Is the GT350 a cobra?

[Gilby]

Another "350" guy here, Cobra is for the roadster and the SVT cars...

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[BoomBoy]

Funny, my wife calls my car a Shelby Cobra, but I do not. However, I wouldn't dare trying to correct her. LOL :lol:

My mom did the same thing. I gave up correcting her. She gave me "Cobra powered by Ford Motor Company" shirt and Shelby American tin boards. She doesn't know any better. :lol:

 

[Grimace427]

I think the real confusion is between the FoMoCo Shelby's and the SAI post-title cars, at least on Facebook 'discussions'.

 

[codeman94]

I would say its "a Shelby"

I wouldn't correct a person if they called it a "Cobra" though. If a non-enthusiast got it that close, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. At least they know something about Mustangs! lol

 

[nastang87xx]

I think the real confusion is between the FoMoCo Shelby's and the SAI post-title cars, at least on Facebook 'discussions'.

Oh god............the worst.

Someone on Focusst.org mentioned the Shelby Focus ST that SAI did a few years back and wanted some thoughts on it. General conscensus was why would you pay $15K for badges, brakes, and body kit (no power increase)? I said I'd never buy any SAI products because they're frankly cookie cutter tuning and you can bolt on any part that they package because you can buy them individually or they're off the shelf power adders etc. Someone tried ripping me a new one because I have a GT350. Completely fails to realize that it's a name, not an actual SAI product and that my warranty is through FoMoCo. That failed to register. I got banned for a day for using the 'f' word when I shot back at his second ignorance comment. Said it doesn't matter who warranties my car, a Shelby is a Shelby and that I make car people look bad and that I have too much money for my own brain. Typical my-shit-don't-stink-because-I-intentionally-buy-cheaper-cars-to-make-it-not-look-like-I'm-stuck-up grassroots attitude.

 

[nastang87xx]

I wouldn't correct a person if they called it a "Cobra" though. If a non-enthusiast got it that close, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt.

I don't unless they ask. Frankly it's a whatever.

 

[Tank]

Oh god............the worst.

Someone on Focusst.org mentioned the Shelby Focus ST that SAI did a few years back and wanted some thoughts on it. General conscensus was why would you pay $15K for badges, brakes, and body kit (no power increase)? I said I'd never buy any SAI products because they're frankly cookie cutter tuning and you can bolt on any part that they package because you can buy them individually or they're off the shelf power adders etc. Someone tried ripping me a new one because I have a GT350. Completely fails to realize that it's a name, not an actual SAI product and that my warranty is through FoMoCo. That failed to register. I got banned for a day for using the 'f' word when I shot back at his second ignorance comment. Said it doesn't matter who warranties my car, a Shelby is a Shelby and that I make car people look bad and that I have too much money for my own brain. Typical my-shit-don't-stink-because-I-intentionally-buy-cheaper-cars-to-make-it-not-look-like-I'm-stuck-up grassroots attitude.

Any forum that bans you for dropping the f-bomb once doesn’t deserve your time [MENTION=16326]nastang87xx[/MENTION]

 

[UAmach1]

No, your comparison is not valid. To be valid, the original question would have been whether the GT350 is a Mustang and would have to been responded to by people saying they don't have a Mustang because neither the horse emblem, nor the name, appear anywhere on the GT350.

A Cobra is a Cobra - either the original roadster made by AC Cars & Shelby American - or the later variants of the Fox and SN95 Mustangs that used the name under license from Shelby.

The S550 GT350 is just that, a GT350 and a trim level of the Mustang, but it is not a Cobra.

That doesn't mean it can't remind me of it.

 

[Shift]

I thought it was. I've called it a Mustang, GT350, Shelby, and Cobra depending on who I'm talking to. If people call it a Cobra, and after reading this thread, I'm not going to stand there and correct them with all the details within this thread. I just say yep, and move on because at the end of the day, does it really matter?

 

[svttim]

As mentioned above, the Cobra name came into being in '62 when Shelby named his new roadster. Shelby American used a couple variations of a stylized cobra head on the emblems for that car - designed by Pete Brock - over the course of the model's life (in both small block and big block variants). Shelby leveraged the Cobra's reputation when he took on the task of turning the Mustang into a sports car and race winner by including it on some components, such as steering wheel centers and gas caps - though still in the stylized front view version.

The version seen on the current GT350 originally appeared on the '67 GT350 (and GT500), though slightly more detailed than the artwork used on the modern cars.

As with those cars, none except for the roadster were called "Cobra" - but it did make sense for Shelby to use the image to lend high-performance credibility to his other offerings.

So, no, the GT350 is not... and has never been.... a Cobra.

Here's the '67 version of the GT350 emblem.....

Well said. The original was not called a Cobra. If I remember correctly, they referred to the DNA shared. Some argue it only has one reference to Shelby. But the original had zero. I think Ford was trying to mimic the 65 GT350 as closely as possible

 

[Sid]

I have had quite a few people refer to my old GT500 and the GT350 as a Cobra. "I like your Cobra man..." It always takes me a second to realize they are talking about the Shelby.

 

[SVTinAR]

I have a hard time even referring to it as a "Shelby" - usually just refer to it as a Ford or Mustang GT350. Not like Carroll was around to have anything to do with it and I'm not familiar of any SAI involvement - but maybe there was.

 

[PP0001]

Well said. The original was not called a Cobra. If I remember correctly, they referred to the DNA shared. Some argue it only has one reference to Shelby. But the original had zero. I think Ford was trying to mimic the 65 GT350 as closely as possible

Certainly agreed that our GT350's are not Cobra's but it did come close to using the Cobra name for SA's new Mustang back in 1965 as "Shelby Cobra Mustang" and "Mustang Cobra" were certainly considered and that was based on the fact that both the AC Cobra's and the new Mustangs production took place at the same facilities both in Venice and at the 2 airport hangers at LAX with the Cobra racing team always looking down on the new kids on the block until the GT350 team starting winning a lot of races with their new R models 5R001 and 5R002.

Of course the story of how Carroll came up with the name "GT350" for his new Mustang is legendary as he asked Phil Remington during a meeting one day how far it was between the Princeton Street and Carter Street buildings with Phil replying "about 350 feet" after which time Carroll said that we are done and that he would call his new Mustang the "GT350".

:cheers:

 

[Norton961]

As already said, the real cobra is the Cobra that started in 1962. Even the body of the AC cobra was a British made AC Ace. To me, those are the “real Cobras” they even look like a cobra snake.
Other ford models have also been called “cobra” Mustang Cobra, Torino Cobra,
Cobra Jet engines, Mustang II Cobra, 1993 Mustang Cobra and Cobra R, etc.
the 2015+ Mustang Shelby GT350 is just that, a shelby gt350. Not a cobra gt350 or a Shelby cobra gt350.
Just a shelby gt350. Still bad ass!

 

[Speedfreak]

These special vehicles (old SVT) were badged "Cobra's" prior (to 2004) to Ford cutting a deal to add the "Shelby" badging (2007 and up) to these cars.

Once the deal is done with Shelby (which has been renewed at least once), who knows what these special vehicles will be called.

It's all about the $. Let's face it, the name Shelby sells cars!

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