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Shelby, Gt500 Or Cobra


RedruM

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How do tell people what you have. It's funny half the time no matter how I put it people are confused. I usually never say cobra but my friends are always like what's up with the snake then.

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How do tell people what you have. It's funny half the time no matter how I put it people are confused. I usually never say cobra but my friends are always like what's up with the snake then.

Pretty easy, nowhere does your car say Cobra on it but in several places it does says Shelby GT500.

 

You have a Shelby GT500

 

Steve

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I guess I'm just lazy and "the Shelby" rolls off the tongue easier than GT500 to me. I've got three hot rods and I simply call them... the Shelby....the Boss...the CJ. I guess if I had one of the older SVT offerings that says "Cobra" on it I might call it that but that's a pretty hallowed name for me which means only one thing.

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Pretty easy, nowhere does your car say Cobra on it but in several places it does says Shelby GT500.

 

You have a Shelby GT500

 

Steve

I agree. But to be fair it does have the Cobra emblems on it and to those not "in the know" they call the car a "Cobra".

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I call it "the Shelby", "the GT500" or simply "the Mustang"....., never the Cobra

Ford / SVT never branded it a Cobra. Neither did Shelby to my knowledge...

Having said that, since there is an entire herd of snake emblems on my car the license plate says "Cohbra"...because I could..lol

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If you go back to the original discussions on the GT500, the prototype press releases did refer to it as Shelby GT500 Cobra Mustang. The Cobra shared name agreement with CS licensing allowed Ford to use the Cobra name on Mustang based vehicles and SA to use it on the roadsters. CS and Ford agreed to drop the Cobra name from the GT500 to avoid confusion as well as to allow SVT to produce a Cobra named Mustang small block if they wanted to bring it back. So the official name is the Shelby GT500 Mustang without the Cobra name. There were a number of magazines and other media releases about this official name. That is why when a used car dealer calls it a GT500 Cobra, I tell them to check the manual and the Maroney label for the real name.

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I agree. But to be fair it does have the Cobra emblems on it and to those not "in the know" they call the car a "Cobra".

 

Go back in history and you'll see that same Cobra on the side if the Cobra, Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet powered cars (Torinio, etc.).

 

"Powered By Cobra" was the reason.

 

It signifies the motor, not the car.

 

 

Phill

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In my opinion, it is all three of those things and it is also a Ford and a Mustang (even though it doesn't say the word mustang anywhere either). Regardless of any official naming, the fender badges indicate that it is Cobra powered, which also follows it's legacy. And my license plate puts the word on it. I say call it whatever you want....it's yours.

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Go back in history and you'll see that same Cobra on the side if the Cobra, Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet powered cars (Torinio, etc.).

 

"Powered By Cobra" was the reason.

 

It signifies the motor, not the car.

 

 

Phill

Not disagreeing with that. I said those not "in the know" call it a "Cobra" because of the emblems.

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Interesting discussion indeed.

 

I refer to mine as "The Shelby", if asked I say I have a Shelby. For those that don't know or aren't in the know, I say I have a Ford Shelby GT500...I will admit though, I have never said "I have a Mustang".

 

Soooo dove tailin' off the OP...would any Shelby owner say or have said...I have a Mustang when referring to their Shelby?

 

Good talk!

 

-6

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My wife made an interesting observation the other day. Horses are afraid of snakes, so is a Mustang Cobra is a contradiction? Anybody know why Carroll originally named his ac roadster a Cobra? I couldn't find it in the history books.

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My wife made an interesting observation the other day. Horses are afraid of snakes, so is a Mustang Cobra is a contradiction? Anybody know why Carroll originally named his ac roadster a Cobra? I couldn't find it in the history books.

haha that's actually a good point! Would be interesting to know where the "Cobra" name came from and why. I have on occasion called the car a Mustang just to dumb it down for people.

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The story goes that the Cobra name came to Carroll in a dream. He kept a note pad by his bed to scribble ideas that came to him at night as he would forget the ideas in the morning. He awoke to find the name on the notepad.

 

By the way a GT550 in a Mustang...with a pedigree! Just like all the Shelby Mustangs, classics or late models. There is way more to them than just stripes and some badges.

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The story goes that the Cobra name came to Carroll in a dream. He kept a note pad by his bed to scribble ideas that came to him at night as he would forget the ideas in the morning. He awoke to find the name on the notepad.

 

There is a YouTube video where Carroll is asked that question. He said the dream story is not true and he doesn't remember where he got the name. He went on to say the name doesn't make the car. You could have the best name in the business but if the car does not perform know one will remember the name.

 

I have a couple mustangs. I call mine the KR or the 500. My kids call it dad's cool car. :).

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I call it a Cobra just to make the rest of you mad!!! I don't care what it's called are we that ingrained with a loyalty situation. It's my fast car. I have a slower SUV and a powerful truck...it's my fast car that is all nothing more nothing less. I'm not out to win a popularity contest or make myself look good. Just an average guy wiith a fast car!

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