AC Owners Club Forum
AC Owners Club Forum => Mk IV, Superblower, CRS and other Continuation Cars Forum => Topic started by: Mark IV on September 28, 2006, 03:36:53
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Is there any photo hosting setup here? I have pictures of the prototype CRS being built at Weybridge (May 1999) that I could post.
Rick[:)]
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Rick
Do you own a CRS?
Mark-Anthony
CRS Chassis #22
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No,
But I was present during the prototype CRS production and saw a lot.
Rick
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Hello Rick,
Until such time as photo-posting becomes available on the forum, could you email me the pics that you have? I have chassis #9513.
Many thanks
Bruce
bruce_claassen@hotmail.com
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Dear Rick, I would also be very interested in seeing your pictures because of my CRS.
Alan Faulkner-Stevens
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Hi Rick
I along with many other ACOC members would also like to see the phots of the Prototype CRS and also learn of some of the internal politics and banter that took place during the development of the CRS.
Howsabout ...... A 5 or 6 page Feature in a future issue of ACtion, say Feb or March 2007 ??
Many AC club members do not use the internet let alone get as far as the forum, So please pen a few words to complement the Photos so all the ACOC members can appreciate Some real AC History.
I bet the New 2007 ACtion Editor would also appreciate such a contribution to a future issue..........Many thanks in anticipation.
Keith
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Can do...however I reserve the right to approve the final editing as I have some things to say that some might not like! If I approve, it goes to press. Perhaps I will also do a story and photos about the old Autokraft works at Brooklands.
Rick
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Hello Rick,
People like me who lack the background information about ACs organization in the 80ties, do not understand some of your comments here in the forum. Would you be so kind to close this gap by giving us some more information about your involvement with and relationship to AC Cars / Autocraft.
Thanks in advance for feedback.
Kind regards
Constant Wagner
Luxembourg
AKL1417 (July 1993)
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Constant,
Glad to.
In 1983 I met Brian Angliss, owner of Autokraft in Detroit at the SAAC convention. I was a long time Cobra fan, never an owner, who also had a family Ford dealership. A conversation with Brian turned into a long meeting, a breakfast meeting and became our becoming the first Autokraft AC MK IV dealer. I was involved in helping convince Ford to back the program and met many Ford people who were real enthusiasts and wanted Ford back into the performance market. We got it to work, I started advertising the cars and writing orders......now Brian only had to get certification for the US for the cars. Ford, to their credit, gave all the help promised and while I was on my first trip to Weybridge (and first time in the UK) the EPA certification paperwork came over the fax. Much celebration ensued.
For about three years I sold and imported the MK IVs and helped set up other Ford dealers as well as running the dealer association led by Paul Thomas of Pawnee Ford in Oklahoma. I had a customer supply a car to MOTOR TREND for a road test, I worked with Goodyear to get a "non-existant" tire a replacement for a ROAD & TRACK story (a whole 'nother tale I will relate)...all wnet well for three years or so. Brian became increasingly difficult to work with, many Ford dealers dropped out of the program as the cars were no longer selling themselves. Brian started to take orders from dealers with out a minimum order quantity and dealers who had cars in stock for a long time started to disscount them. This, for a specialty car is the kiss of death and we dropped the car.
Part 2- AC version 2.0 1999 and up...to be continued.
Rick
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Thanks Rick for this. It definitely helps to better understand some of your input. I look forward to the continuation bit.
Also, as suggested by Keith, I believe it would be a good idea to publish an article and photos about experiences and past history (that is not found in the bookshops). I can only encourage you to share your experiences with us.
Kind regards
Constant
Luxembourg
AKL1417 (July 1993)
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Thank you Constant, you asked the question I was about to put to Rick. Thank you Rick for elaborating on your position and involvement with ACs & Brian Anglis.
Even more reason to pen a article or two for publication in future issues of ACtion, as many of us ( AC Enthusiasts ) are not and were not privy to early history especially direct from those who actively helped keep the AC name in the forefront during the 1970s / 80s and 90s.
As club members and AC Staff & Dealers get older, come and go we the newer members ( Enthusiasts) get more distant from the true Facts. We must record the AC history for the future custodians of our great ACs.
Please submit a few articles for publication in ACtion.
Enjoy !!
Keith
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Rick ... I have to thank you and give you a lot of credit .. your involvement in bringing this great car to the states is a great accomplishment.
I have my own story ... when I first seen AK1234 in british racing green .. it was sitting in an antique car store in Nyack Ny ... funny though it was surrounded by 4 other replica' which sold like hot cakes ... It had just 8k miles on it and was complete with all docs ... it took me 2 months to come to spend 38k on her ... why no one wanted this beauty was a puzzle to me... I dont think they knew the history ...
me well I have had the book " Shelby's Wild Life " since I was 7 years old ... my first ride was in 1969 in the back of a 1965 GT350R owned by my Dad ... so long story short ... I have loved these cars from day 5 years old ... I knew what sat in Nyack would some day be a piece of history ... maybe not the 1967 ACCOBRA ... but in some way the MKIV is a better car .. new technology and in my opinion a prize piece in my collection of Saleens, Shelbys, Pantera's and 1 Cobra MKIV ... Thanks.
