Peak roadster season is now here (as you can easily witness by the recent throng of “SOLD” signs on CobraCountry). If you have a Cobra you wish to sell, right now is the time for you to start preparing to market it effectively. Go to the “About Us” dropdown menu and go to our “Mission Statement.” Read those four paragraphs. That’ll get you started down the fast track to market your Cobra effectively—and beginning while the Cobra marketplace is running strong. CS

**Ford v Ferrari**

[movie review (Click Here)]

A sampling of CobraCountry’s

recent testimonials (scroll down)

10 September 2020: Please mark my nice red Cobra SOLD! It’s headed for new digs way out west in Montana! Many thanks for your ‘global reach’ in the Cobra industry. Stay safe! Andy Segal

Note: the thumbnail image above of Andy’s Cobra is hotlinked to its Showcase page… so you can see this red Antique & Collectibles beauty the way it looks “in person”!

*****

9 September 2020: You can mark my E.R.A. 289USRRC Cobra SOLD! Many thanks for your skills in marketing these fine Shelby driving machines! Your advice and help with my photography made a big difference. By the way, it‘ll be staying here in Pennsylvania, somewhere west of Philly. Eric Peterson

Note: the thumbnail image above of Eric’s Cobra is hotlinked to its Showcase page… so you can see this deep blue USRRC beauty the way it looks “in person”!

*****

31 August 2020: You can mark my Cobra SOLD! In less than one day on your site (!!) and it’s now scheduled to head 2,300 miles west to a lucky new owner in the heart of Big Sky Country (Bozeman, Montana). You can characterize us as two happy campers. Many thanks, and keep safe! Beth Westcott

Note: the thumbnail image above of Beth’s Cobra is hotlinked to its Showcase page… so you can see this show white beauty the way it looks “in person”!

*****

28 August 2020: You can mark my Cobra SOLD! It’s on it’s way to a Cobra enthusiast in the United Kingdom. Thanks to CobraCountry’s ‘global market reach’, I am a happy camper! Willie Belter

Note: the thumbnail image above of Willie’s #BDR722 Cobra is hotlinked to its Showcase page… so you can see this Black Magic beauty the way it looks “in person”!

*****

21 August 2020: Hi Curt, please mark BDR1050 SOLD! Thanks for all your team’s efforts on the text and the photos! She found her new home in the Denver (Colorado) area. James

Note: the thumbnail image above of James’ #BDR1050 Cobra is hotlinked to its Showcase page… so you can see this Black Magic beauty the way it looks “in person”!

*****

A sampling of CobraCountry’s

recent testimonials (scroll down)

22 July, 2020: Dear Cobra Country: Mark it SOLD! After only 4 days on your site, my Speedway Blue Cobra is on its way to a new home way back east in New York! I had several serious inquiries about my Cobra (including one from Great Britain). Thank you for your mastery of connecting Cobra buyers with Cobra sellers thousands of miles apart! Dick Gardiner

Note: the thumbnail image above of Dick’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his Speedway Blue Cobra the way it looks “in person”!

*****

17 July 2020: Dear Curt: Mark it SOLD! I am delighted to inform you that BDR1932 is sold as a direct result of our Showcase ad on Cobra Country. She’s on her way to a fine gentleman in Indiana. Thank you! Jeff Grice, Nostalgic Motoring

Note: the thumbnail image above of this Cobra is hotlinked to this Cobra’s Showcase page… so you can see their Backdraft Racing reptile in all its Grigio Telestro glory!

*****

11 July 2020: Dear CobraCountry: You can mark my splendid Indigo Blue Cobra SOLD!Gone to a new home up north in Centralia, Washington. In less than a week I had serious inquiries from all over… including one very serious buyer from Majorca (large island off the east coast of Spain)! Many thanks to your renowned ‘global coverage’ of the Cobra market! Lonnie Parsons

Note: the thumbnail image above of Lonnie’a Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see their Backdraft Racing reptile in all its Indigo Blue splendour!

