5 replies to this topic

[HistoryBuff]

I have been periodically interested in following the saga of the Lone Star. This was a mid-engined
car , don't know if it was steel or aluminum bodied, that was built by Gomm in UK
for Shelby around a 289 & ZF 5-speed.
I mistakingly got fooled by a picture in Motor Trend that it was one time n a used car lot.
Now I found that it was advertised by Shelby in Competition Press and sold to a enthusiast in Washington State who
still has it and is restoring it.
I wonder if I am wrong and it did have a few prior owners. Also no publicity I ever saw credited who designed it, either the engineering or the overall shape of the body. Maybe that's a function of "Success has many claiments, failure none" or somesuch.
Any opinions on why this car is so seldom heard about? I have talked to Shelby American employees who never heard of it, maybe that reflecting the penchant of Der Snakemeister to keep mum about a project until it works out.

[arttidesco]

I have been periodically interested in following the saga of the Lone Star. This was a mid-engined
car , don't know if it was steel or aluminum bodied, that was built by Gomm in UK
for Shelby around a 289 & ZF 5-speed.
I mistakingly got fooled by a picture in Motor Trend that it was one time n a used car lot.
Now I found that it was advertised by Shelby in Competition Press and sold to a enthusiast in Washington State who
still has it and is restoring it.
I wonder if I am wrong and it did have a few prior owners. Also no publicity I ever saw credited who designed it, either the engineering or the overall shape of the body. Maybe that's a function of "Success has many claiments, failure none" or somesuch.
Any opinions on why this car is so seldom heard about? I have talked to Shelby American employees who never heard of it, maybe that reflecting the penchant of Der Snakemeister to keep mum about a project until it works out.

Here is a link to some Lone Star info.

[HistoryBuff]

This is a two seater mid-engined car with a 289 & ZF. Once in Hollywood I turned a corner and saw the Shelby Lone Star at a mechanic's shop.
Now 40 years later I am curious who is credited with the shape of the car which I think of as a "pregnant Ferrari P3/4" shape.
I heard Len Bailey's name connected with it--I think he was in on the original GT40 and on the P68 & P69 cars.
But I would think he was the engineer, who claimed the styling part of the car? Pete Brock was long gone from Shelby at that point.
I have seen a picture in an ad of Shelby driving the car but has anyone else ever seen Shelby pictured with it?
Are there any ex-Ford employees who recall what FoMoCo Dearborn thought of it?
The odd thing is I have talked to half a dozen Shelby employees whose eyes go blank when I mention it--maybe it was all secretly done at another shop?

[charles r]

http://cobraferrariw...com/cobra3.html

This link might be of interest.

[Tim Murray]

Why is this in a new thread? It would make a lot more sense to continue the discussion in the thread you started a couple of weeks ago:

Cobra Lone Star, How many owners did it have?

Edited by Tim Murray, 22 May 2013 - 09:59.

[David McKinney]

... and ask for it the name to be changed after the threads are merged