Peter Brock’s Blog

Peter Brock

Peter Brock has become a blogger!  Sometimes referred to as the Energizer Bunny, Brock continues to delight us with his designs, insights and stories.

Now you don’t have to go to an event to ask Brock a question. He will answer your questions online on his blog, which will also make the answers available for all to see.  You may want to ask questions about a project or vehicle Brock has worked on, a person he may have worked with, a design, his photography career or a question on current automotive happenings on which you would like his opinion.

Brock may not be able to get to all questions but he’ll try. Brock’s answers may be in various formats such as a text response or as video. Often Brock will have something in his archives or in the shop he will share.

Please subscribe to Peter Brock’s Blog in the box at right, to be notified of posts. If you have a question for Brock's Blog, please submit it below.

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December 17, 2022

The Fighter: The Daytona Cobra Coupe’s Last Race

10 Comments
Carroll Shelby’s two Daytona Cobra Coupes’ impressive showing in their first season in the US and Europe in 1964 finally convinced some cool-eyed skeptics within Ford management that the ex-Texas chicken farmer and his small team of Southern California racers might actually have the “right stuff” to compete on an international level. They awarded Shelby their nascent Ford GT40 program for 1965. Ford’s master plan was to have Shelby cancel his Cobra program at the
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December 6, 2022

Why this Photo of the BRE Hino Samurai Brings Back Memories of One of My Favorite Race Stories. Peter Brock

5 Comments
The BRE and Aerovault crews gathered in the showroom to wish me happy birthday a couple of weeks ago. The showroom has what Gayle calls the “Peter Brock History Walls”. She’s taken images from when I had my first car in 1952 (an MG TC) thru my time at GM (late ‘50s), my history with Shelby (’61-’65), my BRE team (’66-’72) and my hang gliding company starting in ‘73, Ultralight Products (UP) and mounted them
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Cobra Killers

August 29, 2019

Someone told me you were in the 1964 movie The Killers. Can you tell us more?

9 Comments
Back in the ‘60s things were pretty fluid in the racing world and a person could be involved in several different projects, unlike today where you mostly have to be dedicated solely to the team you’re with. Even while working at Shelby’s I raced my own cars, including a small 1000cc Hino sedan and a 1300cc Hino Contessa, both right hand drive. Fast cars attracted a lot of stars back then and they would just
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DeTomaso P72 US unveiling

August 23, 2019

You just got back from Monterey Car Week. I’ve never been and seem to be paralyzed to attend because of all the activities that go on that week. What did you do while there and what would you recommend for a first-time attendee like me?

1 Comment
First, I’d get a hotel room reserved no later than March. You can always cancel days you decide not to attend but finding a room much later than that could be a problem.  Next, accept that you can’t go to everything. You may look at a schedule and the map and think it’s doable but add an hour to any estimated travel time for the heavier than normal traffic and the time it takes to
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August 8, 2019

I saw that your recent book on the Shelby DeTomaso P70 Sports Racer won the Gold Award by the Automotive Heritage Association. Congratulations! Now that you’ve seen the new DeTomaso P72 at Goodwood, what do you think of it? Some reviews say it’s an homage to your P70 but I’m not sure I see a resemblance.

5 Comments
First, thanks for acknowledging the book award. Time passes so quickly we haven’t had a chance to even post the news on our own social media pages. The award is a real honor, especially considering the competition it was up against and that it’s a reasonably priced soft cover book. I never thought it would be a contender but thankfully the judges focused on the content and quality. The book covers my years of design
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10 thoughts on “The Fighter: The Daytona Cobra Coupe’s Last Race”

  1. I still have a photo taken of you and I at mile 1 at Black Rock Navada while we watched the Brits try to make their first run at the “‘sound barrier” which they later achieved.
    Thanks for the story !
    BGeorge

    Reply

  3. This is great American history! The fact that Mr. Brock re-engineered the AC Ace with antiquated buggie leaf springs to outrun Enzo Ferrari’s GT cars and even prototypes of the time is the real story of the Fighter. More than once in his career, Pete overcame incredible odds and diversity from friends and foes to end up being in the lead.

    Reply

  8. A great story . I’ve owned a 427 Cobra , replica , and always wanted to build a Daytona coupe.Too old now and working on a 65 Corvette coupe , close , but no Daytona .

    Reply

  10. I knew the story and have heard it repeated often. I knew of Mann’s insistence that his drivers win, and of Bob Bondurant’s disobeying Mann’s orders, and I knew about the “dump ’em in the sea” threat, but I did not know that Mann paid for return shipping of the 5 coupes back to Shelby…out of his own pocket !! Thank you Alan Mann!

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