*****

28 June 2020: You can mark our Rosso Red Cobra SOLD! Thanks to CobraCountry it’s gone to a new owner and a new stable up in Colorado. Stay safe! Scott & Steff

Note: the thumbnail image above of Scott & Steff’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see their Backdraft Racing reptile in all its Rosso Red splendour!

*****

A sampling of CobraCountry’s

recent testimonials (scroll down)

23 June 2020: You can mark our Unique Motorcars Cobra SOLD! It’s headed about 500 miles due south to a bona fide motorcar enthusiast and collector in Gallatin, Tennessee. Thanks to CobraCountry’s industry ‘reach’, we (both buyer and seller) are happy campers! Dick Untch

Note: the thumbnail image above of Dick’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his Audi Blue Unique Motorcars serpent in all its glory!

*****

1 June 2020: (Dear CobraCountry): You can mark my Viper Blue Cobra SOLD! It’s going to a new stable in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Thank you so much for all of your help and expertise. Again, thank You. Jonathan Welch

Note: the thumbnail image above of Jon’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his Viper Blue Factory Five serpent in all its glory!

*****

28 May 2020: (Dear CobraCountry): Can you mark my Cobra (SPO2938) as SOLD. My silver serpent has gone to a lucky buyer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And in less than two weeks on your site. Thanks again for your help! Chris Meier

Note: the thumbnail image above of Chris’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his dark silver Superformance in all its splendour!

*****

24 May, 2020: Dear CobraCountry: Please mark my Royal Blue Superformance Cobra SOLD! Not going too far… it’s now residing in another stable right here in The Garden State. Thank you for your “local” market coverage! Josh Epstein

Note: the thumbnail image above of Josh’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his blue MkIII Superformance in all its glory!

*****

17 May, 2020: Dear CobraCountry: You can mark my Guardsman Blue E.R.A. Cobra SOLD! Gone to a now owner and a new stable way across the sea in sunny France! Thank you for your expertise in marketing Shelby Cobras to serious buyers all over the globe! With best regards, Marty Hogan

Note: the thumbnail image above of Marty’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his blue E.R.A. in all its glory!

*****

20 May, 2020: Mark my red E.R.A. Cobra SOLD! Gone to a lucky new owner in Twenty-Nine Palms, California. Special thanks for your great photography advisory, which helped me to take pictures of my Cobra that really captured its rich Candy Apple Red paint in all its radiant glory! Ron Peterson

Note: the thumbnail image above of Ron’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his li’l red reptile in all its glory!

*****

12 May 2020: Curt, please mark BDR1751 SOLD! This white beauty left today for a new home in northern Texas. Thanks for all the hard work! James Yale

Note: the thumbnail image above of James’ latest sold Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see this lily white reptile in all its glory!

*****

5 May 2020: You can mark my Crimson Red Cobra SOLD! Gone to a new home and a new owner over in Minneapolis, Minnesota. If there’s a better place to advertise a Cobra for sale, I don’t know where that would be! Many thanks! Sid Suedmeier

Note: the thumbnail image above of Sid’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his li’l red reptile in all its glory!

*****

10 May 2020: You can mark my Indigo Blue Backdraft Cobra SOLD. Gone to a new owner and a new stable 1,500 miles away in La Habra Heights, California! And just as Curt predicted, it sold sight-unseen except for those good photos I took. Many thanks to your expertise in reaching out to Cobra buyers! Eric Bruce

Note: the thumbnail image above of Eric’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his blue reptile in all its glory!

*****

5 May (Cinco de Mayo!), 2020: Dear CobraCountry: You can mark my dazzling Shell Valley Cobra SOLD! Gone to a certified fellow Cobra enthusiast over in Kansas. Many thanks for your sage advice and for your spot-on Photography Tips. You can color us both very happy campers! Craig Schussler

Note: the thumbnail image above of this fine Shell Valley Cobra is hotlinked to its Showcase page… so you can see this Navy Blue beauty in all its glory!