Ronald Lombardo
NY
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Rick,
Thanks, funny you mention Paul Thomas, he sold my car orignally and I have a ton of letters and faxes with him and my car's original owner. Also, your car must of won out for Motor Trend as I have a note from Paul to my car's original owner saying his car might be used for the photo shoot. Anyway all good stuff.
Thanks again,
Jan
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Jan,
My customers car was used for the performance tests and Paul's customer provided one for a cover picture. Also Clinton Ford in New Jersey provided a car to "MOTORWEEK" for a video story as I did not have one to spare in the timeframe they wanted to film.
Rick
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Rick,
Following from Keith's earlier message, as the Action new 2007 editor I would welcome an article with photos from you. Also any of the members in States who have an interesting story to tell please consider preparing an article.
Thanks, Terry
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Terry,
I will contact you soon with an outline of what I can provide. I am no Shakespeare so don't expect iambic pentameter!
I do however have some possibly interesting tales of the end of the Hurlock era into the Angliss dynasty and the Lubinsky junta!
Rick
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Rick...play nice ....jim
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Interesting topic the Mark IV. I am Paul Thomas owner of Frontier Motors Pawnee Oklahoma head of the Autokraft Ford dealer organization for the US in the late 80's early 90's. We imported quite a large number of AC MkIV's from Autokraft and Brian Angliss, and sold a equally large number of pre-owned MkIV's. We provided vehicles for Automobile magazine and twice for Motor Trend magazine cover stories written by Rick Titus. We also provided a vehicle to Road & Track magazine. I have actual issues of these many stories and road tests and would make copies for anyone who might be interested. I became involved in the MKIV project after meeting Rick Kopec and others in Detroit about being ivolved in the SAAC Mustang project.
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Paul,
You wouldn't know some clown named Muck, would you?
Rick
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Hi Paul,
I just bought a MKIV last month, you sold my car to the last and original owner, Bob Hipolito in California. I have a ton of documentation with your name all over it !! Nice of you to check in, just curious if my car was used for any publicity shots, it is AK1227.
Thanks,
Jan in CT.
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Anyone have any info on AK1234 ... British Racing Green with Saddle Interior ... the manual bears the name E. Roger Willaims ????
Ron
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Jan, I remember Bob Hippolito very well, seriously nice guy. I don't believe that AK1227 was used in any publicity shots. The first article that was written about the Mark IV appears in the second edition of Automobile magazine. I supplied the Red/Black car to William Jeanes editor of the magazine who came to our dealership-Frontier Motors Ford/Mercury inPawnee, Oklahoma to do the story about the car and about me (I was very flattered to be a big part of the story). They sent a professional photographer to Pawnee to do all the photos for the story. A Black car provided by a Ford Exec, Bob Nagy, in Detroit was used for the cover shot. Not long after the article came out I called Motor Trend magazine and asked if they would be interested in doing a road test/story on the car. They assisgned the story to Rick Titus, a feature editor and son of legendary Cobra racer, the late Jerry Titus. Rick and several of the staff flew from California to Oklahoma to do the tests and story with all the photos being taken in and around Pawnee, Oklahoma. It was an exclusive cover story. Rick and I became very good friends and are to this day, and less than a year later I approached him I approached him on the basis of doing a comparison test on the Mark IV and the Corvette. The senior editors of the magazine ate it up so I arranged for a Mark IV test mule that was in Detroit undergoing EPA cert tests to be moved to California for the tests at Sonoma California. Needless to say the Mark IV came out on top, and again was the cover car for that edition of Motor Trend. I arranged a Blue/Tan Mark IV that is now owned by a gentleman in OKC for another story in Automobile. We also provided a Red/Tan car for a feature in Road and Track Magazine. TO AC3024, AK1234, one of our first of many cars, to the best of my knowledge that car was sold by our dealership to an individual in Dallas Texas, as the original purchaser. I should have the original order and production information on the car as well as the information on the owner from Dallas.
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Paul, did you by chance sell AK1113 a red with tan interior? Jim
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PTHOMAS could you email me or can I email you ...mine is ronmarl@optonline.net I would love to have the info you still have on this car.
Thanks
Ron Lombardo
NY
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ALOHA FROM HAWAII...ANYONE HAVE ANY INFO ON #1205..IT'S HERE IN HAWAII....RED/BLACK 4200 MILES AND BONE STOCK..WHAT'S IT WORTH??
MAHALO...GREGG BLUE