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Karl Gustav's small block Cobra

Discussion in 'Shelby History and Miscellaneous Topics' started by bitzman, Dec 13, 2007.

  1. Dec 13, 2007 #1
    bitzman

    bitzman Well-Known Member

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    Has there ever been a picture in a magazine of the King of Sweden
    with his Cobra?
    I think I saw him pictured with some other sports car but not the Cobra.
    I once knew an East LA tuner who was invited to Sweden just to tune up the King's Cobra.
    As far as I know he is the only Royal with a Cobra.
     
    bitzman, Dec 13, 2007
    bitzman, Dec 13, 2007
    #1
  2. Dec 13, 2007 #2
    zrayr

    zrayr Well-Known Member

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    I think he has a GT-350. Don't know about the Cobra.

    Z. Ray
     
    zrayr, Dec 13, 2007
    zrayr, Dec 13, 2007
    #2
  3. Dec 13, 2007 #3
    bitzman

    bitzman Well-Known Member

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    I know it was a Cobra because of the tuner
    who showed me pictures
    and also because of a Swedish Shelby club official who told me about the car.
    I think Royal personages don't like to pose much with cars unless
    they are endorsing the company, such as HRH Prince Charles
    posing with Aston Martin cars, of which he owns at least two
     
    bitzman, Dec 13, 2007
    bitzman, Dec 13, 2007
    #3
  4. Dec 13, 2007 #4
    A-Snake

    A-Snake Well-Known Member

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    Since it appears that Wallace does not have a Registry, the car in question is COX6061 ;)
     
    A-Snake, Dec 13, 2007
    A-Snake, Dec 13, 2007
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  5. Dec 13, 2007 #5
    bitzman

    bitzman Well-Known Member

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    No registry., so thank you for the information I look at my friend's on occasion when a controversial car comes up for sale or discussion. Now I will have to look it
    up in the pre-SAAC registry from the original Cobra Owners club to see if it
    is listed with him as original owner. I heard that he met Carroll Shelby but don't know if that was in the original Cobra days or years afterward. I am presuming with Continental registration alphabetical prefixes it is still LHD.
     
    bitzman, Dec 13, 2007
    bitzman, Dec 13, 2007
    #5
  6. Dec 13, 2007 #6
    A-Snake

    A-Snake Well-Known Member

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    You are putting me on, right? :confused: You are not really using the Registry from 1973 as a reference for your books! :eek:


    Anyway, no Gustav was not the original owner.
     
    A-Snake, Dec 13, 2007
    A-Snake, Dec 13, 2007
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  7. Dec 13, 2007 #7
    bitzman

    bitzman Well-Known Member

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    the old registry was written in a different era, when Cobras were just used cars

    I am using the old registry as a rough basis of
    what was known then

    as in the question they ask politicians at those DC hearings:

    "what did you know and when did you know it"

    You have to remember that at time Cobras were regarded by man as just used cars
    depreciating like most other cars so to me the information is more
    "pure" than later registries in that single regard.
     
    bitzman, Dec 13, 2007
    bitzman, Dec 13, 2007
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  8. Dec 13, 2007 #8
    A-Snake

    A-Snake Well-Known Member

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    Re: the old registry was written in a different era, when Cobras were just used cars

    Yea..that's the ticket! :dance: When anyone asks you about an error in your book, you can say
    "Hey, that's the only info I have.":doh:

    More pure? What was added later? Lies? :noway:

    By the way the 1973 Registry had only accounted for 248 of the 998 Cobras.
     
    A-Snake, Dec 13, 2007
    A-Snake, Dec 13, 2007
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  9. Dec 13, 2007 #9
    Texas Swede

    Texas Swede Well-Known Member

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    Hi Guys,
    Interesting topic for a former Swede like me.
    The Swedish King is a real gear head and owns
    many cars, among others the Cobra and a 66
    GT350, 6S1135. Have some stories about the
    Cobra. It was owned by a guy, Ulf Lydholm who one
    day advertised a Cobra 289 HiPo engine for sale in a Swedish
    magazine. I called him and he said it was out of his Cobra
    which he had just put a Boss302 block and 351 Windsor heads into
    and went historic racing with. Drove to his house and looked at the
    early 5 bolt HiPo engine and instead of buying the engine (cheap)
    I pursuaded Ulf to keep it. Told him that it would be really bad to
    separate the car and the engine. About a year later, Ulf sold the
    car to the King and called me and thanked me for setting him straight
    as regards the engine. A few months later the Royal Court called me
    and asked how the King could be a member of SAAC. No problem I said
    and sent them the SAAC form. Carroll Shelby and the King are personal
    friends and have met and talked over the phone many times. About 15 years ago, Shelby had somebody build a 66 Mustang Pro-Stock for the King
    and he went over to California and looked at it before it was ready.
    Was in a Mustang Monthly, if I remember correctly.
    As regards the 66 GT350 it was originally green but the King had it painted
    white with blue Le Mans stripes.
    /Texas Swede
     
    Texas Swede, Dec 13, 2007
    Texas Swede, Dec 13, 2007
    #9
  10. Dec 14, 2007 #10
    isaak-gt500kr

    isaak-gt500kr Well-Known Member

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    Richard Cabral was the one who worked on the King's car. He used to have some rare Ford HP parts as well. I wound up with some of them. :)
     
    isaak-gt500kr, Dec 14, 2007
    isaak-gt500kr, Dec 14, 2007
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  11. Dec 14, 2007 #11
    bitzman

    bitzman Well-Known Member

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    Yes, it was Richard Cabral. He told me that, when he was in Sweden, he went to a nightclub and the Swedish girls asked how he "got so tanned." He explained that he was of Mexican origin. I guess not too many Mexicans make it to Sweden.

    The way I discovered he had tuned the King's car was that he was showing me his photo album of cars he had worked on and he passed a shot wheret there was a a pink palace (with big stone walls) and it happened I had been there already (though I failed to meet HRH). I am glad the King owns a Mustang too. I think the Swedes like American cars, though the biggest American car fans I know in Scandanavia are in Norway.
     
    bitzman, Dec 14, 2007
    bitzman, Dec 14, 2007
    #11
  12. Dec 14, 2007 #12
    isaak-gt500kr

    isaak-gt500kr Well-Known Member

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    I have lost track of Richard. He was in Visalia for awhile and and had a radio talk show about vintage cars and such. He also ran for a state congressional position and lost. Last I heard he went to work for the NRA and moved to Nevada. I still have his royal business card when worked for King Gustav. I wish him well wherever he may be. :thumbup:
     
    isaak-gt500kr, Dec 14, 2007
    isaak-gt500kr, Dec 14, 2007
    #12

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