[woodcote]

Continuing on the classic theme, there’s another very exciting new release for 2022 – a Cobra 289 that will appear open-topped in the 1964 Targa Florio twin-pack and with a hard top for Bill Shepherd’s historic racer.

   

The Cobra shouldn’t need much introduction. In a nutshell: Caroll Shelby drops a big American V8 into a tiny British sportscar – and changes the world forever. The 1963 MKII 4.7-litre 289 AC Cobra is the right model for Scalextric to produce – it was raced worldwide and is instantly recognisable to Goodwood Revival devotees. The Scalextric Cobra has a front-mounted S-Can like the E-Type Jag, so is not Digital Plug Ready – but should be equally fun to drive.

Shelby took the 289 Cobras to Sicily in 1984 for their first big race on a European stage. It was an odd year, with GT cars dominating the entry list – and the race. The sound of the V8s thrilled the local spectators and with five Cobras entered, they didn’t have too wait too long for one to come round the 72km Piccolo circuit.

       

At half-distance, it looked like Dan Gurney’s Cobra (#146) would finish second in the race and first in the GT class for Shelby. However, suspension trouble and “minor collisions with the scenery” as Autocar put it at the time, meant all the Cobras dropped back. That handed the top two spots of the podium to Porsche 904s, then a pair of Alfa TZ in third and fourth, with Gurney and Jerry Grant the top Cobra in eighth. The entire top ten were GT cars. The other car in the twin pack – the #148 of Masten Gregory and Innes Ireland – was one of the Cobras that crashed out.

       

The sound of the Cobras is also a thrill for the crowds at the Goodwood Revival – and they are utterly brilliant to watch. Bill Shepherd’s metallic green Cobra COB289, which he drives with Romain Dumas, is one of the front-runners in the one-hour RAC TT Celebration race each year. This is a great video of some Cobra shenanigans from 2019...



The Cobra is a difficult act to follow, but to round off the classic and historic racing themes, Scalextric have dug out very nice authentic Gulf liveries for their Porsche 911 RSR 3.0 and Mini Cooper S…

       

The Porsche is prepared by Heritage Motorsports in Clearwater, Florida. Heritage owner David Hinton is also president of the Historic Sportscar Racing group, which organises events across North America, including the Monterey Reunion and Sebring Classic 12 Hour – where the Gulf car regularly competes. In December 2021, it was driven to third place in class at Sebring by owner Fred Schulte and Aaron Nash.

The Gulf Mini Cooper S was raced in the 2018 Goodwood Revival St Mary’s Trophy by Nick Riley & touring car legend Gabriele Tarquini. Starting from the back of the grid, the little 1965 Cooper S finished the two-leg race in sixteenth – fourth of the seven Minis. You only see the Mini very briefly, but this is a great reminder of the magic of the St Mary’s Trophy...



Gulf liveries also appear on a modern Pagani Huayra BC Roadster hypercar and a weathered version of the Aston Martin DBR9 that won the GT1 class at the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours – and is now in the ROFCO collection (https://www.rofgo.com/collection/aston-martin-dbr9-009/)…

       

Staying with big oil companies… Castrol has proved another popular theme for Scalextric in recent years, so there’s a very classy Castrol VW T1b panel van for 2022...