Car Owner: Peter LH Words & Photos: Clive Branson
The moment Peter jabbed the throttle, it felt like my chest suddenly went concave. The thrust of the car threw me back into my seat. I was squeezed against the straps of a 2-point harness. If I had been toothpaste, I’d be all over the bathroom floor. And that was just a short burst of acceleration. When a truck caught up to us at a red light, the driver yelled out of his cab window, “Now that’s a car!”
He was referring to Peter’s 2002 Superformance Mk III 1965 AC Cobra, the only Cobra replica built under license from Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. (chassis number 1194). As Peter states emphatically, this is not a kit car.
That’s exactly what Carroll Shelby wanted when he designed the AC Cobra in 1962. To him, the Cobra reflected his life: “Too much is just right.”
When Ford tried to enter into racing, it was met with defiance from the American Manufacturers Association (AMA). Following the 1955 Le Mans and the 1957 NASCAR Mercury Meteor crashes into the grandstands, killing dozens of spectators, the AMA placed a ban on factory-supported racing. Consequently, the automotive industry essentially disappeared from the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), though this did not stop Chevrolet, Chrysler and Pontiac from competing with duplicity in stock car races. Ford was in a quagmire.
A Texan, and former chicken farmer, by the name of Carroll Shelby had won the 1959 Le Mans in an Aston Martin, but due to a chronic heart condition he was forced to quit racing and concentrated on a career as a car designer based in Venice, Calif. (later, his headquarters would be moved to a sprawling complex of a hangar at the Los Angeles International Airport).
He had heard that AC sports cars in England had lost their engine supplier. Shelby initially approached General Motors to supply the motors, but they declined, fearing that Shelby would design a car that could make their flagship car, the Corvette, redundant. Not one to take no for an answer, he surreptitiously approached AC and persuaded them that Ford would support their engine needs. When he received their approval, he flew to Detroit to meet with Henry Ford II and, with his business and reputation on the line, influenced Ford to back the small British car manufacturer with their new small-block V8 engines as a means of getting back into racing with the aim to “blow away” the Corvettes.
He proposed a collaboration under his own brand, the Shelby Cobra, incorporating Ford’s 260 cubic-inch V8 muscle into a lightweight British sports car, the AC Ace, replacing their Bristol straight-six (in the years to come, this would be modified from the 260 to the 289 4.7 litre in 1962, and later replaced by the staggering heavyweight, the 427 7-litre in 1965), calling it the AC Cobra. When packaged together, the AC Cobra had enough power to make most competitors look like roadkill. Shelby’s motivation was to build great sport cars, not to sell cars. It was the perfect combination, cementing a testing and development program under the umbrella concept of “Powered by Ford.” Infamous for being one of the most aggressive primordial beasts, a Cobra can still leave most cars choking on its dust.
“This is not a car you can tame, but one you have to discipline,” claims Peter, a quiet and gentle-looking man. Standing over six feet, he has a broad presence. He is adorned with a wispy goatee and tightly curled salt-and-pepper hair.
“I originally ordered the car with a 351 Windsor (stroked to 396) with the Tremec 3550 5-speed transmission.” But Peter wanted a little more excitement, and in 2004, he replaced the engine with a prestigious street-legal racing Roush 402R (513 hp). It has a similar sensation to driving an over-powered go-kart, but with a serious rumble.
We try talking above the engine’s roar. “For me, the feeling of driving this car is always about controlling a powerful brute. This car is raw and powerful,” explains Peter. “The slightest mistake will result in a tragedy. The exhilaration is heightened by that constant knowledge that you’re always on the edge. I remember driving when a deer suddenly ran out and into the path of my car. We managed to avoid each other, but the deer was now haphazardly running alongside me – eye to eye – no more than eighteen inches. It stumbled and fell into the side of the car. No more damage than a few deer hairs on the black ceramic side-pipes. A second earlier and we would have both been dead.”
Shelby carved a cramped, open cockpit car that defied the elements. In a series of transformations, he strengthened the body, flared the wheel arches and gave it a wider berth to house the 427-cubic inch Ford V8 engine. The tires grew to 18 inches with bigger brakes to handle the strain. The result was a speed demon with an acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in four seconds, equivalent to a professional racing car. Peter’s car has the authentic Guardsman Blue with white stripes that pop in the sunlight. It has a leather steering wheel and comes with a soft-top with side screens and a Tonneau cover.
“I bought the car in 2001 with the intention of owning the car of my dreams,” says Peter. “I purchased it through Macro Autosports (Superformance Canada). It is an originally made rolling chassis from South Africa. The engine and drivetrain were added in Toronto in 2002.” Besides replacing the engine, the car didn’t need any modifications other than basic maintenance.
“To me, the car represents the best of an era when racing cars were uncomplicated and beautiful.” Who can argue with that? “But I’ve reached a stage (I’m moving and I don’t have the space for it) when it should be passed along to someone who appreciates what it really is – a drivable example of a truly beautiful performance classic,” says Peter, nodding his head solemnly. “In a few years, non-driverless cars may be relegated to secondary roads. These cars will live in museums and very restricted collections, so having the opportunity to own one has been a thrill. I’ve enjoyed the experience of making such a beautiful vehicle accessible.” Peter grins, gives it some gas, and we roar down the road.
