Highline Autos Highline Autos CSX-2128 Cobra - No. 15, one of two Cobras built for the 1963 12 hrs of Sebring they were going to be worth something someday,” he said. and-pinion steering. Raced by the Shelby American team from “You can’t say enough superlatives about Larry. He was a very March to July of 1963, it was sold to Coventry Motors, owned giving man, and he was an absolute workaholic; he’s only guy by Allen Grant. Greg Miller I ever knew besides Roger Penske who worked 36 hours a day. “This was allegedly the Cobra that made Larry Miller fall I loved Larry.” in love with Cobras,” Gardner explains. The cover of the Rip A few of Miller’s cars are on loan to the Shelby American Chords’ Hey Little Cobra record album in the ‘60s showcased GreatGarages Collection in Colorado, but the majority of the collection is at it. The song peaked nationally at #4 in early 1964. Miller Motorsports Park, Gardner explains. “Almost every car Grant repainted it yellow,with black stripes and roundels, on display is capable of being driven, and until Larry’s death, as designed by friend and later film-maker George Lucas. ‘Hey Little Cobra!’ –– a number of them competed in vintage racing events on both Shelby bought the car back in March 1964 and it was raced Larry H. Miller’s Total Performance Automobile Museum sides of the Atlantic.” by the team until August 1964. Gurney, Miles, MacDonald, Bob Holbert, Lew Spencer and Graham ‘Tombstone’ Shaw Written by David M. Brown Gardner, and Miller’s son, Greg, CEO of the Larry H. Miller were among the team drivers. Group of Companies, got our rpms revving recently: When it was auctioned in January 2005, having been Move over, Stingrays and XKEs: Shelby Cobras, GT350s, cations manager for Miller Performance. returned to its original black livery, Miller and another bidder GT500s and GT40s are here, in one place, and all of them are After a start in racing in 1952, five years later Shelby was •CSX-2002 Cobra –– No. 16 was the first Cobra built in were battling. “Larry was victorious, but he later found out fast and gorgeous. Sports Illustrated’s “Driver of the Year” and, in 1959, winner Shelby’s shops in California and was the first factory compe- that he was bidding against none other than George Lucas!” From Salt Lake City,cruise 35 miles to Tooele, Utah, where of the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving for the factory Aston tition Cobra. It was this car in which drivers Ken Miles and Gardner says. Miller Motorsports Park showcases perhaps the greatest col- Martin team. Dave MacDonald, recently elected to the National Corvette lection of Ford-specific race and street cars in the world: the Shelby excelled first as a driver, then, because of a heart Hall of Fame, did all the development work. •CSX-2299 Daytona Coupe –– The blue No. 13 Daytona Total Performance Automobile Museum. condition, as a salesman of his concepts and owner of the Billy Krause drove it in its first race, the Los Angeles Times Coupe is generally considered the most valuable Cobra in Until his death in February 2009, automobile dealer and racing team that won numerous Sports Car Club of America Grand Prix at California’s Riverside Raceway in October 1962. existence and, perhaps, the most valuable American-built car. Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller maintained a lifelong passion championships as well as victories at Le Mans, Daytona and He fell back at the start, then took the lead on the ninth lap, Shelby wanted to take Cobras to Europe in 1964, but the for cars built by the Ford Motor Company and, in particular, Sebring. Shelby became the first and only American manu- but the car retired after rear hub failure. Miles and Dan Gurney Cobra roadsters hit their aerodynamic limit at about 150 mph those built by the great Carroll Shelby. facturer to win an FIA World Championship. also drove this car. One of the most significant Cobras, this red and were not going to be competitive against the formidable Miller started in drag racing, with a 1963 Ford Falcon After a mythic career, he died May 10, 2012. beauty was purchased in August 2002. Ferrari GTOs for long, high-speed European circuits. Sprint convertible. “But he always admired Carroll Shelby and A few months before, in October 2011, Shelby talked Using a fastback-bodied coupe body designed by Pete the cars that he built, and he looked forward to the day when about his friend, Larry H. Miller: “He was one of the first early •CSX-2128 Cobra –– No. 15, now black on black, was one of Brock, the Daytona Coupe won its class in the 1964 24 Hours