auto trivia

36 cars had the 2953cc V12 60 degre, 302cv@7500rpm,with 294Mn of torque @ 5500rpm.

3 cars had the 3974cc

kenjitak wrote:

What engine was in the first Shelby Cobra?

Ford Zephyr 260ci V8.

Well, as far as I know there hasn't ever been a Ford Zephyr with a 260 ci V-8 engine. Interesting answer since AC was going to put a 2.6 liter inline 6 into the Ace before Shelby came along.

Good illustration on why one should wake all the way up before posting! Must have had Zephyr on the brain since that was the engine AC Cars (Ace was the car, not the marque) was using before Shelby came along!

Shelby had them modify the car to fit the 260ci V8 "HiPo". There was one pre-production car with the Ford 221ci, but it was only used for testing and was never intended to be sold to the public.

Ding! Ding! Ding! A winner, and with both answers that I was looking for!

Here's an early competition Cobra at the Miller Motorsports Museum in Utah.

See what a couple cups of coffee can do for a man?! 

Keeping it on Cobras, there were only two Cobras ever fitted with twin Paxton Superchargers, giving the 427 an outrageous 800hp. One was Carroll Shelby's personal car.

Who was the other owner?

edit Was this question too hard? It's been 24 hours without even a shot at it? /edit

Well, I'm not sure. My first thought was Edsel Ford. But then I thought Steve McQueen. The ERA maybe Mario Andretti, AJ Foyt, or the guy that drove the GTmkII  that beat the Ferraris at LeMans? Parnelli Jones, Sam(balloon foot)Posery?, That other FORD guy Jim Clarke. ummm I really don't know. I'll bet it's a movie star or a musician?Maybe his wife, or his first born son? Bill Elliot was a, well Million Dollar Bill, I'll bet he could afford one. You know I saw one at Barrett/Jackson go for some crazy amount not too long ago. I heard that it was the only one in exsistance?

Is this a trick question? I'll bet thats why no one has answered it.

Two of of them were made. I'll say Carroll owns both of them.

No, it's not a trick question. At least I didn't think it was!

It's a rather famous example, actually. The car on Barrett/Jackson was indeed Shelby's car and sold for $5 million in 2007. A record or Barrett/Jackson and Cobras.

I'll give everyone a clue, as I didn't realize that this was going to be such a stumper. It was referenced in a famous comedy sketch by a person is not known as a "car" guy. There's got to be another old-timer who will remember!

If no-one can come up with this by 10AM Pacific time Thursday, I post a link to the comedy sketch and another question.

Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor? Comedy Guy.  No Maybe Jerry Seinfeld, I here he collects Porsches'.

Got it one of the bet improv guys Jonathan Winters? If NOT it might be what's his name? Burt Reynolds sidekick? The overweight coat tailer guy? Cannonball Run? NOT the honneymooners guy.

Work with me here..

Okay, it's been 24 hours since my question was asked, and only the good Dr. Faust attempted an answer. Guess I picked a really tough question!

The correct answer is Bill Cosby and the comedy sketch was side B on his 1968 comedy album "200 M.P.H.".

Here's a Link to the routine as performed at Harrah's in Lake Tahoe. It's quite long, and he gets off-track at the beginning, but it's worth listening to the whole 22:58. Classic comedy!

My new question:

What were the first four companies under the General Motors name?

Bgrigg wrote:

My new question: What were the first four companies under the General Motors name?

Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Elmore and Oakland.

Am I right??

GRANT ED wrote:

Bgrigg wrote: My new question: What were the first four companies under the General Motors name? Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Elmore and Oakland. Am I right??

Three out of four right. That gets you a close but no cigar. Care to try again?

Abso-tootly! in fact Cos was on Leno not long ago and did his old routine along with telling the story. http://www.fquick.com/videos/viewvideo.php?id=4967#

Here's a quote from Wikipedia "Another non-competition 427 roadster, CSX3303, was converted and given to Shelby's close friend, Bill Cosby. Cosby attempted to drive the super-fast Cobra, but had issues with keeping it under control. This was humorously documented in Cosby's album titled "Bill Cosby, 200 M.P.H.".

As well as corroboration from the "How Stuff Works" website "Shelby actually created two Super Snakes. The other was originally sold to comedian Bill Cosby. Cosby returned the car after just one drive, using the fright-inducing experience as material on his comedy album, "200 M.P.H.," said Harley E. Cluxton, a collector who owned the Super Snake sold at Saturday's auction. Writing on the Barrett-Jackson site, Cluxton said Cosby's Super Snake was later wrecked in a road accident in which its driver was killed.".

Besides, I'm not smart enough to make this stuff up! Remember, this was loooong before Bill got his doctorate. At the time he was still Robert's Culp "trainer" in I Spy.

Bumping the question and last (mostly correct) answer:

GRANT ED wrote:

Bgrigg wrote: My new question: What were the first four companies under the General Motors name? Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Elmore and Oakland. Am I right??

Three out of four right. That gets you a close but no cigar. Care to try again?

Ya missed the original, Buick.

Buick, Oldmobile, Caddilac, and Oakland Which, in turn, became Pontiac.

Ok, next question, and we move across the pond:

MG produced the TA, the TB, the TC, the TD, and the TF. Why did the not produce a TE?

666Irish wrote:

Ya missed the original, Buick. Buick, Oldmobile, Caddilac, and Oakland Which, in turn, became Pontiac. Ok, next question, and we move across the pond: MG produced the TA, the TB, the TC, the TD, and the TF. Why did the not produce a TE?

Exactly right! Except for your spelling of Cadillac!

Interesting factoid about Cadillac that most people don't realize. In November 1901, Henry Ford reorganized the Detroit Automobile Company into the Henry Ford Company, but left after a dispute with his backers by March 1902. The backers contacted Henry M. Leland, who convinced them to continue and had the company renamed in honor of the founder of Detroit,  Antoine Laumet de la Mothe, Sieur de Cadillac. Leland sold to Will Durant and went on to found Lincoln, who was in turn bought out by Ford Motor Company. Interestingly, FoMoCo was initially financed by the Dodge Brothers. What an incestual place Detroit must have been in those days!

I'm stumped on why MG had no TE model!

666Irish wrote:

Ya missed the original, Buick.   Buick, Oldmobile, Caddilac, and Oakland Which, in turn, became Pontiac.   Ok, next question, and we move across the pond: MG produced the TA, the TB, the TC, the TD, and the TF. Why did the not produce a TE?

I'm guessing that it was a PR thing, TEE EEE  , TEE HEE, didn't sound good. Plus it was a face change of the TD. The TF was a makeover cosmo of the TD. Austin Healey was on the horizon.

Dr. Faust wrote:

I'm guessing that it was a PR thing, TEE EEE  , TEE HEE, didn't sound good. Plus it was a face change of the TD. The TF was a makeover cosmo of the TD. Austin Healey was on the horizon.

You are correct. Morris Garages (MG) felt that MGTE would infer that people were laughing at the brand. Your question, Doctor!