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Home , AC Ace, AC Cars, Carroll Shelby, Circuit de la Sarthe, Frank Sytner, Innes Ireland

The Factory Built, Entry Ex - Hugus, Jopp, Miles, Olthoff, Hawkins, Schlesser 1963 AC Shelby Cobra Le Mans Coupé Number: CSX 2142 Registration Number: 645 CGT

• The first of three Shelby Le Mans Coupés built by the AC factory for the first Cobra Le Mans effort in 1963 where the Sunday Times sponsored team was managed by with in attendance on behalf of the , and the brainchild of Shelby’s partner in imagining the Cobra concept, Ed Hugus.

• Fitted with a special experimental highly modified Ford 289 for Le Mans by Phil Remington and Shelby America on the insistence of the Ford Motor Company, unknown to Hugus at the time.

• Taken over by John Willment to run the European competition Cobra operation for Shelby following Le Mans and tested with . CSX 2142 was entered for the 1963 RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood but failed scrutineering on the grounds of modifications.

• Sold to Ford of following a very successful South African tour with Willment. Driven by over the ’64 and ’65 seasons for Ford France taking victories along the way.

• Restored in the ‘90s to Ford of France livery by Yvan Mahe before going back to Le Mans livery with Kevin Kivlochan in 2001 and then being further restored for Frank Sytner by Simon Hadfield .

• In the current ownership since 2009 and raced at the best historic events throughout Europe while being maintained at Pearsons Engineering throughout. Winner of the 2013 Tour Auto, with other highlights including 4th overall in the RAC TT at the 2011 Goodwood Revival with Pearson and .

T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com • Presented with just 1h30 of running on the Steve Warrior engine, unused fresh gearbox by Gary Spencer at CRC and with current 2015 FIA HTPs.

• A key part of the foundation of the Cobra legend, immersed with Carroll Shelby, Ed Hugus, Ford Motor Company, AC Cars, Phil Remington, Stirling Moss, John Willment, Ken Miles, Bob Olthoff, Paul Hawkins, and of course Le Mans.

Regarded as one of the all-time great sports cars, the muscular, yet refined AC Cobra combined European chassis engineering and American V8 power in what was to be become a legendary alliance between AC Cars and the Ford Motor Company, brought about Le Mans-winning racing driver Carroll Shelby. The former's Ace provided the simple twin-tube chassis frame - strengthened and supplied with four-wheel disc brakes for the Cobra - into which was fitted one of Ford's lightweight, small-block V8s. The Cobra was an instant success from the moment it hit the track, giving the might of a run for its money and beginning the Ford vs Ferrari battles.

The we have the pleasure of offering for sale, CSX 2142, is the first of the Le Mans Coupés built by the AC works with Ford and Shelby support, the first Cobra to race in international competition outside of North America, and immersed with the key figures in the Cobra story.

The Formation of the Legend

Alongside Carroll Shelby was a key but lesser known figure, Ed Hugus, who helped imagine the concept and provided the means to make it a reality. Shelby and Hugus had lodged at a Goodyear facility near Le Mans after Shelby’s triumph in June 1959 aboard the DBR1, while they awaited their flights back to the USA, Shelby asked Hugus what he would build if he could. Hugus has also been driving in the 24 Hours with a 718 RSK, and was well versed in a variety of cars.

It was Hugus that suggested the AC Ace as a basis to Shelby, having been impressed with their performance as a competitor, while noting that he thought it was a bit underpowered. Hugus offered to arrange contact with Derek Hurlock, whose family owned AC Cars, though the idea wasn’t acted on for some time.

When Hugus had caught up with Shelby at one race circuit or another in the USA, they would resume their conversation, and Hugus told Shelby that when he achieved the ambition, Hugus would be willing promote and sell Shelby’s cars through his dealerships, European Cars. T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com At the end of 1961, Shelby ordered an initial AC Ace without engine from AC Cars with the idea of fitting in a new lightweight Ford V8, which formed the prototype CSX 2000. Only just able to pay for it, even with help on the engine supply from Ford, Shelby couldn’t commit to a production run of cars. Shelby contacted Hugus, who uniquely did not want to become a partner with Shelby, but instead agreed to support and order the next two unfinished Aces from AC Cars on his own account.