*****

20 April, 2020: CobraCountry reflection: This Cobra’s owner captured the colour and the persona you see above of his red Cobra using only his little I (model GX7) consumer-grade digital camera. It has a tack-sharp lens, but a weak built-in flash. So he purchased and mounted an inexpensive 3rd party flash for more balanced illumination out in that harsh Arizona sunshine. And he followed our Cobra Photography Tips to the very letter.

Dave’s extra effort in capturing those fine photos paid dividends: today (20 April 2020) Dave informed us that his li’l red reptile sold to a lucky new owner and a new stable across the pond… in Europe!

*****

2 April, 2020: Please tell Curt to mark that sleek black ‘Street Version’ 427 Cobra (SPO1869) SOLD! Gone to a discerning new owner and a new stable up in New York state. Once again, many thanks for your site’s celebrated “reach” to Shelby Cobra enthusiasts and Cobra buyers. There are many places where you can advertise your Cobra for sale, but Cobra Country is the place where you can count on landing a serious buyer. James Yale

Note: the thumbnail image above of this fine Superformance Cobra is hotlinked to its Showcase page… so you can see this black beauty in all its glory!

*****

17 March 2020: You can mark my brother’s awesome West Coast Cobra SOLD! It wenet to a new home way down in “The Grand Strand” [sunny Myrtle Beach, South Carolina]. Thanks for all your guidance, and thanks to your market ‘reach’! Dino Michalopoulos

Note: the thumbnail image above of Dino’s brother’s West Coast Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see this serpent in all its glory!

*****

8 March 2020: You can mark my Viper Blue Hurricane Motorsports Cobra SOLD! Gone to a new owner only about 25 miles away (in Chatsworth). Many thanks for your “local” market reach as well as your global reach! Bill Cole

Note: the thumbnail image above of Bill’s Hurricane Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his Cobra in all its glory!

*****

5 March, 2020: Dear CobraCountry: You can mark our Spectra Blue Backdraft Racing Cobra SOLD! Gone to a new stable about 500 miles north, in Lubbock. Many thanks for your “pan-Texas” market coverage! Art Sanchez

Note: the thumbnail image above of Art’s Backdraft Racing Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his Cobra in all its glory!

*****

28 February, 2020: You can mark my drop-dead spiffy titanium Superformance Cobra (SPO2454) SOLD! Gone to the luckiest new Cobra owner in the country, way over in Raleigh, North Carolina. Many thanks for all the assets your site brings to help a Cobra owner to properly market and sell his Cobra… your reach to Shelby Cobra enthusiasts is awesome. Marty Heller

Note: the thumbnail image above of Marty’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his silvery serpent in all its glory!

*****

10 February, 2020: You can mark that Onyx Black beauty (SPO2358) SOLD! It was spotted and snatched up by a lucky new owner and is destined for a new home and a new stable way up in Oregon! Again, many thanks for your site’s astonishing ‘reach’ to Cobra enthusiasts! James Yale

Note: the thumbnail image above of this fine Superformance Cobra is hotlinked to its Showcase page… so you can see this black beauty in all its glory!

*****

29 January, 2020: Good news!! I sold my Rossa Red Backdraft Cobra this weekend, so please mark it “SOLD!’! It went to a lucky new owner in Michigan. Thank you again for all of your help and advice in taking photos and creating my ad. Cobra Country did a great job connecting me with nearly a dozen potential buyers in under a month (and in the Winter season!). Keep up the good work! Best, Mike Winters

Note: the thumbnail image above of Mike’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his li’l red reptile in all its glory!

