Cougar II article: former concept car unearthed for SAAC Convention

[HistoryBuff]

Maybe the name referred to Ford's gullwing concept car done earlier called the Cougar.  It was never lost,just in cold storage long with roadster with different styling. Story here:https://mycarquest.com/2021/10/another-lost-cobra-found-hiding-under-the-name-ford-cougar-ii.html

[Cobra Ned]

CSX 2008 is well-documented in the SAAC Registry.

[shelbymann1970]

My friend is going down there to the museum this weekend to give the curator a gas cap for the Mustang II that will be at MCACN next weekend. I think the car is still there?  I might tag along.

[shelbydoug]

I have found that other then the thrill of seeing an historical celebrity from the past, the concept cars seem disappointing?

Maybe because I have seen all of their pictures and unknowlngly thought of them as God like? Maybe because they have just been eclipsed by time and have become dated?

I hope that you find this car worth the journey?

[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.

[Royce Peterson]

It's absurd to say the Cougar II was "missing" or "unearthed". The longtime owner was a friend of mine before he donated it to the Henry Ford Museum. The car was displayed at the 2017 Cougar Club of America show held at the Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn.

The car's whereabouts have never been in question.

[Richstang]

It might have been better if it was stated as; hidden safely from the public view for several years.

[S7MS427]

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.

I see a lot of Mercedes influence in the original Cougar concept.  The gull-wing doors, eyebrows over the wheels.  But then all the auto makers steal from each other.

[shelbydoug]

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.

I see a lot of Mercedes influence in the original Cougar concept.  The gull-wing doors, eyebrows over the wheels.  But then all the auto makers steal from each other.

Now that you mention it. I went to school with a guy, an Architect, that was named in an article by the NY Times a couple of decades ago as an Architectural plagiarist and posted several pictures of his work as  illustrations.

I can't mention his name since he is still active and WOULD positively sue me for deformation of character even though the accusation is very, very true. Biggest idea thief that I've ever run into.

At the time there was legislation being proposed to prevent design plagiarism.


I don't recall what happened with the legislation but I don't see how it could ever be enforced. It would be like trying to patent the shape of the wheel to one person but was an interesting thought?

My personal opinion of design theft is that in reality, design is little more then like playing with Legos. You are just putting together existing shapes in a new, hopefully attractive and unique combination.

Lots of design now is done by storing "modules" in a computer, pulling them out of storage and effectively applying them.

For instance. Why try to redesign a commercial bath room? Can it really be made to be unique from what has previously done? Just plug one into the design and save the creativity for the total external effect.

Legos. All just Legos. 

[S7MS427]

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?

[Krelboyne]

I attended the 2017 Show where Cougar II was present. It does not have an engine. I also see some nods to the XK-E, in on this car.
Couple of pictures:

[shelbydoug]

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?

Yes but the courts found that there was no basis for it and the shape was public domain.

[Side-Oilers]

Regarding the vagaries of a design infringement, in 2020 Wynn Casinos successfully sued a new hotel being built adjacent to their Wynn and Encore hotels in Las Vegas.   

The new hotel (Resort World) was building an accurate enough of resemblance to the two Wynn hotels that Wynn sued them for design infringement (or something similar.)  To complete the new hotel, the owners had to change the Wynn-like gold exterior trim to red. 

Would seem to me that Resort World committed a lesser infringement than that of the many companies making Cobra knock-offs.  But I am not, nor do I want to be, a lawyer.  And Wynn is more powerful in Las Vegas than Shelby ever was, anywhere.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/resorts-world-las-vegas-wynn-resorts-settle-trademark-dispute-1583857/

[shelbymann1970]

I attended the 2017 Show where Cougar II was present. It does not have an engine. I also see some nods to the XK-E, in on this car.
Couple of pictures:

Saw it at the same show. got pretty much the same pics. My friend is going to the museum this morning to help the curator who is getting the Mustang II ready for the MCACN show next weekend. I had to work or I would have went. We'll go another day when we have time to see the cars like this Cougar II.

[shelbydoug]

Regarding the vagaries of a design infringement, in 2020 Wynn Casinos successfully sued a new hotel being built adjacent to their Wynn and Encore hotels in Las Vegas.   

The new hotel (Resort World) was building an accurate enough of resemblance to the two Wynn hotels that Wynn sued them for design infringement (or something similar.)  To complete the new hotel, the owners had to change the Wynn-like gold exterior trim to red. 

Would seem to me that Resort World committed a lesser infringement than that of the many companies making Cobra knock-offs.  But I am not, nor do I want to be, a lawyer.  And Wynn is more powerful in Las Vegas than Shelby ever was, anywhere.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/resorts-world-las-vegas-wynn-resorts-settle-trademark-dispute-1583857/

I was told that if you make three changes no matter how small, that you're ok and it's a new design.

You need a good lawyer and you can translate that into very expensive lawyer. In essence they want to be your partner.



It may be that the issue was Shelby never tried to Patent the Cobra design since at that point it never occurred to him to do so? After a certain amount of time "out there" it becomes public domain? You would need to consult with the law firm. Got lots of cash to ask them questions? It was $500 an hour. Don't know what inflation has done to that number recently?



I think that it is essentially like car accidents that in order to not continuously tie up the courts wanting them to be a referee, that there is an accepted standard but if you are Wynn you can afford to fight anything.

I'd guess that Al Pacino's character in Oceans Thirteen was modeled after someone they all new and wouldn't be surprised if it was 
suggestive of Wynn?

Power to them I suppose. We all benefit from their eccentricities.  Exceptionalisms if you prefer that term?