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Win a Unique Prize of The Snap on Toolbox owned by Terry Grays Father Eric George Gray and a small selection of Tools used in building Mario Andrettis Formula 1 Championship Winning Lotus.

The toolbox although not in perfect condition has numerous unique stickers on it from Motor Racing Teams many of which are now gone.

Many people will remember the Mario Andretti Memorobelia raising Money at auction for The New York Association and the ARA in 2005.

Many others recall 1 of Marios Car Wheels stunning Bill Weaver into silence and Joey Kress finally beating Bill in the auction for the 2nd Wheel in 2006.

Many People are however unaware that the 2 Wheels still remain as a pair and are jointly owned by Joey and Bill.


New York 2005	New York 2005	Eric George Gray	Serbing 2006	Sebring 2006

The Lotus 79 was the first F1 car to take full advantage of ground effects aerodynamics, pioneered in its immediate predecessor, the Lotus 78. The undercar pressure problems in the 78 were resolved with the 79, with further design work on the venturi tunnels under the car, which allowed the low pressure area to be evenly spaced along the whole of the underside. The car was powered by the Ford Cosworth DFV and constructed of sheet aluminium honeycomb, specially strengthened for the pressures exerted on the car by the ground effects

The car was secretly tested in late 1977 by Ronnie Peterson and proved extremely fast, but the chassis suffered early fatigue due to the severe suction and g-forces generated by the ground effect. The 79 produced about 30% more downforce than the 78. The chassis was strengthened in specific points, mostly around the monocoque and load bearing points on the chassis tub, and the car was found to be even faster than before. The need for smooth airflow dictated the car must have clean lines; as a result the 79 was one of the most beautiful cars ever to take to the track. Nicknamed 'Black Beauty' by the press and F1 fans alike, for its graceful design and sleek profile and its black and gold livery through sponsorship by John Player Special cigarettes, the Lotus 79 was instantly competitive on its debut, the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. It took pole at the hands of Mario Andretti by more than a second, and won the race comfortably.

Andretti said after driving the 79 for the first time that the Lotus 78 was like driving a London bus. Peterson once quipped, after scoring an impressive pole position, that the car was so brilliantly set-up all he had to do was steer. The 79 proved to be almost unbeatable during the 1978 Formula One season and provided an unprecedented level of domination. The car took six more victories during the season giving the drivers' championship to Andretti, and the constructors' championship to Lotus.

Most people do not know that origin of the AC Cobra begins a decade before the famous brand name hit the headlines. The vehicle configuration, chassis and suspension were originally designed, developed in England by John Tojeiro and the bodywork was designed and crafted by hand in Aluminium by Eric Gray in his Latimer Road works in London.

Tojeiro had built several light weight sports racers from 1949 through 1952 however the Ace was the first ultra-light racer to be configured utilizing a round tube ladder chassis with independent suspension in all four corners. The prototype racer was powered by a Bristol 2000cc six cylinder engine and wrapped with a spider style aluminum body which created a very formidable adversary in British sports-racing events in early 1952.

Just down the street from Tojeiro’s work shop, a British car company by the name of AC Cars was in need of a lightweight two seat production roadster to help maintain adequate production quantities in their assembly plant and progress back into international racing circuits. In late 1952 Tojeiro and Gray teamed up with AC Cars to develop a production version of his ultra-light racer which was to be known as the AC Ace. With minor alterations to the body lines, drive train, and electronics as well as a fully trimmed interior and a production windscreen the car became a major sensation at the 1953 London Auto Show.

Soon after the London Show Tojerio and Gray, who had reasonably requested that their designs be given recognition on the vehicle, left the AC company scene.

Throughout 1954 and 1955 the Ace was refined by AC Cars and by 1956 the it was dominating international racing circuits throughout Europe and the United Sates. In 1957 the AC Ace placed 2nd at Le Mans and won the SCCA championship in the United States. In 1958 the Ace placed 1st at the 24 Hours Le Mans, 1st at the 12 Hour Sebring and again captured the SCCA Championship. The AC Ace continued to race effectively in European circuits but was most successful in the United States by continuing to win the SCCA Championship from 1959 through 1961 when the Ace platform went out of production and a new AC racer took its place.

There were a total of 732 AC Aces with various engine types produced from 1953 through the end of their production in 1961.

In late 61 AC Cars lost its source for the six-cylinder Bristol engine and Carroll Shelby airmailed a proposal to keep building the chassis for a special Shelby sports car powered by an American V8. Charles Hurlock, owner of AC replies stating he would be interested as long as a suitable engine replacement could be found in the States. The same month, Shelbyfound out about the new 221-cube Ford small-block and dispatches a letter to Dave Evans outlining his idea for a sports car using the Ford V8. The first 260 Roadster, minus engine and transmission was air freighted in February 1962, to Southern California. And Carroll has a dream about the name Cobra on the front of his new car. In Carroll's words, "I woke up and jotted the name down on a pad which I kept by my bedside-a sort of ideas pad- and went back to sleep. Next morning when I looked at the name 'Cobra,' I knew it was right." It apparently took only 8 hours to fit, a 260 HiPo and Borg-Warner gearbox and apparently Shelby and Dean Moon set out to test drive Cobra, looking to bait Corvettes, but found none.

In March Shelby-American began operations at a shop on Princeton Drive in Venice, California and the original Cobra Roadster, the fastest production car ever made at that time 0-60 in 3.9 seconds was born. By March the CSX 2000, the first Cobra, affectionately called “The Yellow Beastie” by Eric Gray, was shipped to the New York Auto Show to appear on the Ford display.

And so the Legend that is “The AC Cobra” was Born

Carroll Shelby was named 2008 Automotive Executive of the Year, a lifetime achievement award, honouring a career of excellence in the automotive industry. The award, sponsored by DNV Certification and the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), has been designated by a nominating body, representing automotive journalists, supplier community representatives and automotive industry analysts.

MICHIGAN, APRIL 21, 2008: Acedes Holdings, LLC (“AC Cars”) has today announced that it will be manufacturing certain derivatives of its heritage product in the USA. The vehicles will be manufactured by its manufacturing partner, AC AutoKraft, LLC.(“AC AutoKraft”)

AC AutoKraft is a newly formed business founded by Mitchell Lampert and Brent Fenimore. Mr. Lampert is the CEO of Waco Classic Aircraft Corporation, Inc. (“Waco Classic”) and Centennial Aircraft Services, Inc. (“Centennial”). Waco Classic is the manufacturer of the world-renowned Waco YMF-5 open cockpit Biplane. Centennial is a multiple National Grand Champion award winning vintage aircraft restoration business. Waco and Centennial jointly employ 35 highly skilled craftsmen and women and are both known worldwide for quality workmanship fit and finish.