*****

9 January 2020: Dear CobraCountry: My JCF Cobra sold last week… gone to a lucky new owner up in Livermore, California! I still love that car, but I had to sell it to help purchase a vacation home at Lake Tahoe. Thank you for your expertise in marketing these Cobras, and my thanks to your recommended photographer, Ben Verleger, for the great photos he took for my ad! Tim Mikulecky

Note: the thumbnail image above of Tim’s JCF Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his Cobra in all its glory!

*****

1 January, 2020: Dear Cobra Country: You can mark my Indigo Blue Factory Five Racing Daytona Coupe SOLD! Gone way down south(west) to a splendid new stable in Lake Havasu, Arizona. This is the 4th or 5th car (2 Daytona Coupes and 2 or 3 Cobra roadsters) that I’ve sold through your site (I’ve lost count!). You can color me (and all the buyers) happy campers. Hope you have a good and prosperous 2020! John DeHoff

Note: the thumbnail image above of John’s Daytona Coupe is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his Indigo Blue beauty in all its glory!

*****

14 December 2019: Hi Judy: I’m happy to say that my Superformance serpent has been sold to a longtime Cobra enthusiast and first-time owner down in New Orleans. So nice to see it go to someone with a a passion for these cars that rivals mine. This was the second Superformance I’ve owned and both of my cars have been sold through your website. Definitely the right place to advertise to find serious buyers!! Thanks! John

Note: the thumbnail image above of John’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see his blue beauty in all its glory!

*****

12 December, 2019: Dear Cobra Country: You can mark our Royal Blue Superformance Cobra SOLD! Gone to a new stable and a very lucky new owner out in Kansas City, Missouri. Many thanks for your expert guidance in selling our Cobra. And wishing you a happy Holiday season! Gary and Sue White

Note: the thumbnail image above of Gary’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see this beauty in all its glory!

*****

6 December 2019: Dear Cobra Country: Please mark my fine red Kirkham Motorsports Cobra SOLD! Thank you for your help! Ron Mazzaro



Note: the thumbnail image above of Ron’s Kirkham Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see this beauty in all its glory!

*****

29 November 2019: Please mark my drop-dead gorgeous E.R.A. “Cammer Cobra” “SOLD”! It’s going to a very knowledgeable SOHC buyer out in Missouri. It will be in good hands. Many thanks! Shaun Goodwin



Note: the thumbnail image above of Shaun’s E.R.A. 427 cammer Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see for yourself his motophoto expertise!

*****

29 November 2019: Seasons greetings, CobraCountry: My gorgeous ERA#532 sold yesterday (on Thanksgiving Day!). I want to thank you for sticking with me along the way, guiding my efforts (especially my determination to take good photographs) to market my Cobra.

On that note, incidentally, the lucky new owner way out west in Santa Fe, New Mexico, purchased my Cobra without flying in to see it in person, having seen it only in my photos!

Even through we never met I feel we have become good friends over time. I hope some day our paths cross so I can thank you personally for all you’ve done.

I wish you both best wishes going into the holiday season and a future of good health and happiness. Robert



Note: the thumbnail image above of Robert’s E.R.A. Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see for yourself his motophoto expertise!

*****

31 October 2019: You can mark my ‘Deep Impact Blue’ Cobra SOLD! Thanks to Cobra Country’s global reach to Cobra buyers, it went down south to a lucky new owner in Wilmington, North Carolina. He also purchased my nice enclosed trailer so he could take it home with him. You can color me a happy camper! Many thanks! Charlie Primpas

Note: the thumbnail image above of Charlie’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see for yourself his motophoto expertise!

*****

31 October 2019: Dear Cobra Country: You can mark my beautiful West Coast Cobra SOLD! Gone to a lucky new owner who of course found it on your site! Many thanks! Darek Wajda

Note: the thumbnail image above of Darek’s West Coast Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see for yourself his extraordinary motophoto prowess!

