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The SHELBY AMERICAN
Summer 2016 20
Steve Sloan of Pasadena, Texas is
our acknowledged expert when it
comes to vintage movies containing
cobra references. He is always coming
up with something new. The 1929 film
“The Letter” is a good example. It
starred Jeanne Eagles and Reginald
Owens (not to be confused with an-
other movie of the same name starring
Bette Davis and Herbert Marshall).
It’s a convoluted plot; a plantation
owner’s wife shoots and kills her lover
after he ticks her off. But she made the
mistake of writing a letter to him
when they were on better terms. If the
letter was revealed it would blow a
We can’t help wondering in Sloan
is making a bid to join in on the eagle
eye smackdown, but if he is he’s going
to have to find some non-movie sight-
ings. He can’t be a Johnny One-Note.
“The King of the Rocket Men” was a
12-part serial made in 1949. Hero Jeff
King in his experimental rocket suit
battles with the evil Dr. Vulcan who
wants to steal a new secret weapon to
control the world. We’re sure you’ve
seen it by now – and if you haven’t
you’ll never be an eagle-eye. King’s
rocket pack is secured by a
Cobra/early Shelby-style competition
seat belt. Clearly it was before the
Cobra’s time, but the belts and lever-
buckle were originally used in military
aircraft. In the 1940s and 1950s, when
sports car racing was taking shape,
many drivers came to racing after fly-
ing fighters and bombers. They knew
the value of good seat belts and were
familiar with military belts, which
were widely available as military sur-
plus items, so the use was a natural
fit. We’re just not sure about use for
rocket packs.
hole in her self-defense alibi and set
up her execution. The letter is in the
hands of her dead lover’s girlfriend
who offers to sell it to the murderess.
But only if she comes to a local dive,
grovels a little and hands over some
cash. During her visit a fight between
a cobra and a mongoose is staged for
the patrons. Spoiler alert: the mon-
goose wins.
Red Cobra owner Jim Sfetko of
Parkville, Missouri probably thought
he was seeing things at Costco when
he spotted the boxes of Underwood
California artichokes stacked up in
the produce section. It was impossible
to miss the red Cobra on the boxes. An-
other Cobra owner, Ned Scudder, also
happened on the same brand at a
store in California and he sent us a
photo which was included in the Win-
ter ‘15 issue. Can we draw any conclu-
sion from this two for two?
It’s described as an “Elite Survival
Systems Elite Cobra Rigger’s Belt
w/Buckle.” Did we say “elite”? We’re
not sure what a rigger’s belt is but
we’re pretty sure we don’t need one,
even if it is the Cobra model. Stan
Simm of Winston Salem, North Car-
olina saw it on the Internet.
This interesting poster was offered on
Michael Knab Automotive Art website.
No size or price is listed but it’s a com-
pelling illustration.