he could own one,” says John Gardner, marketing communi- collectors of my Cobras. He recognized before anybody that two Cobras built for the 1963 12 Hours of Sebring with rack- of Le Mans. Brock’s ingenuity allowed the cars to go 20 mph February 2014 68 www.highline-autos.com February 2014 69 www.highline-autos.com Highline Autos Highline Autos CSX-2299 Daytona SFM5R535 GT350 No. 40 Mk II, P-1074, used in 1970 by Steve McQueen to film race scenes for Le Mans faster just based on more efficient aerodynamics, and they aged in 1967, it was stored for a decade, then sold and repaired. ultimately approached 200 mph. Six coupes were built; this It stayed in Peru until 1984, when it was sold to an American was the second one, and it had the best racing record. collector, who returned it to the United States for restoration. It finished first in the GT class and fourth overall in its Miller acquired it in 2005. debut race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, co-driven by Gurney GT40 Mk II P-1015 Ford Mk IV J-4 All photos courtesy Miller Motorsports Park- Jeremy Henrie and the Valley’s Bob Bondurant, slapping Enzo Ferrari with •P-1015 GT40 Mk II –– Henry Ford II attempted to buy his first defeat in the GT class at the race since the class was Ferrari in the early 1960s, but Enzo Ferrari backed out. GT40 Mk II P-1015, light blue with white stripes and red racing. He was killed later that summer testing a prototype of established in 1959. Had it not been for a long pit to bypass Miffed, Ford vowed to beat Ferrari, joining General Manager splashes around the headlights, was fitted with a 427-c.i.d. the forthcoming Mk IV. an oil cooler, it probably would have won outright. At the sea- Lee Iacocca’s “Total Performance” program with the expertise NASCAR engine and entered in the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona, After 1967, a succession of owners drove it, including son-ending Tourist Trophy at Goodwood in England, Gurney of Eric Broadley, founder of the British company that built the first-ever 24-hour at Daytona, where Miles and Lloyd Ruby Richard Reventlow, brother of Lance Reventlow, creator of the won again. Lola racing cars, to develop the Lola Mk 6 prototype into what won overall. 1950s Scarab sports racers, and it carried a variety of paint This Daytona Coupe also took first in GT and second over- became the Ford GT40. Next, it was then entered in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, schemes. In the early 1990s, it was restored to 1966 Le Mans all in the 1965 24 Hours of Daytona, driven by Jo Schlesser After an inauspicious debut in April 1964 with the Mk I one of eight Mk IIs in the race. Shelby American brought three, specs and was purchased by Larry Miller in 1999. and Hal Keck, and placed first in GT and fourth overall in the GT40, Ford rebounded with a 1-2-3 finish in the 1966 24 as did Holman-Moody,and two came from Alan Mann Racing. 1965 12 Hours of Sebring, with Bondurant/Schlesser, helping Hours of Le Mans with three Mk IIs. The following year, a “Following the final round of pit stops, this car, entered by “The collection can mean many things to many people,” Shelby become the first and, to date, only American manufac- Mk IV won Le Mans again. “The Ford GT40 is an icon of Shelby American and co-driven by Miles and Denis Hulme, Miller says. “To the Ford enthusiast, it represents the world’s turer to win the FIA GT World Manufacturers Championship. motorsports, and an icon of American automobiledom,” was leading the No. 2 Shelby entry of Bruce McLaren/Chris most significant collection of Ford sports and racing cars Purchased in January 2000, CSX-2299 was described by Gardner says. Amon (P-1046). The No. 5 Holman-Moody entry of Ronnie associated with Carroll Shelby. Miller as “my very favorite car in the whole world. It just stops Five variants of the GT40 were made: the Mk I (289 Bucknum/Dick Hutcherson (P-1016) was 12 laps back,” “To the general auto enthusiast, it is a collection of some my heart every time I see it.” engine); Mk II (427 engine); Mk III (427 engine for street; six Gardner says. of America’s most historic sports and racing cars,” he adds. built); Mk IV (427, but engine banned after ’67 Le Mans); and “As the end of the race neared, Ford executives, anticipat- “To others, it highlights what is possible when one man with •SFM5R535 1965 Shelby GT350R –– With the Cobra already the “Gulf Cars” (289 engine, with three Mk II chassis, raced ing their first-ever overall win at the world’s most prestigious a passionate vision pursues a dream and makes it a reality.