Ted, I don't what you've been smoking re: Superbirds losing to Fords....it's hard to dispute facts but you seem to do it. As for AMC's, I pointed out there's one AMC nut in every crowd and you seem to be it. Rage on.

Dr: A Shelby Cobra is a subset of a major automaker combined with a lesser maker and a 'builder'. It's an offshoot of automotive history, not an entire line of vehicles. But your analogy is good enough - saying a Lefever will hold the candle for American doubles would be like saying the Shelby Cobra is proof that an American car can beat all of the foreign exotics - so why would anyone need to buy a foreign exotic? The answer of course is the Shelby was never produced in enough numbers to offer a cohesive presence, and it had many shortcomings that begged to be improved upon.

If you've ever driven a Shelby you'll find the shifter in your armpit and the lack of even the most minimal soundproofing will have your arm hurting and your head ringing before long.

As for 'firsts', Cadillac had many firsts but I hardly consider them to be the 'go to' car.