Info sought on timeline of Shelby Clubs

[zray]

I'm trying to understand the current morass that SAAC, C. Shelby, et al are embroiled in. I think a little history would help clarify how all parties arrived at their respective positions. Can anyone shed some light on the beginnings of SAAC? Wasn't their another Shelby Club (Shelby Owners Club?) that was the object of a (hostile?) takeover by SAAC?  Maybe the current events are a case of history repeating itself, like what goes around comes around...

Were there several national Shelby Clubs in existence simultaneously?

What events led to SAAC being the big fish in the Shelby world?

When did this split between SAAC & C. Shelby begin? Was he really excluded from contributing any input on the way SAAC was ran? If so, that would seem a fatally shortsighted policy of the SAAC leadership.

Would love to hear from some of the "granddads of the Shelby world" who lived some of history behind our current events


Z. Ray

[08GT]

Here is the history as I know it.

COCOA - Cobra Owners Club of America - started in the early 60's. You had to own a Cobra to belong (later changed). For the most part died out in the early 70's. COCOA Los Angeles was the original club and still exists. COCOA Orange County was originaly a chapter of the LA club but has been on its own since the general failure of COCOA. These clubs today operate as regions of SAAC

SOA - Shelby Owners of America - a one magazine wonder. Started after the failure of COCOA. Paid staff slick publications no foresight. Failed quickly.

SAAC - Shelby American Automobile Club - Started late 1975, I had just purchased my first Shelby and joined COCOA. Some people from the LA club stopped by with brochures on SAAC and promised it was not another "take the money and run" SOA. I joined and have been a member ever since. they have been the keepers of the flame for over 30+ years. It's great that they have had the foresight to check and document the history of these cars and thereby protect their value.

Chrysler Clubs - SAAC tried to make one work but the owners of the cars seemed to feel they were not worthy of preservation - They were fun cars but, made no lasting impression on the automotive world. No race history, decals and turbos do not make a legend.

SVT - Special Vehicles Team - I mention this here as it is a performance Ford group. Ford Motor Company had been pouring over $250,000 a year into the club and needed to stop the bleeding. SAAC has stepped in and taken over the operation. I think they will have some success but like the Chrysler cars too many of them and no race history/legacy will take their toll.

Team Shelby - time will tell - I don't see much future here. Hooking up with an existing event in Oklahoma will not offer the far flung membership much hope of seeing something happen in their own back yard. SAAC had a very good winter mini convention in Vegas. CS "helped" run it one year and the next took it over completly - that was the last one. Guess the profit margin wasn't high enough.

[shelbydoug]

I believe the COCOA was formed by Paul Petersen of the Donna Ried show. I believe Paul was an original owner and COCOA started the day he bought the car. You had to own a Cobra and had to live in California to join if I am not mistaken. Maybe Lynn Park knows more about that. Maybe he will chime in.

The SOA was formed around 1972 by David Bythwood, an undertaker in Long Island. It didn't really fail. It merged with SAAC and was strong independent in the Oklahoma-Kansas area with support from Jim Wicks I believe.
His newsletters were monthly at first and decent publications for the time.
I think the Mid-America Shelby conventions are sort of a continuation of them. It in fact may still exist. I don't know? Ask Wicks.

The Cobra Club. Formed by Bruce Jodar, Grosse Point Shores, MI, CSX 3297, around 1973. Mark Bucheim, Sparta, NJ, CSX 3126, was the eastern Regional Director.
Bruce is the earliest I can remember that signed with the CSX number and started the trend.
The Cobra Club also was the club that first comitted itself to a World Registry. That was Jodar's idea initially.

When SAAC was formed Jodar agreed for the Cobra Club to become part of SAAC with two stipulations that I know of 1) SAAC agreed to commit to the continuation of the World Registry and 2) the COBRA CLUB surrendered it's  cash assets to SAAC, all $85 of it.

The big three at SAAC were Ken Eber, Rick Kopec, and Austin Craig. Austin got "fired" after he printed a feature story of his 13 year old neighbor around 1976.
Yea there are some things that could have been done differently at SAAC but nobody thought it would still be here thirty some odd years later. Increadible.
Rick can probably still tell you how it grew from leaps and bounds the first couple of years. It actually exploded rather then grew.

Back then CS never had time for the clubs. Granted he had big health problems. In retrospect I wonder if it is coincidental that he seemed to get interested after SAAC produced the first "SAAC World Registry"? Hum?

[Rick Kopec]

To really provide the facts would take more time than I have right now. But establishing an accurate timeline will not help connect the dots and lead anyone to understand the current situation. There is a lot more to it than that, and when the time is right we will lay it all out. Right now is not the time.

Rick