual mass flywheel.

Production started immediately after the Geneva Motor Show in March 1995 and continued until mid 1996. 194 were built (seven of which were right-hand drive). Porsche also took 78 orders for the racing variant which went on to dominate its class.

The 993 GT2 may have dominated the GT2 category, but Porsche believed the car had far more potential. Based on it, the company then developed eleven GT2 Evo models for the GT1 category as an interim solution until the 911 GT1 was ready for the 1996 season. The GT2 Evo featured even wider fenders, a more aggressive front splitter, a distinctive double-deck rear wing, and well over 650 hp.

Festival of Speed in 2007 I think...

Founded in 1947 on the ashes of the Graham-Paige combine, Kaiser-Frazer was the result of a partnership between automotive executive Joseph W. Frazer and industrialist Henry J. Kaiser. Although the firm survived less than a decade, it punched far above its weight.

It was Kaiser who, among industry firsts, introduced buyers to the concepts of the American utility vehicle and the hatchback, all in one fell swoop.

It also introduced them to the notion of passenger safety as a selling point. Think of it: As early as 1951 Kaiser was advertising pop-out safety windshields, wraparound taillights, high-driver visibility, and padded dashboards to American drivers through the readers of Life and Look magazines.

With a lineup that included the attractive Kaiser Sport Club Coupe; the Henry J; the Traveler and Vagabond utility vehicle; and the funky little Kaiser Darrin two-seater, Kaisers were among the lowest priced, best appointed, and safest cars in America. Unfortunately, drivers were much more interested in what the Big Three were promoting in the day: Pure, raw, road-eating power.

Kaiser offered little of that. America was on the move, and safety was left in the dust.

The best engine that Kaiser-Frazer ever used was a stodgy bought-in flathead six it had gotten from Continental whose design dated back to the 1920s. Little wonder that it received scant mention in Kaiser's catalog.

What Kaiser lacked in horsepower it more than made up for with innovation.

Witness the Traveler and Vagabond line.

The Traveler was a versatile delivery sedan while the Vagabond was the upgraded model in the Deluxe line. Both brought buckets of utility to the family sedan, and if not exactly the station wagon that Kaiser Frazer dealers were clamoring for, it was the closest thing that the K-F bean counters would allow.

It was also clever, quick to engineer, and cheap to produce.

While the Traveler and Vagabond were never volume leaders, and they certainly didn't sell in the quantity needed to save Kaiser-Frazer's financial bacon, they were influential. Ford and GM both liked the idea enough to purchase one for themselves and tear them apart for analysis, and Chrysler was smart enough to study the results of both leaked studies.

Even today, designers hail their contributions to automotive design and engineering.

Sophisticated beyond its years, the modern SUV is too clever by half when compared to the Traveler.