>
>> >The article also said something like "...it [the car he developed]
>> >could easily have been a Cheverolet powered Aston, given Shelby's
>> ^^^^^
>>
>> I believe that should be Austin, as in Austin-Healey. Shelby approached
>> Donald Healey about using the A-H chassis for his Cobra, but stuffed-shirt
>> Austin wouldn't allow it. Stuff a 289 or 327 into a Big Healey chassis
>> and you get a "Poor Man's Cobra."
>
>Actually, the original poster was correct. In "The Certain Sound",
>the autobiography of John Wyer (one-time general manger of Aston-Martin),
>he recounts Shelby appearing with this project, and he recalls sending
>him down the road to AC, as Aston's were up to their neck in work, with
>the project cars, and getting the DB5 designed etc. They just didn't
>have the capacity.
>
Actually actually, we're both correct. From Donald M. Healey's book
_My World of Cars_ page 143:
"Carroll Shelby was - and is - a great and very amusing character,
driving for us in several of the record runs at Utah, and in the
Carrera Panamerica in which he crashed (apologising afterwards that
it had been the fault of an attractive Mexican girl, who had caught
his eye). When Carroll was planning to build what were to become his
very successful Cobra racing-sports cars, he asked me if I could supply
him with an Austin-Healey chassis on which to base it. Unfortunately,
Austins (sic) wouldn't agree, so he used the AC chassis. He was a
first class, steady driver, and though I imagine he must by now have
become a millionaire, he hasn't changed - always the same Texas cowboy,
with his slow, easy drawl."
My apologies to the original poster. Many people confuse Aston and
Austin (Austin-Martin, Aston-Healey, ...), but I should have known
no SOL would do that!
I'm glad AC supplied the chassis to Shelby, or we might have had
a Ford (or Chevy) V8-powered Fiat (the "Cobraletta?").
regards,
bs
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