Ford Shelby Concept

Ford Shelby Cobra Concept

The new Ford Shelby Cobra concept marks the latest step in an exciting evolution of Ford concept vehicles, with an evocative design, bonafide performance credentials and – thanks to engineering as nimble and efficient as a sports car – a level of feasibility that is already close to production-level.

Like the 2002 Ford GT40 concept, the Ford Shelby Cobra draws on Ford’s emotional and performance roots in a thoroughly modern interpretation that reinforces the company’s product-led momentum. It takes its place with the 2005 Ford Mustang, Five Hundred sedan and Freestyle crossover in the "Year of the Car," the largest new-product barrage in Ford’s history.

Read more about the Ford Shelby Cobra Concept .....

Posted on 10:02 AM  

1964 Shelby Cobra

We started digging around for more information on the 1964 Shelby Cobra. We wanted to ty the new search engine A9.com, so we searched on the words "Shelby Cobra". A9 lists web sites, images and books all on one page.

Although, we can't vouch for the accuracy, here's a site listing specs on the 289, 260, 427 and Daytona Coupe. From Carroll Shelby's site, I got some history on cars called "Shelby Cobra's" around 1964. Here's a list -- was there a specific model that you were looking for more information?

February 1964 - Shelby-American completes the first FIA roadster and the
first Daytona Coupe, both enter the Daytona Continental. Bob Johnson and Dan
Gurney finish fourth in an FIA Cobra roadster, Although the Cobra coupe sets the
fastest lap time, it is a DNF due to a damaged differential and a fire.

March 1964 - Shelby-American enters a 427-engined leaf-spring Cobra,
CSX 2166, at Sebring in the prototype class. Ken Miles spins off course in
practice and hits the one tree in sight, but the 427 test mule is fixed for the
race the next day. The Cobras, for the first time, beat the Ferrari GTOs. At
Sebring, Carroll Shelby meets with the Hurlock Brothers from AC Cars and Ford
design engineer Klaus Arning to develop a big-block Cobra.

April 1964 - After Sebring, Cobra led Ferrari in FIA points for the GT
III championship, and Shelby-American decides to go to Europe to race. Two
months before Le Mans, the Sarthe circuit is closed off for testing. The Cobras
and Ford's new GT-40 are tested at Le Mans. Later, on April 26, the Cobra
competes at the Targa Floria. Oddly, the new Porsche 904s triumph over Ferrari,
followed by the Cobra.

June 1964 - The Cobras and Shelby-American win the biggest race of all
in Europe, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Cobra is fourth overall and first in GT,
defeating Ferrari.

August 1964 - Ford asks Carroll Shelby to develop a high-performance
Mustang fastback for street and track. Basically, the new car would challenge
the Corvette in SCCA B-production road racing. The Cobras score in Europe at the
Freiburg Hill climb in the Black Forest, at the Tourist Trophy in Goodwood,
England, and at the Sierre-Montana Grand Prix De La Montagne in the Swiss Alps.

September 1964 - The first '65 Shelby Mustang GT350 race cars and
street cars are built.
October 1964 - The prototype 427 Cobra, under
development, is tested at Silverstone in England and later in the States.

November 1964 - Shelby-American completes the 427 Cobra prototype. The
289 Cobra Roadster again wins the SCCA A-production national championship.

More later

Posted on 9:41 PM  

Carroll Shelby and the Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept

Posted on 9:42 AM  

Ford Shelby GR-1 Concept Car

Ford took the occasion of the world's foremost showcase of automotive splendor, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, to unveil the Ford Shelby GR-1 concept, calling the new sports car a salute to "performance art."

The Ford Shelby GR-1 is a uniquely emotional American sports car design that makes a bold statement about Ford's performance future.

"The Ford Shelby Cobra concept was a small step in our plans for the Ford GT supercar architecture and our relationship with Carroll Shelby," says J Mays, Ford Motor Company group vice president of Global Design. "And the Ford Shelby GR-1 is a giant leap toward the future."

The GR-1 concept takes the performance car genre in a new direction combining modern sculptured surfaces in a sleek muscular fastback design. The result is a forward-looking supercar with attention grabbing Ford presence and Carroll Shelby inspiration.