Interested in selling and racing Shelby’s products, Hugus’ European Cars took delivery of the first car from AC, CSX 2001, and a small production line subsequently formed in European Cars’ service department. In practice, it became that they would take delivery of an unfinished car, fit the engine and drivetrain in a matter of days, then retail the cars, becoming the first Cobra dealer.

Hugus’ support and facilitation allowed the Cobra project to get underway, and the handshake based gentleman’s agreement continued while Shelby sought Ford’s backing as his own benefactor. Eventually, in mid ’62, Shelby secured his first financing and production contract with Ford.

By that point, Shelby had become quite insecure about the capability of the European Cars operation as Ford executives asked questions as to why they should deal with Shelby rather than Hugus, and a rift with Hugus began to form between the two.

The completed CSX 2001 was prepared for racing by European Cars in a bid for added publicity, and Hugus planned to be the first person to race a Shelby Cobra. Hugus sold CSX 2001 into private hands at the end of ’62, with a proviso that it could still be called on for promotional work going forwards.

Hugus’ competition aspirations with a Shelby Cobra spanned to the Le Mans 24 Hours, an event he had completed many times, often at the wheel of a Ferrari. An interesting side note: it was only recently that it emerged that Hugus unofficially drove the winning Ferrari 250LM of and in the middle of the night, so actually won Le Mans, but no one knew it! Plans for an entry in the 1963 edition started in mid ’62. Shelby wasn’t forthcoming on the idea at first and the relationship between himself and Shelby had become more fractious as Ford’s involvement increased. Set on the prospect of Le Mans, Hugus decided that he would have to enter a car himself, which he duly did.

Derek Hurlock at AC Cars was contacted and Hugus placed an order for a Cobra that could incorporate all of the updates and racing technology that was being accumulated both at and European Cars. The new car was given the out of sequence number CSX 2142, and Hugus planned to debut his new car at the Nassau Speed Week in December 1962, also submitting entries for the Sebring 12 Hours of March 1963.

As the working relationship between Hugus and Shelby separated further, Hugus called Hurlock and postponed the delivery of CSX 2142.

T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com Ever the team player, he didn’t want to compromise Shelby’s efforts with Ford in what would be their debut international outing, and it was a chance for things to settle down in the meantime. Hugus sat out Nassau on the Cobra front, with the number 198 entry being recorded as ‘did not arrive’.

The revised plan was for CSX 2142 to be delivered in time to take on the Sebring 12 Hours in March ’63 ahead of the 24 Hours at Le Mans, though as it approached the event, Hugus was reluctant to compete against the Shelby American entries. He decided to withdraw his entry, instead giving the slot to Shelby so that he could field another car.

Le Mans 24 Hours, 1963

Meanwhile, AC Cars decided to join Hugus with a second entry to Le Mans in June 1963, running under their own AC Cars banner. Alongside Hugus’ CSX 2142, two right hand drive competition cars were constructed at AC, CS 2130 and CS 2131. Hugus had sent a huge twenty page specification list to AC Cars, and the results featured a fastback removable hard top fashioned from aluminium, bonnet air vents, side cooling ducts, flared wheel arches, magnesium alloy Dunlop wheels and oversize fuel tanks.

The Ford Motor Company, while not directly involved with the Cobra participation at Le Mans, was keen to lend help and organised the supply of special engines and transmissions to AC Cars through Shelby American, despite Hugus’ desire to compete independently. Ford arranged for Shelby American to send their top racing mechanic Phil Remington to oversee the installation at AC Cars in Thames Ditton.

T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com Unknown to Hugus, there were actually two different specifications of engines supplied, with CSX 2142 receiving number X11, a special and highly tuned development engine, while that of CS 2131 was classified as being in a slightly modified state of tune.

Only CSX 2142 and CS 2131 were completed ahead of Le Mans, with CSX 2142 not being exported to European Cars in the USA as originally intended. It remained in before the event and being registered 645 CGT in .

Painted in the patriotic American colours of white with two dark blue stripes running down the centre of the car, CSX 2142 was officially billed to Shelby American. The sister Le Mans car, CS 2131 sported the works AC livery of moss- green and was registered 39 PH. The two cars were put through their paces at Snetterton for AC by Peter Jopp ahead of the endurance classic, and it was he who Hurlock recommended to Hugus as co-driver of CSX 2142.

