Origin of the KR moniker?

[dggilbert]

Curious how Shelby GT500KR and Shelby owners believe how the King of the Road came about.

[tesgt350]

If I remember correctly......... Carroll Shelby heard that Chevy was going to use it on one of their Cars and he was able to Trade Mark it first.

[Bigfoot]

Well he was the King right?

[2112]

If I remember correctly......... Carroll Shelby heard that Chevy was going to use it on one of their Cars and he was able to Trade Mark it first.

This is The story I have read over the years

[gt350hr]

   That's the story CS told since the beginning.

[gt350cs]

Same thing that I have heard for years.

[dggilbert]

Maybe from Tasca? They had the KR8 in 67 which led to the Cobra Jet.

[Bob Gaines]

   That's the story CS told since the beginning.

+1.  I heard the story from CS's lips.

[propayne]

I have also heard that Roger Miller's song "King of the Road" figures in there somehow.

It came out around '65 and was a huge hit. Maybe that was Chevy's initial inspiration?

- Phillip

[dggilbert]

It's just that Tasca used KR in 67 with Bob Sr's 67 Mustang my father put the 428PI in with 427 med riser in and they called it the King of the Road in 68 or KR8 which Ford turned into the Cobra Jet. Not long after the KR8 not coincidentally Carrol put the 428PI in the gt500kr and after the CJ came out Shelby followed suit with theGT500KR armed with the 428CJ. Don't know which came first but it seems like Shelby was following Tasca's lead in several instances I've presented. He was no stranger to the 777 East Prov dealership and my father considered him a friend. Was your conversation with Carrol in 67 and was the KR moniker on loan to Tasca because they were friends or the other way around? Not doubting what Carrol told you but I've never read anything with the Bopper acknowledged Carrol for the KR moniker and it wouldn't be like Bob Sr not to acknowledge that and take credit for it in the many articles that have been writtenabout the KR8.

[69mach351w]

Said after he'd heard about Chevy's wanting to use KR, CS called his lawyers and told them to find out ASAP if KR was trademarked and they directly called him back and said "No" that it wasn't trademarked, and....We know the rest of the story.

[papa scoops]

you all got it wrong, what really happened, carroll was wandering around in the desert with jim Morrison, and he just found this old idea laying around out there next to some old cobra frames...........phred

[Bob Gaines]

It's just that Tasca used KR in 67 with Bob Sr's 67 Mustang my father put the 428PI in with 427 med riser in and they called it the King of the Road in 68 or KR8 which Ford turned into the Cobra Jet. Not long after the KR8 not coincidentally Carrol put the 428PI in the gt500kr and after the CJ came out Shelby followed suit with theGT500KR armed with the 428CJ. Don't know which came first but it seems like Shelby was following Tasca's lead in several instances I've presented. He was no stranger to the 777 East Prov dealership and my father considered him a friend. Was your conversation with Carrol in 67 and was the KR moniker on loan to Tasca because they were friends or the other way around? Not doubting what Carrol told you but I've never read anything with the Bopper acknowledged Carrol for the KR moniker and it wouldn't be like Bob Sr not to acknowledge that and take credit for it in the many articles that have been writtenabout the KR8.

I think you meant to say GT500 and not gt500kr

[BGlover67]

Google is our friend.

https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hmn/2016/03/1968-Shelby-G-T--500-KR/3749522.html

[Coralsnake]

It should be noted that Carroll Shelby had a history of bending the facts to match his version of the story.

Thats how the original Cobras got built.