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The SHELBY AMERICAN

Summer 2016 20

Steve Sloan of Pasadena, Texas is

our acknowledged expert when it

comes to vintage movies containing

cobra references. He is always coming

up with something new. The 1929 film

“The Letter” is a good example. It

starred Jeanne Eagles and Reginald

Owens (not to be confused with an-

other movie of the same name starring

Bette Davis and Herbert Marshall).

It’s a convoluted plot; a plantation

owner’s wife shoots and kills her lover

after he ticks her off. But she made the

mistake of writing a letter to him

when they were on better terms. If the

letter was revealed it would blow a

We can’t help wondering in Sloan

is making a bid to join in on the eagle

eye smackdown, but if he is he’s going

to have to find some non-movie sight-

ings. He can’t be a Johnny One-Note.

“The King of the Rocket Men” was a

12-part serial made in 1949. Hero Jeff

King in his experimental rocket suit

battles with the evil Dr. Vulcan who

wants to steal a new secret weapon to

control the world. We’re sure you’ve

seen it by now – and if you haven’t

you’ll never be an eagle-eye. King’s

rocket pack is secured by a

Cobra/early Shelby-style competition

seat belt. Clearly it was before the

Cobra’s time, but the belts and lever-

buckle were originally used in military

aircraft. In the 1940s and 1950s, when

sports car racing was taking shape,

many drivers came to racing after fly-

ing fighters and bombers. They knew

the value of good seat belts and were

familiar with military belts, which

were widely available as military sur-

plus items, so the use was a natural

fit. We’re just not sure about use for

rocket packs.

hole in her self-defense alibi and set

up her execution. The letter is in the

hands of her dead lover’s girlfriend

who offers to sell it to the murderess.

But only if she comes to a local dive,

grovels a little and hands over some

cash. During her visit a fight between

a cobra and a mongoose is staged for

the patrons. Spoiler alert: the mon-

goose wins.

Red Cobra owner Jim Sfetko of

Parkville, Missouri probably thought

he was seeing things at Costco when

he spotted the boxes of Underwood

California artichokes stacked up in

the produce section. It was impossible

to miss the red Cobra on the boxes. An-

other Cobra owner, Ned Scudder, also

happened on the same brand at a

store in California and he sent us a

photo which was included in the Win-

ter ‘15 issue. Can we draw any conclu-

sion from this two for two?

It’s described as an “Elite Survival

Systems Elite Cobra Rigger’s Belt

w/Buckle.” Did we say “elite”? We’re

not sure what a rigger’s belt is but

we’re pretty sure we don’t need one,

even if it is the Cobra model. Stan

Simm of Winston Salem, North Car-

olina saw it on the Internet.

This interesting poster was offered on

Michael Knab Automotive Art website.

No size or price is listed but it’s a com-

pelling illustration.