When June came around, the AC Cars outfit transported both CS 2131 and CSX 2142 to Circuit de la , with CSX 2142 on an open trailer behind the AC Cars truck. The Cobra Le Mans effort was sponsored by the Sunday Times, and on their behalf recruited none other than Stirling Moss as team manager. Also in attendance was Carroll Shelby, who was there to evaluate the Lola Mk6 GT for Ford but inevitably he appeared around the AC pit.

This was the first competition for a Cobra outside of North America, and the two cars attracted a great deal of attention from the crowds on arrival. At scrutineering, CSX 2142 was weighed at 2066 lbs, or 937kg, with a blanking plate fitted over the nose aperture and the front quick lift jacking points removed to be modified for extra lights. Extra wheel spats, much like mud guards, were added to CSX 2142 to bring the large tyre profile inside the extremities of the bodywork. Ever the joker, Hugus sported an amusing bus driver’s hat complete with descriptive plaque, wearing which he took pleasure in telling people he was driving at Le Mans.

The radiator blanking plates were promptly removed as track activity began, while the rear window blew out its rubber fixings on the straight before being modified with the use 30 screws to keep it in place.

T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com AC Cars had gone to Le Mans with the aim of hitting 160mph with the low drag roof profiles, and this was achieved with the long final drive gearing while the engines were only turning 5,500 rpm at that speed.

Moss, just one year on from his driving career ending crash at Goodwood, embraced the role at Le Mans.

Having qualified CSX 2142 in 24th position, just one second behind CS 2131 and 0.7 behind the Lola Mk6 GT, Hugus’ car had sprung an oil leak in qualifying from the left side of the Shelby American built engine, though it hadn’t caused much concern to the team at the time.

Hugus elected to take the first stint of the 24 Hour epic, and on the starters orders, was a little slower across the track than his peers.

As the raced progressed, Hugus and Jopp in CSX 2142 moved up the order, and by the end of the third hour they were 15th overall. The oil leak from the left side of the engine worsened, and was visible on the outside of the car emerging from the side vent.

On lap 79 at around 11pm, CSX 2142 pitted for repair to loose exhaust manifolds, and Hugus instructed Jopp to ease up on his pace and bring the revs down on the engine, concerned for its longevity.

As Jopp continued on track, the smell of burning oil worsened, and before long Hugus could hear the engine making unusual sounds. When CSX 2142 returned to the pits at 1:20am, the engine oil was topped up and Jopp took over from Hugus.

Just three laps after beginning his stint, Jopp pitted again to add more oil, however this resulted in disqualification from the officials.

Reports following the race put the DNF down to engine failure with a broken connecting rod, though Hugus own memories put this as an inaccuracy, however photos show CSX 2142 parked on the side of the circuit.

Following the conclusion of the Le Mans weekend, Hugus returned to the USA and CSX 2142 went back to Thames Ditton with AC Cars.

As Hugus was no longer a Cobra dealer and felt his racing days were coming to an end, he asked Derek Hurlock to find a suitable buyer for CSX 2142.

John Willment Automobiles

Enter John Willment. A key player in the racing successes of Ford and later Porsche, JW Automotive took not only CSX 2142, but the sister Le Mans Coupes, CS 2130 and CS 2131 from AC. Willment was to run the cars in Europe on behalf of Shelby for the next season. New engines were fitted to the Cobras, and the team travelled to for testing. South African Bob Olthoff was on driving duties, and soon declared the car ‘undrivable’. Willment contacted Carroll Shelby to ask advice, and the response was “ain’t nothing wrong with the Goddamn car, it’s the driver”. T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com However, after this call, Shelby sent over English native and ace test driver Ken Miles from the USA to test with Willment and offer his input. Miles went straight off the track at the first corner, and subsequently helped the Willment team implement suspension modifications. On his recommendation, a stock of wider Halibrand wheels with suitable tyres were ordered. These tweaks did the job, and it was noted that the cars began to handle well.

Following the testing, Willment entered CSX 2142 and CS 2131 for the RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood in August 1963. On arrival at Goodwood, CSX 2142 had a modified livery from that of Le Mans, with a wide central red stripe, edged by two smaller red stripes as on the Willment Galaxie that was campaigning so prominently. The added stripes only covered the section of nose forward of the bonnet, and the majority of the Le Mans livery remained present and unchanged.

T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com Willment had at his service three drivers for the World Sportscar Championship Goodwood weekend, in the form of Olthoff, Sears and Miles who was still in England following the testing outing. It’s noted that CSX 2142 was due to be driven by Olthoff and Miles, though the entry list specifies drivers as ‘to be nominated’.

