RIP....Oh, heck no...keep roaring like a Cobra. Since I was about 12 years, the Cobra was the coolest car in the world... and it still is. If I was a gazillonaire, Id have some of Carrolls cars in my collection.
He was a real racer, builder, inovator, and just wanted to go fast. A story I read many years ago about him cruising thru Montana or Wyoming in his personal Cobra. He got pasted by a Lamborgini, he didnt like that so he floored it a caught up to the Lambo, which he thought was run about 170 mph, and past it at what he thought was at least 30 mph faster than the Lambo, that over 200 mph in an open cockpit street car! I think it was that car that sold at auction a few years ago for 4.5 millon dollars.
There were Cobras raced into the 1980s, and winning, which was an embearasment to the state of the art race cars, so the SCCA made them add weight to slow them down.
Here are some pics Ive taken over the years.
Mack Yates Cobra.... Mack sold this car, only to later find out the new owner was going to convert it to a street car, Mack bought the car back, pledging that the car would be a race car for as long as he lived.
the Murry Racing Cobra....same car different paint I think.... I think he steered it with the GAS PEDAL.
An original Cobra at the Blacktop Nationals 2010
A friend of mine, Fred, owns an original R Model Shelby Mustang, the first to be privately owned ( the guy was a mechanic for Shelby and got the car to race), Fred bought it back in the 70s, and raced it him self.
Freds Shelby at the Blacktop Nationals
Freds Shelby 350H that he raced
I believe the Shelby inspired cars will be produced for many years to come. IN 2013 there will be a Shelby Mustang version you can buy with a 1150 horse power engine..cool.
LONG LIVE THE SHELBY.