[rrpjr]

I understand. Cobra has exerted a pull on my imagintion for just about as long as Porsche.

One day in 1967 I tagged along with my father to Bud Grossman's facility in Nyack, NY. Grossman, a retired race car driver of some note, had become a gentleman importer and dealer. My father, rather bored with whatever car he had then (I think it was an Alpha), was looking at various cars on Grossman's lot, including a burnished silver Masserati Ghibli (my choice). He opted for a 911Ss, a Polo Red coupe. I was relatively unexcited by this. "Porsche" meant little to this 8-year-old, and didn't look nearly as cool as the Ghibli nor as likely to impress my friends. But the car was a "screamer," as they say, and through my father's excellent driving and narratives, I began to appreciate Porsche as something altogether unique. So began my affection. A few weeks later on a return service visit, my older brother and I were ambling about the area when we came upon a large shed. Inside we saw two beastly looking shapes under tarps. Grossman took off the tarps to reveal a pair of original, Carroll Shelby-built AC Bristol Cobras. My brother and I were in awe. Grossman let us climb over the door (no handles) and sit in the cockpits. We begged my father to buy one. But he stayed with the Porsche. I suppose those cars are worth at least a $ half-million a piece today.

Along with Porsche, this is the only car that turns my head.