At scrutineering, the two Willment Cobras were rejected for insufficient clearance between the front wheels and steering arms, which led to the withdrawal of the team from the meeting, and Ken Miles didn’t make his scheduled rare appearance on a British circuit.

After the non-race at Goodwood, the Willment team went to Snetterton for the Autosport 3 Hours in September with CSX 2142 still sporting the Dunlop wheels. Entered with either or Bob Olthoff as drivers, Bob Olthoff drove solo qualifying the car 15th, before the car retired from the race.

For the winter of 1963, Willment went down to the South Africa for a series of races with CSX 2142 and the Ford Galaxie ‘Lightweight’. CSX 2142 initially carried the same livery as in England and ran without the hard top in the hot climate. At the first event at 9 Hours, CSX 2142 was entered with Olthoff and Frank Gardner as drivers. The pairing came up against David Piper’s GTO in the race. The rear tyre deflated on the Cobra causing it to roll. However, Olthoff managed to carry on and even after pitting for tyres, CSX 2142 finished 2nd overall.

The next outing was at the South African Grand Prix meeting. By now, full length Willment red stripes had been added along with Halibrand rear wheels. This time CSX 2142 would be driven by Paul Hawkins, who got on very well with the Cobra and took victory for Willment at the important meeting.

To Ford of France

On the return from South Africa, CSX 2142 was bought by Ford of France in time for the 1964 French Championship season. Painted in French Blue with Halibrand wheels and without hard top, it first appeared under the Ford France banner at the Rallye de Picardie in May ’64 with Jo Schlesser. With start number 1, Schlesser and co-driver Greder finished 2nd overall on their debut with the Cobra.

Schlesser continued through the season with CSX 2142, taking 3rd in the Rallye de La Baule, 4th and 1st in class at the Mont Ventoux hill climb, 1st at the Mont Dore hill climb, and concluding 1964 with the Tour de Corse. Co-driven by Guy , Schlesser went off in CSX 2142 during the recce, so instead competed with a Ferrari 250 GT.

For 1965, the French Championship was the objective of CSX 2142 and Schlesser again, now painted white with the Ford France dark blue centre stripe edged by a red line on either side. Throughout its time with Ford France, CSX 2142 retained the English 645 CGT registration. The season began in February at Rallye Routes du Nord with a DNF due to engine mountings, followed by Rallye du Limousin where Schlesser took 3rd overall.

T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com Next was the Rallye de Lorraine in May, which Schlesser won with CSX 2142. Another DNF was recorded at Rallye de la Baule when the exhaust parted ways with the car, and in June Schlesser campaigned CSX 2142 at Mont Ventoux.

Near the finish of the Mont Ventoux hill climb, CSX 2142 caught fire and Schlesser stopped to one side of the road. He escaped unharmed, and the centre section of the Cobra burned. The damage of the fire can still be assessed today, thanks to the photos of the freshly extinguished car.

After Contemporary Service

The damaged CSX 2142 was sold to French Cobra racer Jean Marie Vincent in mid 1965, who had been campaigning the Hugus/European Cars built CSX 2001 for some time. Vincent was particularly interested in the special competition parts that featured on CSX 2142, including the eight Halibrand wheels that accompanied it.

Vincent had also bought COX 6010 in 1965, the French Mortemart Cobra which had run at Le Mans in 1964 and had since sustained front end damage to the chassis and body at Montlhery. With the combination of CSX 2142 and COX 6010, Vincent rebuilt CSX 2142, the more notable of the two cars, in 1965.

The front third of the chassis of CSX 2142 was mated to the rear two thirds of the COX 6010 chassis, with two thirds of the body from COX 6010 along with the interior. This was verified in an independent study of the history of CSX 2142 in 2004, when Jean Marie Vincent was visited and recollected about the car. Vincent also noted that he fitted the from CSX 2142 and that it had some really good competition features that COX 6010 did not. Vincent also had retained the original bill of sale from when he bought CSX 2142 from Ford France.

T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com Vincent had the work completed at Garage Lecouster which was local to him in Normandy, France. Garage Lecouster constructed a fibreglass nose section as the useable bodywork from COX 6010 finished just forward of the windscreen. Vincent sold the ‘finished’ CSX 2142 to Michel Gaurdard over the winter of ’65/’66, who on the drive back to Paris had the engine blow up.

