Mystery Car Contest

They've already announced the winner and answer (I'll post it later), but I'm curious if anyone on this site (that's a clue) can identify the car (until now, I didn't know that the car existed).

THE AMELIA ISLAND CONCOURS d'ELEGANCE SECOND ANNUAL REALLY HARD "IDENTIFY THIS CAR" CONTEST. WIN TWO TICKETS TO THE 2018 AMELIA ISLAND CONCOURS d'ELEGANCE

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The car will be on display at Amelia Island next month.
 
It's the one and only shelby "lone star" 302 mid engine; scheduled to be scrapped but was hidden from the ford bean counters. Rich roy cav #99
 
It's the one and only shelby "lone star" 302 mid engine; scheduled to be scrapped but was hidden from the ford bean counters.

Yup, that's it.

From Amelia Island's email:

THE MYSTERY CAR REVEALED: SHELBY'S LONESTAR "COBRA III" DEBUTS AT 2018 AMELIA CONCOURS

The sole Shelby Lonestar,created in secrecy a half-century ago as a replacement for the legendary 427 Shelby Cobra, will make its international concours debut at the 23rd annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance on March 11, 2018.

Based on the GT40 chassis the Ford V-8-powered mid-engine coupe was assembled in England during 1968 and wore the name "Cobra III" in internal Shelby documents.

The Cobra was a very hard act to follow but the Lonestar checked all the right boxes; and Shelby had a potent plan. But there were considerable obstacles: Ford had acquired the Cobra name a year earlier. So Shelby, a Texan by birth, nature and bearing, named his third-generation "Cobra" after his home state and the Shelby Lonestar was born.

In the end US safety legislation halted the budding project. A disgruntled Shelby left for the wilds of South Africa. The Lonestar was advertised for the then princely sum of $15,000 but there were no takers. Now, after a sensitive and complex ten year-plus restoration, Shelby's only Lonestar will make its international concours debut at the 2018 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

"The Lonestar is a globally significant one-of-a-kind car. With its pedigree and design it could have changed history," said Bill Warner, founder and Chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. "We're honored that the Lonestar's owner has chosen to reintroduce Carroll Shelby's 'ultimate Cobra' to the world at The Amelia."
 

Ian Anderson

Lifetime Supporter
The first photo shows a side intake and in Pat’s photo it is not there.

I did a fair bit of searching on line and none of the old photos show the air intake, so when did it get added?

Ian
 

Pat

Supporter
Ian, the Hemmings description of the car indicates the side intake was added later by Shelby American, presumably when the car was returned after testing by Ford. The write up also indicates it must have been a maintenance nightmare and horror to restore. For example the engine was welded in place.

Later photo from Hemmings.
 

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The write up also indicates it must have been a maintenance nightmare and horror to restore. For example the engine was welded in place.

Later photo from Hemmings.

I was cursing my lack of planning whilst lying on my back under the dash contorting myself to try and remove some hidden allen head srews in an access panel that was now blocked by the wiring loom so I could gain access to run a new wire in.

However, at least even I didn't weld the engine in :eek:
 
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