*****

28 October 2019: Dear Cobra Country: I sold my Indigo Blue serpent (SPO1983)! It went to a new owner and a new stable in northern California. Many thanks to your site and to your Cobra marketing expertise! Doug Harding:

Note: the thumbnail image above of Doug’s Superformance Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see for yourself his beauty for yourself!

*****

9 October 2019: Dear Cobra Country: You can mark my Backdraft ‘Widowmaker’ SOLD! Gone to a new owner and a new stable someplace in Indiana. Many thanks for your guidance on our photos and our description. Mark D’Andrea, New York



Note: the thumbnail image above of Mark’s Backdraft ‘Widowmaker’ Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see for yourself his beauty, shot by Vintage Motorsports’ Jay Linke!

FIRE NEWS UPDATE

Friday, 1 November, 2019

Not the conclusion of the bad news. Early Wednesday morning (October 30) power was again shut off for the entire area when high winds again reached gale-force proportions, thus stoking both old and new fire fronts. Our offices were once again shut down until Friday afternoon (Oct. 31). Low humidity and dry foliage combined with gale-force winds is a menacing co-incidence of events.

So once again, if you attempted to contact us during that time and were unable to do so, that’s the reason. But at least we’re back in full operation and (mostly) bordered by kindling-free landscape.

Due to the big ‘Tick Canyon’ wildfire, CobraCountry’s offices were shut down for over 30 hours—from before noon on Thursday (24 October) until Friday evening. We were forced to promptly evacuate at about 3:00am on Friday, along with over 40,000 other wildfire refugees here in Santa Clarita.

So if you attempted to contact us during that time and were unable to do so, that’s the reason.

The good news: we’re all okay—thanks entirely to the relentless efforts of the LAFD and the collaborating fire companies, the wind-driven flames were stopped short of our immediate area.





10/16/2019: I’m happily reporting that my 1967 Indigo Blue Pearl Shell Valley Cobra and its enclosed trailer is SOLD! It’s gone to a very nice couple from Virginia; they had the trailer hooked up and the Cobra loaded up and took off a little after 5:00 pm last night. They should be pulling into the Cobra’s new home in the Shenandoah Valley area pretty soon, or they may be home already if it was a short stop last night. I want to say “Thank You” to you and your wife Judy; you folks treated me very good and I enjoyed our phone conversations. Thanks, Greg Nash.

Note: the thumbnail image above of Greg’s Shell Valley Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see for yourself his extraordinary motophoto prowess!

*****

9/23/2019: Be advised that my Maui Blue ERA 289FIA has SOLD! Gone to the distant southwest! Many thanks for your splendid photography guidelines! Bill Cadley

Note: the thumbnail image above of Bill’s ERA 289FIA Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see for yourself his extraordinary motophoto prowess!

*****

8/26/19: Wanted to let you know that I sold my Ruby Red Factory Five Racing Cobra. Going to a new home in upstate New York. Many thanks for the photography help. Best regards, Mike Leach

Note: the thumbnail image above of Mike’s Factory Five Racing Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see for yourself his fine motophotos!

*****

8/23/19: You can mark my blue Superformance Cobra (SPO1538) SOLD! Gone down south to Geneva, Illinois. The deal was actually made 4 days after it appeared on Cobra Country, and the new owner picked it up today. Thanks for all of your site’s and Curt’s personal help and advice leading up to the sale. Best regards, Mike Bingen

Note: the thumbnail image above of Mike’s Superformance Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see for yourself the fine motophotos that snagged his buyer’s attention!

*****

8/18/19: Dear Cobra Country: You can mark my red 1965 427S/C Hi-Tech Cobra SOLD! I had several serious inquiries within the first week; after lots of emails, questions, and information exchanged, SALE CONCLUDED!

MY Cobra is off to a great car guy and knowledgeable Cobra owner, in Texas. It will be stabled next to a stunning, handbuilt 1960s Lister reproduction.

Send my personal thanks to Curt and Judy. Curt’s expert advice on photography was absolutely dead-on. He spent extra time helping me to capture those top-notch photos to properly showcase that red beauty, and it all paid off with a great ad.