Guardard left the Cobra with Garage Intersport in Paris who specialised in Shelby cars, and then it was returned to Jean Marie Vincent who stored it at his parking space at Plessis Robinson in the suburbs of Paris. Eventually, Vincent’s mother needed the parking space in Paris, so CSX 2142 was sent to a scrapyard in Clamart, Paris. The Cobra was then bought from the scrapyard in 1969 by Bernard Maitre, who kept the invoice and photos of the car as he bought it. It can be seen to have a W14 registration number which was a trade plate from the region of Garage Lecouster.

Maitre sold CSX 2142 on to Bernard Alter after a few months, who also owned another Cobra at the time. Alter took both cars to Bernard Afchain, who eventually rebuilt CSX 2142. He repaired some of the existing body frame, replacing missing tubes where needed, and bought an original aluminium Cobra body skin, which he used some degree of. The rebuild was completed in around 1983 or 1984, and in 1989 Afchain obtained a 'Carte grise de collection’ stating the CSX 2142 chassis number.

In March 1990, CSX 2142 was sold to Bernard Merian. Merian had issues with the car, and upon inspection by Maitre Chiapello it was pointed out that the car has two chassis joined together. Merian returned the car to Afchain in June 1990. Afchain retained CSX 2142 until 1997 when it was bought by Yvan Mahe.

T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com A Return To The Track

Mahe competed with CSX 2142 in a number of events including at Le Mans and Monthlery, where Bernard Maitre saw the car again and recognised the welded chassis as that which he had bought in 1969. In Mahe’s ownership, CSX 2142 was painted in the Ford France colours, and was granted the 645 CGT registration once more.

In 2001, Mahe sold CSX 2142 to British racer and Cobra enthusiast Kevin Kivlochan. At the time, Kivlochan had owned CSX 2151, otherwise known as Hairy Canary, which he sold in order to buy CSX 2142. While in his ownership, CSX 2142 was taken back to ’63 Le Mans specification by Roger Dowson.

After two years of ownership, Kivlochan sold CSX 2142 to former British Champion Frank Sytner in 2003. Sytner had CSX 2142 restored and prepared at Simon Hadfield Motorsport, where the original type Dunlop wheels were reinstated. It was in Sytner’s ownership that the independent report was carried out, and CSX 2142 was closely inspected by Robin Stainer of the AC Owners Club who verified the car.

Through Sytner’s time with the CSX 2142, they competed at some of the most noted historic events in Europe. These included the Tour Auto, Modena Cento Ore and the Goodwood Revival. At the Revival, racing in the RAC TT Celebration, Sytner and Tiff Needell performed strongly and were running in 2nd place with just two laps to go when they were hit with gearbox failure.

Sytner sold CSX 2142 to the current owner in 2009, and since then it has been maintained by Pearsons Engineering. Since 2009, CSX 2142 has competed in a multitude of historic events, with the driving duties shared by Gary Pearson.

T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com CSX 2142 returned to the Goodwood Revival again in 2011, being co-driven by Gary Pearson and Jackie Oliver. The pairing qualified 7th and finished a fine 4th overall.

A regular with Peter Auto in Sixties Endurance, CSX 2142 won the prestigious Tour Auto outright in 2013.

Most recently, the engine has been rebuilt by Steve Warrior in 2019 to his latest specification and has subsequently completed around 1h30 running at Paul Ricard. The gearbox is fresh from Gary Spencer at CRC and is unused since then. CSX 2142 is accompanied by three sets of FIA HTPs within its history file, the most recent, current set having been granted in 2015 and valid until 2025.

Within the extensive history file is the 2004 independent historical report, many period article cuttings, an immense array of period photographs from Le Mans, the Willment days, with Ford of France and onwards. These are complimented further by invoices detailing work done at Simon Hadfield Motorsport and Roger Dowson Engineering.

CSX 2142 is one of just three factory Shelby Le Mans Coupes built and a key part of the foundation of the Cobra legend, immersed with Carroll Shelby, Ed Hugus, Ford Motor Company, AC Cars, Phil Remington, Stirling Moss, John Willment, Ken Miles, Bob Olthoff, Paul Hawkins, and of course Le Mans. Anyone would be hard pressed to find a more significant, evocative and interesting AC Shelby Cobra than the exceptional CSX 2142.

T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com