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The SHELBY AMERICAN
Fall 2015 353
CHUCK GUTKE
July 11, 2015
When the Cobra/Shelby hobby was
in its infancy, Chuck Gutke realized
that repairing Cobras was a bit more
than the average owner could do by
himself. This was before the word
“restoration” had gained the meaning it
has today. In 1977 he started Cobra Re-
storers in Kennesaw, Georgia and al-
most overnight became very busy
repairing and rebuilding Cobras. This
was back when finding replacement
parts was something that would give
Sherlock Holmes pause. In the inter-
vening years, more and more Cobra
to specialty shops like Cobra Restorers to
produce show-quality examples that they
could drive with pride. When vintage rac-
ing gained popularity, Chuck was in the
right spot. The first large sanctioning body
on the east coast was SVRA (at that time
the Southeastern Vintage Racing Associa-
tion) in Florida. Chuck began competing in
CSX2373, which he had acquired after its
restoration costs had exceeded its owner’s
budget. It was a good advertisement for his
business as well as being an enjoyable
hobby. Chuck campaigned the car in most
SVRA events in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Cobra Restorers continued to thrive and
was soon doing hot rod work as well as
Cobra and Shelby restoration and race
preparation.
Chuck was always a SAAC supporter
and in the club’s early days served as a
Georgia Regional Representative. He
helped plan and run a number of large re-
gional events at Callaway, Georgia. He also
served as the club’s Regional Rep Coordi-
nator for a time.
Chuck was born in Wheaton, Illi-
nois in 1938. He was an Eagle Scout and
after attending the University of Miami,
he joined the Marines where he was a
helicopter mechanic. He served a tour in
Vietnam as a helicopter door gunner.
After graduating from college he took a
job as a professional water skier at Cy-
press Gardens. He also flew helicopters
and fixed-wing aircraft. In 1994 he was
honored as the pilot with the most
Angel Flight missions in the U.S. (Angel
Flight is an air ambulance service for
patients unable to fly commercial.)
In the last couple of months his
health began to deteriorate and he was
diagnosed with lung problems. There
was no cure and after being stabilized
with only 25 percent lung capacity, he
was moved back home in hospice care.
He maintained contact by email with a
group of friends and never once com-
plained about his health problems. He
continued to be upbeat and in good spir-
its. He passed away quietly. He was 76.
When replica Cobras became popu-
lar a lot of enthusiasts who wanted one
didn’t have the expertise or interest in
building one of their own. They turned
DEAN WHITE
July 27, 2015
Dean was the original owner of
6S326 and had it until 2014 when he
had to sell it due to failing health. He
was an active member of SAAC’s New
England Region. He purchased the car
at Harr Ford; it originally had an auto-
matic transmission but he swapped
that for a four-speed in 1979.
He graduated in 1965 from the
Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a
master’s degree in civil engineering. He
worked as an engineer at Alden Re-
search Laboratories in Holden, Massa-
chusetts until he retired after almost
forty years.
Dean was a commander in the Navy and served
in Vietnam. He passed away after a long battle with
the twin demons of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Dean was 73.