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The SHELBY AMERICAN
Fall 2016 16
Master Eagle Eye Shake-Up: Barranger Steps Out
It looks like our spontaneous
eagle eye competition has finally
had a shake-out. Bob Barranger
hung his head solemnly and threw
in the towel, acknowledging that he
has had more of a drubbing than he
can take. “
At the beginning I
thought this would be a piece of
cake
,” said Barranger. “
I was seeing
Shelby and Cobra stuff everywhere
I looked, but lately my usual
sources seem to have all dried up. I
keep coming up empty. I don’t know
how these other eagle eyes do it.
I’m not someone who runs around
crying ‘conspiracy’ at the drop of a
Shelby hat but how well have these
other master eagle eyes been vet-
ted? Are they really turning this
stuff up on their own or could they
be using anonymous minions who
comb the weeds for them, find
something, and then pass it on to
one of these top guns who then
send it in and claim the laurels. I
don’t have any proof. I’m just sayin’
it could be true. Is anyone putting
them under the microscope? This
whole master eagle eye thing
seems to be pretty loosey-goosey.”
A package arrived at his office and Doc
Warren scanned the mailing label to
see if it offered a clue as to what might
be inside. Who among us hasn’t done
that? The word “Shelby” caught his
eye immediately (as it would any eagle
eye worthy of the name) and he imme-
diately started thinking what might
be inside: tickets to Pebble Beach? A
‘66 GT350 tachometer? An original
Cobra nose badge? A ‘65 GT350 own-
ers manual? Keys to an original ‘67
GT500 Nightmist Blue with Parch-
ment interior? With high expectations
he carefully opened the box to discover
only some sample medications.
Car Craft
magazine goes through their photo-archives and pulls something
they’ve never used before for a current issue. Leave it to Young to zero in on
the Cobra valve cover and oil pan. In 1965,
CC
covered Shelby American’s
build of a 390 horsepower dual-quad 289 Hi-Po engine which they installed
into a ‘65 Mustang project car.
Hutchinson was watching a PBS
Mystery program titled “Endeavor,”
broadcast in the middle of June.
The suspect had a cobra sculpture
on his desk.
Most enthusiasts can pick out a
small picture of a Cobra on a full
page of pictures. True eagle eyes –
like Young – can spot a Cobra in the
blink of a eye. An eagle eye.
Hutchinson couldn’t help noticing
this luxe gold snakeskin purse in a
Bergdorf Goodman ad. Want one?
Get ready to shell out $2,950.