Snake Oil. Carroll Shelby. Bob Bondurant. The Shelby Cobra.

David Uhl is pleased to announce the release of a piece he has worked on since December of last year.  It was conceived in conjunction with the Shelby American Museum in Boulder, Colorado and has taken countless hours of historical photo referencing along with the obvious time spent at the easel.  “Snake Oil” features legends Carroll Shelby and Bob Bondurant and the timeless Shelby Cobra celebrating the peak of the Ferrari Wars.

This is the Cobra, the Ferrari GTO in the background is correct.  Bondo beat it up the Hill by seconds, setting new hill climb records again by nearly 3 seconds. It took a Ferrari LM a year later to match it. The Cobra was running on 7 cylinders crossing the the timing lights! Bondo said the car was never straight even on the short straightways…

Very rarely does David allow the signing of his works by anyone else.  Fortunately, he is making an exception this time!  A limited number of each size of print will be signed by both Bob Bondurant and Carroll Shelby. Prices and orders for signed prints at 303-913-4840

7 Responses to “Snake Oil. Carroll Shelby. Bob Bondurant. The Shelby Cobra.”


  1. 1 fluke May 20th, 2011 at 10:53 am

    British designed and built the AC Cobra that Shelby then stuck various big engines in and took all the credit for. One of Americas most iconic cars is actually British.

    Just being patriotic.

    The 289 mk 2 was way prettier than the later bulbous 427.

    both cars look correct for ’63, so I assume this was the date of the hill climb.

    nice work, as usual.

  2. 2 Knucklehead May 22nd, 2011 at 6:33 am

    Fluke, It’s first engine was from Itialy and it was a 6 banger. Shelby made it famous. The car of my dreams.

  3. 3 A Hotrodder May 22nd, 2011 at 11:40 am

    It is my understanding that Carroll Shelby sent a letter to AC asking if they would be interested in redesigning the AC Ace to accept a V8 and it was those modified AC Aces that were shipped to the U.S.. Shelby took the modified AC Aces and created the Cobra in the U.S. by installing a Ford small block V8. So I think the truth is that it was a British & American built vehicle.
    Bulbous or not the 427 Cobra was a fun, exciting & scary car to drive and I would much rather have the bulbous 427 Cobra.

  4. 4 Dr Robert Harms May 23rd, 2011 at 5:22 pm

    Hmm… the GTO should have the naca duct front end with the football shaped air intake and the roof is completely incorrect. The Cobra would have had the visible engine oil cooler, while the rotors would not be visible from the angle presented and the wheels are wrong.

  5. 5 Eddie O'Brien May 23rd, 2011 at 8:36 pm

    I would like to comment on Dr Harm’s observation of David Uhl’s “Snake Oil” painting.
    The Ferrari GTO (5573GT)depicted is correct as raced at Freiburg Hill Climb (8-9-64) driven by the great Scarfiotti. Bondurant’s win was remarkable! Bob had never run a Hill Climb until then. He won by nearly 3 seconds over the GTO and it’s experienced driver. It shocked Enzo and Carroll.
    The Cobra he raced in the painting is CSX2345. It is a survivor, untouched from racing Rossfeld in 1965.
    It is correct in every detail, which David painted so well.
    We brought the FIA Cobra Roadster (The 5th FIA roadster built) out of the Shelby American Museum to be photographed with the models. Members of the museum worked closely with Artist Uhl, to bring together a compilation of the Hill Climbs, accuracy was important to us and David.

    Bob and Carroll love the piece!

    The woman in the picture is dressed appropriately to era. We believe she is and was a lover of the whole Cobra mystique! By the way Carroll and Bob were and are real men!

    If you like this story please get a copy of the “Cobra Ferrari Wars” Shoen and “Ferrari GTO” , Blumel & Pourret.

  6. 6 Dr Robert Harms May 24th, 2011 at 5:51 am

    Thanks Ill source those pics. I have never run into a different GTO air opening or roof line etc. but I’m open to see.

  7. 7 fluke May 25th, 2011 at 2:19 pm

    Dr Harms, it is a very early 62/63 250 GTO, which were very different to the later, prettier, more iconic and better known GTOs which is what I think you are thinking of with 3 NACA ( ish) ducts in the nose and a different roof-line. They often get mistaken for 250 LMs.

    http://www.egmcartech.com/2010/05/14/1963-ferrari-250-gto-auctioned-for-near-20-million/

    I still think the AC Ace/Cobra is British, but I do understand why both countries want to lay claim to it. shame all the replicas have devalued its currency IMO. I do love British muscle cars like the Bristol and Jenson inteceptor so the more in your face Cobra is a small stretch.

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Cyril Huze