LA SAAC 1999

January 20, 2018 /   /  Articles

Cobra Country’s masthead for LASAAC (L.A. Shelby American Automobile Club) chapter, 7th Annual Show

Sunday, 3 October 1999: Cobra Country’s coverage of the
1999 Concours—Los Angeles chapter
Shelby American Automobile Club Bash
and Shelby Employees Reunion

 

lineup of original 427 Cobras at LASAAC Woodley Park 7th Annual Shelby Cobra event

 

left: a lineup of some of the original 427s and 289s at this year’s extravaganza.

 

right: a group shot of CS and former Shelby employees and drivers. There are too many notables here to identify them all, but that’s “Bondo” (Bob Bondurant standing in the black shirt, and you can even spot Chuck Beck in the background.

Lineup of vintage Shelby-American employees at LASAAC Woodley Park show, 1999

left: a lineup of some of the original 289s; that’s Hank Williams’ (original, one-owner) silver-blue 289. Hank is a “regular” at all of these Shelby events; his 289 slabside ranks as one of the 2 or 3 longest-reigning one-owner Cobras. Incidentally, those aren’t ‘dings’ on his fender, merely reflections from Darrell Mountjoy’s silver car in the foreground. Darrell’s car won its class.

top left: CS’s #98 Cobra was on display, along with top right: his personal Series 1 driving machine.

 

left: a lineup of some of dozens of Cobra replicas at the show. That’s George Petrus’ (Accurate Machine Products) red & white 427SC in the background.

 

 

right: more snake replicas; that’s Bob Shaw’s (eminence grise of Operations Plus) Unique Motorcars 289FIA #33 car in the foreground.

 

 

left: That’s the last Daytona Coupe built by John Ohlsen (built on chassis CSX2603); he was still working on it in New Zealand in 1998 when he suddenly died of a heart attack. It’s now owned by LA SAAC’s Jay Russell.

 

right : Chuck Beck alongside his blue Lister. Chuck worked for Shelby back in the heyday of FIA racing; Chuck has produced his legendary Beck 550 Spyder since the early 1980s, and now focuses much of his production efforts on his (±1700-pound ground-bound/Weber-outfitted cruise missile) Lister replica. Chuck’s one of the best drivers who ever applied accelerator to asphalt.

Famed car builder (and Legend-era Shelby employee) Chuck Beck at LASAAC/Woodley Park show, 1999
Lineup of Stangs at LASAAC (L.A. Shelby American Auto Club) Woodley Park show, 1999. Photo by Curt Scott
Gold & black Hertz GT350s at LASAAC Woodley Park show, 1999

Above: Mustang Country: there were dozens of Shelby ‘Stangs, including GT350s, GT500s, non-Shelby GTs and even a Saleen or two. That brace of ’66 black & gold GT350H’s (the ‘H’ stands for ‘Hertz’) was a hit of the show.

Above: Sunbeams were lined up, their savvy owners opting for the shade.

Shelby Cobra handmade quilt for sale at LASAAC Woodley Park show, 1999

 

left: Another star attraction of the show: that’s a marvelous patchwork quilt constructed entirely of Shelby & Cobra T-shirts; proud possessor Frank Zizzo of Highland, California brought it to Carroll Shelby for his autograph; Frank’s bride Lynn created the masterpiece. Great work!

Carroll Shelby and Herlita Natividad at LASAAC Woodley Park show, 1999
Carroll Shelby & Paul Paretti at LASAAC Woodley Park show, 1999

top left: That’s CS in his trademark black hat and overalls; to his immediate left is his Executive Assistant Herlita Natividad; directly behind her wearing a black baseball cap is Bob Bondurant.

top right: that’s Paul Paretti of Anaheim, in the white hat, getting Carroll Shelby’s autograph. White hat or no, he’s a good guy too…

Tony Sousa and Bob Shaw of L.A. SAAC (LASAAC) Woodley Park show, 1999

 

 

left: That’s (Operations Plus’) Bob Shaw handing out one of the trophies to Tony Sousa. These crystal awards were donated by Applied Computer Solutions‘ Mike and Sandy Davis.

This annual LA SAAC bash has become the largest combined Cobra, Shelby and Mustang gathering west of the Mississippi; this year there were approximately 125 cars on display, over 30 former Shelby-American employees were on hand (including Shelby himself) along with approximately 1,000 showgoers; there were approximately 40 sponsors donating raffle prizes… and the heaviest “goodie bags” to be found anywhere!

For further information regarding the Los Angeles Shelby American

Automobile Club, contact:

L.A. SAAC
3345 Wilshire Blvd. #807
Los Angeles, California 90010

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