SOLVED - What car #353 - 1985 Kelly Python

@re · July 17, 2008, 06:04:50 AM

Recognize this?

Please, respond below and let us know the make and model designation of the car posted here.

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@re · August 24, 2008, 07:22:58 AM

Promoted!

shamrock · August 30, 2008, 11:43:56 AM

reliant ss1

@re · August 30, 2008, 03:07:52 PM

Nope, not a Reliant.

Arunas · September 04, 2008, 01:13:45 AM

Brazilian Miura?

@re · September 04, 2008, 09:00:36 AM

Nope - sorry!

Arunas · September 04, 2008, 09:17:37 AM

Quote from: @re on September 04, 2008, 09:00:36 AM
Nope - sorry!

Farus? No? Is it Brazilian?

@re · September 04, 2008, 06:38:51 PM

Not a Farus, and not Brazilian.

Arunas · September 04, 2008, 11:45:58 PM

Quote from: @re on September 04, 2008, 06:38:51 PM
Not a Farus, and not Brazilian.

Then French maybe?

@re · September 05, 2008, 04:40:51 AM

Not French at all

Arunas · September 06, 2008, 03:28:39 PM

Quote from: @re on September 05, 2008, 04:40:51 AM
Not French at all

European? British ?

@re · September 06, 2008, 05:47:02 PM

No! No!

@re · September 24, 2008, 11:58:58 AM

Promoted!

Paul Jaray · September 24, 2008, 12:37:09 PM

Hi, this is the Ford Python Concept from 1985

This 1985 Ford PYTHON Convertible Concept Car was believed to be designed by Ford but never put into production. Charles Bordenair was believed to be the designer for Ford and Jim Kelly was believed to be the builder. Mechanically the car is all Ford. 302 Ford V8 Engine, Automatic Transmission, Air Conditioning, Power Steering, Power Brakes, Recardo Leather Seats, Wood Venier Dashboard, 3-Piece Rear Window, Full Convertible Top Manuel, Custom Wire Wheels. Absolutely stunning in appearance, exhilerating to drive, a true 1 on 1 unique concept car.Designed in 1981, finished in 1985.Chassis, drive train, and interior are Mustang II.

@re · September 24, 2008, 01:15:17 PM

And point number 436 is yours!

I was actually quite surprised to see this go all the way up to the Pro level, and I can imagine you've been waiting for it for some time now

To your information I can add that, as far as I know, and with the normally quite reliable German Auto Katalog as my source, this car did eventually enter limited production, but not as a Ford. It was called the Kelly Python, after its builder.

Allemano · September 24, 2008, 01:34:23 PM

<<< link removed >>>

@re · September 24, 2008, 01:47:28 PM

That's a Kelly, not an official Ford, as far as I can understand.

Carnut · September 25, 2012, 05:54:18 AM

This is also technically a repost, although originally it seemed to have a slightly different name!
So what is it, for 1 point?

ANYONE FOUND GIVING ANSWERS GLEANED BY USING GOOGLE SEARCH BY IMAGE MAY BE BANNED FOR AN INDETERMINATE PERIOD!

Carnut · October 02, 2012, 04:55:14 AM

Experts?

Delorean · October 02, 2012, 05:21:37 AM

Kelly Python, made between 1990 and 1992. I was supposed to be a replacement for the Cobra, but Ford rejected the design. In the 1980's, Alvin A. Kelly bought the mold, and started his own company to build these cars. Unfortunatly, only 20 cars were ever made ...

Carnut · October 02, 2012, 05:41:25 AM

Quote from: Delorean on October 02, 2012, 05:21:37 AM
Kelly Python, made between 1990 and 1992. I was supposed to be a replacement for the Cobra, but Ford rejected the design. In the 1980's, Alvin A. Kelly bought the mold, and started his own company to build these cars. Unfortunatly, only 20 cars were ever made ...

Correct.

Paul Jaray · October 03, 2012, 05:24:59 PM

Merged!

Carnut · October 04, 2012, 04:38:58 AM

OK, but the reason I posted this is that it was a Kelly Python, one of about 20 made by Kelly Motors of Fort Collins, Colorado, whilst the original puzzle claims to be a 'Ford Python' concept car from the mid 1980s.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure there ever was a Ford Python concept from the mid 1980s?
Wasn't the Kelly Python actually a development of the Bordinat Cobra (pictured below) from the 1960s, which was the Ford proposal to develop the Cobra into a production Ford sports car, but which never went ahead? Supposedly Kelly Motors bought the moulds for this (although I'm surprised there were any; only 1 was built and surely it would have been hand-formed?) in the mid 1980s and made it into the Kelly Python, although there are substantial differences in its appearance - too many to come from the same 'mould'!

This car was puzzled here:

www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=726.0

Otto Puzzell · October 04, 2012, 05:24:07 AM

The '65 XD Cobra - the fourth take on the Ford 'X' cars of the early 60's (aka Bordinat Cobra) was a roadster that drew heavily on the design of of the earlier X-car series Ford Cougar II, a GT concept from 1963. (Some sites refer to the XD Cobra as the XP Cobra). I doubt any molds used to shape the 'Royalex' body panels still exist, but who knows? Royalex - a layered composite of polystyrene and vinyl - is still with us, used to construct canoes that are used in high-stress conditions. Three vacuum-formed Cobra shells were rumored to have been made.

Happily, The Cobra and the Cougar II remain intact at the Detroit Historic Museum (along with another X-car, the Mustang II). The museum often loans the cars to other museums and to concourse events. The remaining X-car, the running example of the Allegro (a fiberglass mockup was built for auto shows), was mangled to make the heavy-handed (IMO) Allegro II roadster.

There is some similarity to the Python. I don't think the Python is as well-designed nor as well-executed as either the Cobra or the Cougar, but that's just my opinion, (again). The X cars, for the most part, were a high point for Ford styling chief Gene Bordinat and his crew.

Paul Jaray · October 04, 2012, 05:41:16 AM

Quote from: Carnut on October 04, 2012, 04:38:58 AM
OK, but the reason I posted this is that it was a Kelly Python, one of about 20 made by Kelly Motors of Fort Collins, Colorado, whilst the original puzzle claims to be a 'Ford Python' concept car from the mid 1980s.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure there ever was a Ford Python concept from the mid 1980s?
Wasn't the Kelly Python actually a development of the Bordinat Cobra (pictured below) from the 1960s, which was the Ford proposal to develop the Cobra into a production Ford sports car, but which never went ahead? Supposedly Kelly Motors bought the moulds for this (although I'm surprised there were any; only 1 was built and surely it would have been hand-formed?) in the mid 1980s and made it into the Kelly Python, although there are substantial differences in its appearance - too many to come from the same 'mould'!

This car was puzzled here:

www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=726.0

I believe you're right.
They seem to be 2 different cars and now I noticed you already wrote that it was "technically a repost"...
The car in my pic seems to be the "production" version of yours.
Shall I unmerge them?

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SOLVED - What car #353 - 1985 Kelly Python