Semper Fi! Jerry Goddard, Redondo Beach, California



PS: This was my second Cobra I sold on your outstanding website. Keep up the good work!

Note: the thumbnail image above of Jerry’s Hi-Tech Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see for yourself his fine motophotos!

*****

8/18/19: Dear Cobra Country: Success! You can mark my Titanium Superformance Cobra (SPO1797) SOLD! It went to another Cobra enthusiast only 2 hours away. I had a few good qualified calls and the right person popped up and bought it sight-unseen.

That’s a testament to your photo tips and your great advice. Thanks for your help! Brad Salamone, Reading, Pennsylvania

Note: the thumbnail image above of Brad’s Superformance Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can see for yourself his fine motophotos!

*****

8/15/19: Dear Cobra Country: You can mark that magnificent Abu Dhabi Blue Backdraft Roadster (BDR#625) SOLD! Went to a new stable and a lucky new owner way up in Denver, Colorado. Please tell Curt that, once again, his advice on taking good photos paid big dividends, and my photos and my Showcase ad looked fantastic!

Many thanks! Matthew May

Note: the thumbnail image above of Matthew’s Backdraft Racing Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can marvel over his Cobra photos!

*****





July, 2019: Dear Cobra Country: You can officially mark my red ERA Cobra “SOLD.” Thanks to your photography tips, sage advice and great website, I received 4 solid offers within 2 days of posting my car on Cobra Country. My ERA will be making a trans-Atlantic crossing, and will reside in a new motorcar stable someplace in France.

Again, my thanks—your professional mentoring of my photos and the posting narrative played a key role in its quick sale!

Ken Walsh

(near) Panama City, Florida

Note: the thumbnail image above of Ken’s Cobra is hotlinked to his Showcase page… so you can marvel over his mastery at photographing his ERA Cobra!

Now take me to this page:

Daytona Coupes for Sale Cobras for Sale GT40s for Sale

**Ford v Ferrari**

[movie review posted Tuesday, 19 Nov. 2019]



Judy and I went to see the latest film take on road racing’s “Golden Years” of the mid-1960s, 20th Century Fox’s “Ford v Ferrari.” Starring Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles, it’s thoroughly entertaining, with lots of action on and off the race tracks of that era. I’d rate it as about 45% documentary history and 55% Hollywood… much as one might expect. Be sure to see it in wide-screen/ high resolution and premium sound at an IMAX theater.

The film opens with Carroll winning the 1959 “24 Hours of LeMans” [along with British co-driver Roy Salvadori, altho’ Salvadori’s name isn’t mentioned]. For a short period the film advances through glimpses of the Cobras’ “Golden Years” (1962–’65) when those li’l Shelby/AC 289 Cobra roadsters and the Peter Brock–designed Daytona Coupes utterly thrashed and dominated FIA road racing against all competition. Those small-block serpents accompanied with Peter Brock’s small-block Daytona Coupes in the 1964 racing season had handily wrenched the FIA’s** WMC (World Manufacturers’ Championship) from Enzo’s team, awarded in February, 1965. [**For the inquisitive: “FIA” stands for “Federation Internationale de l’Automobile,” headquartered in Paris.]

But that’s fair. After all, the title of this flick is “Ford v Ferrari,” not “Shelby v Ferrari.” The film fast-forwards to the moment (in early 1965) when Henry Ford II offered Shelby the chance to take over FoMoCo’s troubled GT40 racing program. In 1964 and ’65 Ford’s GT40 was plagued with mechanical breakdowns, most notably transmission and brake system failures. Shelby accepted the challenge, leveraging his drivers (notably Ken Miles) and his chief engineer Phil Remington [curiously portrayed by actor Ray McKinnon, who looks much more like Law & Order’s Detective John Munch than Phil Remington] to identify and correct the problems. All that effort failed to enable Ford to win the 1965 WMC, but the Shelby/Ford collaboration had made serious progress in ironing out the GT40’s reliability wrinkles in preparation for the 1966 season.

