The History of the Ford Cobra
The high-performance Ford Mustang SVT Cobra and the Cobra R are limited production vehicles manufactured by Ford to serve as a step up from the Mustang GT in performance packaging. With the exceptions of 2000 and 2004 to 2006, the Cobra has been manufactured since 1993 and continues Ford's legacy of producing limited numbers of racing-styled Mustangs. In its first year of production, only 4,993 SVTs and 107 Cobra Rs were produced.
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Origins
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Mustang's history of high-performance packaging dates to Carroll Shelby, who developed the famed late-1960s Shelby Mustangs, which were essentially stripped down models with high-performance engine and suspension components.
Hierarchy
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The SVT Cobra is offered as one step up from the Mustang GT, while the Cobra R is Ford's highest-performance factory Mustang.
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Power
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Both Cobras debuted with a 235-horsepower 5-liter Windsor V-8 engine, while the Cobra R was stripped down by 60 pounds to boost its speed.
The Distinction
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The Cobra R is the racing version of the SVT, and true to the original Shelby Mustangs, it's equipped with larger brakes and radiator, stiffer suspension and stripped of air conditioning, a radio and sound-deadening insulation.
Shelby's Back
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Carroll Shelby returned to the Mustang fold in 2007 to announce the Shelby GT500 that provides Cobra a supercharged 500-horsepower 5.4-liter V-8.
The Numbers
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Since 1993, a total of 79,959 SVT and Cobra R Mustangs have been produced.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Ford Motor Company
