One prototype of the replacement for the Cobra was made, but it hasn’t been seen since 1975. It’s now on display at the Amelia Island Concours after being restored.
We all know Carroll Shelby cars, don’t we? The Shelby Mustang, Daytona Coupe and the Cobra are all well-known. What about the Lonestar, though? There’s a Lonestar, but you won’t hear about it often. This is because there was only one made and the car has been stored in a rather shabby condition since the mid-70s. Although loved and well-cared for, it is in dire need of complete restoration.
It’s now back and finally restored. This car is stunning, made from a mixture of Cobra and GT40 with input from Shelby and John Wyer Automotive Engineering (JWAE), Slough, England.
How did this happen? It was to replace the Cobra 427. This was planned by Shelby American in 1965 as the Cobra III, right as the 427 went on sale. Shelby America was already busy developing the Mustang race car and its commission to transform the GT40 into a Le Mans winner.
Shelby consulted JWAE, a partner in the GT40 project for their input on its design. The two companies approached the project with different perspectives. Shelby American preferred a front-engine layout with rear-drive, and Ford V8 power. This is what you would expect from a Cobra successor. JWAE, who was trained in the GT40 design and is a Lola enthusiast, suggested something completely different. Engineer Len Bailey wanted to make the GT40 more civilized for road usage.
The GT40’s general layout was preserved, with a Ford V8 behind and transmission behind it, a rear-hinged engine cover, front luggage compartment, and a Ford V8 in the cockpit. The GT40-derived suspension would frame the body in aluminum. However, components like wheels and brakes would be sourced from the Cobra. It would be a V8 engine with a ZF five speed transmission.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Shelby chose the JWAE proposal. It was further developed by Shelby, who created a quarter-scale prototype in 1966 for testing in the wind tunnel. Shelby approved it in 1967 and produced a full-size prototype. This car is what you see here.
Maurice Gomm, an English aluminum sculptor, created a body in aluminum. A chassis was developed that was part Cobra and part GT40 with a wheelbase half way between them. Ford objected that the Cobra name be used in any way, including references to “Cobra III”. So the project was renamed Lonestar to honor Carroll Shelby’s Texas home state.
John Horsman, an engineer at JWAE drove the car to the docks to allow it to be shipped to Los Angeles. JWAE had redecorated it and fitted it with white interior. But almost as soon as it arrived at Shelby American, it was blackened. Ford received the Lonestar at Dearborn to be evaluated, but it returned a few days later without approval. Ford’s support was vital for this project.
It’s not clear why Ford did not take on the Lonestar despite its successes with the Mustang and Cobra, but it is likely that they were put off by the difficulty of getting in the cockpit, the projected high price of the car (around twice that of the Cobra 427), and the changes to regulations regarding low-volume models.
Ford UK had built a GT40 roadgoing model, but it was too expensive and impractical to make. Only seven were produced. Shelby was exhausted from the work load and had other priorities. He advertised the Lonestar project in Autoweek/Competition Press, with the following advertisement:
“For sale: Sex on Wheels!” Carroll Shelby’s Cobra Lone Star is a special-designed and built “way out” car. It’s a mid-engine, two-passenger coupe/roadster that’s one-of-a kind. Seen worldwide in International Auto Shows. Fully road-ready with an aluminum body built in England, with removable metal top panels and electric windows. 289 high-performance engine with 5-speed all synchro ZF transmission, tubular exhaust headers and Halibrand mag wheels. Comfortable bucket seats. $15,000.”
It was sold and went through many owners before it was purchased by the current owner, a Cobra collector in 1975. The Lonestar was now looking pretty sorry for itself, with the bodywork and front bumper having been repaired but not replaced.
The owner reported in The Cobra Ferrari Wars 1963-1965 that he drove the car around LA before bringing it home to Arizona. Although the car was quite damaged, it still had GT40-like performance. It was perfect on my 1964 Cobra competition 289 trailer. Everyone thought I was insane.
The car was kept in Connecticut for many years before being taken to Geoff Howard, a Cobra specialist. Geoff has been working on Lonestar for over a decade. He is amazing at keeping around 95% of original parts and re-creating the front bumper.
It was completed just before Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, where it was revealed to great approval.