The Ford Shelby GR-1 is a front-engined, two-seat, fastback supercar that is based on the architecture of the Ford GT.

Ford and Carroll Shelby
More than 42 years after their original agreement to produce performance cars, Ford Motor Company and Carroll Shelby are back together producing production and concept cars. Shelby, a former race car driver and creator of numerous collectable performance cars returned to collaboration with Ford in the design of the 2005 Ford GT, which goes on sale this summer.

Shelby worked closely with the Ford Design team and Advanced Product Creation group to develop the Ford Shelby Cobra concept car. In addition, Shelby will produce a high-performance, limited edition, Shelby Ford Expedition, for sale through select dealers next year.

Design
Racing inspired and wholly modern in design, this show car builds on the success of the Ford Shelby Cobra concept - the 2004 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) "Best in Show" winner - and reinforces Ford's on-going commitment to performance excellence.

The Ford Shelby GR-1 concept is a sinewy, athletic design with a dramatic front engine proportion. The long hood blends seamlessly into the teardrop-shaped cabin while the dramatic fenders dart rearwards into curvaceous haunches thrusting the car forward and enhancing the aggressive stance and width.

The car looks as if it is in motion, even when standing still. The optimized wheel arches and compact overhangs define the dramatic proportion while the sensual surfaces express the car's athletic nature. A chiseled physique is achieved with sheer and full surfaces working together, interfacing one another in harmonious lines such as the strong shoulder line orbiting the car's form.

The front of the GR-1 is dominated by an impressive air intake aperture and air flow splitter, directing cooling air into the engine bay and wheel wells, while air vents on the top surface of the hood exhaust hot air from the radiator.

The V10 engine pushes unashamedly upwards into the hood's surface exposing prominent bulges - a potent reminder of the car's powerful performance - while air vents at the base of the front screen allow the motor to breathe. Intakes and vents perforate the body side and Kamm tail, further exhausting hot air out of the vehicle.

The front corners of the GR-1 are dominated by the front wheel well and trapezoidal HISS (high intensity solid state) and LED headlamps. The distinctive Kamm tail, a strong concave section, is further defined by the bold vertical tail lights at the rear.

A visor-like side glass graphic gives a hint of the dramatic motion of the butterfly-hinged doors.

The race-inspired, ultimate high performance, Ford Shelby GR-1 is the next chapter in a long line of emotionally-charged Ford supercar concepts.

Building Another Showstopper
Ford worked closely with Carroll Shelby to develop the Ford Shelby Cobra concept for the 2004 North American International Auto Show. The show car was the brainchild of Ford's Advanced Product Creation Group, engineered in Michigan and designed in California, a partnership which is charged with developing future car concepts and technologies with an eye toward production possibilities. The group used the Ford GT architecture and fully engineered the Ford Shelby Cobra concept. For demonstration purposes, two chassis were ordered for the Cobra concept, but only one show car was built.

Before body panels were even created, the fully-operational running chassis was test-driven at high speeds at Ford's Dearborn Proving Ground. So pleased were Ford officials with the concept's chassis that they took the extra demonstration chassis and went to work on another concept before the Ford Shelby Cobra concept was unveiled in January.

The Ford Shelby Cobra and its predecessor, the Ford GT were hits of the two previous North American International Auto Shows. The Ford Design team was challenged to follow-up with another exciting concept.

The Designer
In the Irvine Advanced Design Studio, George Saridakis, a young designer, new to Ford in 2000, was known for his contributions in executing the details of some of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury's latest production and concept designs.

Saridakis created a sketch that caught the attention of the Irvine team and resonated with Mays.

"George produced this completely resolved sketch - the best I've seen in 10 years," says Mays. "When I saw it, it wasn't a matter of 'Let's do more sketches.' It was really more of a 'Let's get this into clay.'"

Remarkably, only the original sketch of the car, in three perspectives, was created.

"George nailed it in one crack," Mays opines. "This is a designer so masterful at visualizing every aspect of the car and its story that it literally flowed out of his pen. And because the design is so pure, we really believe this show car will be a hit."

Ford Shelby GR-1
Preliminary Specifications
(Measurements in inches, unless otherwise noted)

Posted on 12:00 PM