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The SHELBY AMERICAN
Winter 2016 13
SET THE WAYBACK MACHINE TO 1815, MR. PEABODY
McCLURG FINDS WAY OFF ISLAND
SEMA ACTION
There is almost too much going on
at the Goodwood Revival to keep track
of. If you are one of Lord March’s
Guests of Honor, you jump from one
must-do activity to the next. Near the
top of the list was Saturday evening’s
Gala, a recreation of the famous
Dutchess of Richmond’s Ball that was
held in Brussels, Belgium on June 15,
1815. Everyone will remember this as
the night before the Battle of Quatre
Bras. The Dutchess’s husband,
Charles Lennox, the 4th Duke of Rich-
mond, commanded troops in Brussels,
protecting the city in the event that
Napoleon Bonaparte invaded. Three
days later Napoleon was defeated at
Waterloo. The Dutchess’ ball has been
described as the “the most famous ball
in history.” Lord March’s version is
probably a close second. Everyone who
is invited was expected to be in an ap-
propriate costume. Peter and Gayle
Brock were caught off guard by the
dress requirement and did not bring
costumes with them, so they dug deep
into their suitcases and just hoped no
one would notice.
One of our favorite automotive photo/journalists, Bob McClurg, made his an-
nual pilgrimage to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas this past November. He looks
none the worse for wear after escaping Southern California and moving to Hilo,
Hawaii about five years ago. Once on the island he seemed to be marooned like
Gilligan, but he does manage to find a way off once in a while. At the SEMA
Show McClurg was interviewed by Rick Titus on his Drivers Talk Radio pro-
gram. McClurg’s latest book, “The History of AMC Motorsports: Trans-Am,
Quarter Mile, NASCAR, Bonneville and More” won’t be reviewed here, for ob-
vious reasons. Titus’ syndicated, award-winning show is moving into its fif-
teenth year. It is filled with interviews, discussions of controversial automotive
topics, reviews of vehicles and products and consumer tips. Podcasts are avail-
able through Drivers Talk Radio’s website: www.driverstalkradio.com
There are always a few Cobra/Shelby
cars at the annual SEMA show.
Walking up and down the aisles at a
giant trade show for several days
takes its toll. At SEMA they usually
have something outside that’s a little
more hands-on. This Cobra replica
was set up to drift, and rides were
given in an attempt to wear the tires
down to the threads.
Ford would not have missed a chance to show its new
GT350R, this one done up in black with silver LeMans
stripes. At one point, an original GT350 R-Model was
planned to be displayed right next to the 2016 R-car.
5R096 was being prepped at Cobra Automotive in
Wallingford, Connecticut but Ford decided to use a
GT350 vintage racer that was already in the area in-
stead. 5S034, owned by Craig Jackson of Scottsdale,
Arizona, was a cheaper date.