Cougar II article: former concept car unearthed for SAAC Convention

[honker]

I don't believe the original Cougar concept had anything in common with this Cougar II concept.
Someone at Ford must have like the name.

Cougar/Mustang clays, Cougar in the grill,  & Telnack drawing, Cougar name on the sail panel, I think the drawing was on the old

forum ?

Mike

[Richstang]

I don't believe the original Cougar concept had anything in common with this Cougar II concept.
Someone at Ford must have like the name.

Cougar/Mustang clays, Cougar in the grill,  & Telnack drawing, Cougar name on the sail panel, I think the drawing was on the old
forum ?

Mike

Nice catch of the Telnack signature of the fastback drawing (on 'Canson' paper) from Sept 1962.
Most of us know the Cougar name was the Primary focus as the Mustang neared production.
Here's another clay concept from November 1962 with the Cougar grille emblem.

It goes onward into February 1962 with this convertible and in April with this fastback...
and with the Cougar emblem on the 'Torino' named design that is shown on your white chopped top convertible...
right up to around August with this hardtop split window roof on the convertible

[Side-Oilers]

Isn't it interesting how much better the Cougar logo (and the Mustang running horse) look when facing toward the passenger side of the grille, rather than toward the driver's side?

Is that because our eyes read left-to-right? 

Or, is it just because we've seen it that way in real life since 1964?

[98SVT - was 06GT]

Wasn't one of the premises in Shelby's law suits against all those Cobra kit car manufacturers that they were stealing his body shape that was protected by copyright, or something like that?

Ford sued and won over use of Cobra name as they owned and protected that trademark since 1967. Shelby sued on the shape issue and lost - one of the reasons was he had not taken early steps to protect/copyright the shape. A lot of kit makers just rolled over and paid his fee. (Typical lawyer trick to get paid those sued weigh the per car fee vs hiring an attorney and take the cheapest way). Factory 5 decided to fight and beat him (they had never used the name Cobra so Ford was dismissed from the suit early on). CS again tried to sue them when they brought out the Coupe. He sued in a CA court since he got beat in MA before. Factory 5 had the case moved to MA and the court dismissed in citing the previous case.

This past week, a U.S. District Court ruled in Factory Five's favor, allowing the company to continue to produce the Type 65 Coupe. The reason for the decision, according to the 25-page court document, is based on the settlement from the prior lawsuit. The original case stated that "Shelby dismisses with prejudice all claims that have been asserted or could have been asserted relative to the trade dress or designs of FFR's kits, including but not limited to the kits known as the 427 Roadster and the Type 65 Coupe." Essentially, the courts ruled that Shelby couldn't sue Factory Five for something it had already agreed upon. In addition, if Shelby believed that FFR was in violation of the terms and conditions of the agreement, it was to first give written notice to FFR of the alleged violation prior to any judicial enforcement, which it did not.

In response to the decision, Factory Five president David Smith wrote a scathing statement regarding Shelby, claiming that "Shelby's legal bullying has caused Factory Five to endure years of hardship and expend over $ 1 million in legal fees to defend against what many in the general public believed to be frivolous in nature." He went on to say that Carroll Shelby is "a man whose lasting legacy is rapidly changing from racing legend to prolific litigant."

[shelbydoug]

Well if you were paying attention here about 12 years ago, he pulled that against SAAC.

It really can't be discussed here openly because of the settlement terms but he was going in that legal direction, yes.

[Cobrask8]

Too get back to the Cougars, which Michigan convention were both on display? Didn't CobraJeff organize that?

[Cobrask8]

SAAC 29:

[Royce Peterson]

It was on display at the Cougar Club of America 50th anniversary show. I don't think the person you are referring to had anything to do with it. Special Ed had his one of two Boss (or three, see the probable third one in the photo) 429 Cougar there. It was a great show. Only the Cougar II was on display at the 2017 CCOA show.

Too get back to the Cougars, which Michigan convention were both on display? Didn't CobraJeff organize that?

[JD]

Too get back to the Cougars, which Michigan convention were both on display? Didn't CobraJeff organize that?

Yes, I though Jeff had done a lot to get those cars out into the public eye after years of seclusion. Seems there was an article in one of the Shelby American issues about it.  Will try and find it...

[shelbydoug]

Yes. Jeff was involved in that. I don't remember the details though.

Oh, and before Historybuff asks, yes you could rebody the Cougar II with a Cobra body and it would be considered a Cobra, because CSX2008 was a Cobra.

Just thought I save time and another needless post topic here.

[propayne]

For those that have not seen this yet, some nice up close video here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm_xlyhkZX0

- Phillip

[honker]

Canada Track & Traffic Magazine, December 1964.

[propayne]

^^^ Awesome Mike!

Would love to add that to my collections - I will be on the lookout for that.

- Phillip