The remainder of the film is jam-packed (in true Hollywood fashion) with white-knuckle track racing scenes and spectacular crashes of GT40s, Ferraris and Jaguars. For action buffs, there’s high-speed track action to spare. There’s even a knockdown/ drag-out fist fight between Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles… which of course never happened, but makes for a humorous sideshow. Near the end is the sensational 1-2-3 GT40 finish at (18–19 June, 1966) LeMans. That photo-finish was choreographed in the final laps by Henry Ford II, an intervention that inadvertently robbed Ken Miles of being awarded the win (instead, due to his forward starting position, he was relegated to 2nd Place). Ken—racing legend and British tank driver in WWII—was killed in a bizarre accident at Riverside 8 weeks later, on 17 August. Rommel’s Panzers couldn’t manage to kill him in 1944, but a failed $2 brake or suspension part did in 1966.

Because most of the locations of that era are much different (or non-existent) today, the producers had to search high and low to find locations that resemble those of the 1960s, or could be altered to recreate those locations. Much of the shooting was done here in southern California, at Willow Springs International Motorsports Park [about 50 miles north of where I’m writing this] and at California (Auto Club) Speedway in Fontana, east of Los Angeles. LeMans’ pits and grandstands were convincingly re-built as a set at Agua Dulce Air Park right here in Santa Clarita. Three race tracks in Georgia were chosen as almost perfect to recreate some of the riveting 24 Hours of LeMans (1966) footage. Hillbank Motor Sports in Irvine provided the lion’s share of the rolling stock [289 and 289FIA Cobras, 427 Cobras, Daytona Coupes and GT40s] for the flick.

Don’t miss it. It really is worth your ticket price. Lots of fast action, a dose of real history and a spectacular and very convincing performance by Christian Bale as the testy-but-talented Ken Miles.

Here’s a Tip: if you type <Ken Miles> into CobraCountry’s Sidewinder search engine, you’ll instantly get a hotlink to a Road & Track tribute article to Ken by James Crow that we posted about 15 years ago on CobraCountry titled “Ken Miles: an appreciation.” Read it and appreciate.

Addendum: on Nov. 20 Peter Brock contributed these personal recollections to this review: “Hi Curt… there was some slight support from Ford from the time Shel’ convinced Ford’s Iacocca to front him a couple of V8s and about 25 grand to build the first snakes. The good press generated by those assets and self-evident speed advantage against the ’vettes put enough money on the table to win the SCCA’s first professional series, the USRRC (United States Road Racing Championship) in 1963. Then Goodyear put up the bucks for the Daytona and we won Sebring, convincing Ford to pay for Europe in 1964. Those successes in Europe (when the GT40s were all DNFs) convinced The Deuce (i.e., Henry Ford II) to ante up some grubstake for ’65. After Ford’s complete failure at LeMans (11 of 12 Ford-powered cars blew up!), Ford gave the entire program to Shelby with more for Kar Kraft for the subsequent development of the 427 MkII and later the Mk IV. Ford’s wins began in ’66, as the flick portrays.” PB

Searching the (Cobras For Sale) page: this little-known (and lightning-fast) procedure actually works for just about any page on the Internet:

For Windows computer users: use “ Control-F ”… hold down your “Control” key and hit “F” (for “Find”), and a little “Find” dialog box appears. As you type in your word [let’s say it’s ‘Kirkham’ or ‘289FIA’ or ‘SB100’], your cursor will RACE to the first [and second, and third, and so on] occurrence of that word;

For Macintosh users: use “ Command-F ”… hold down your “Command” key and hit “F” (for “Find”); your search works precisely as it does for Windows users.

To return to this page, click on the ”News Flash” menu button.

—Copyright Notice—