Throughout automotive history, car manufacturers have often gone to battle in order to prove that they have the superior car. One company will produce a revolutionary new vehicle that boasts innovations in speed, power, or mechanical engineering, and another company will answer with a car that improves upon these principles. Traditionally, these rivalries see both sides create remarkable vehicles that each have their own devoted fanbases (the Mustang and Camaro rivalry is a good example). But the concept cars that lay the groundwork for the famous final product can stay out of the public eye for years or even decades. Today, we aim to shed light on a particular pair of concept cars that were hidden away for 40 years: the 1963 Ford Bordinat Cobra and the 1964 Ford Cougar II.

Their story begins in 1962, when General Motors Chevrolet began the production of the C2, their new Corvette model. This new iteration of Chevrolet’s most stylish coupe sported an angular and eye-catching look that–when combined with its improved drivetrain, internal electrical components, and better weight balance–was a smash hit for younger drivers. The Ford Motor Company knew that the C2 would be able to corner the sports car market if it remained the only new-wave option. However, they had already made plans for two new cars prior to the launch of the C2.

These concept cars were quite literally built on the success of Ford’s most recent collaboration: the A/C Shelby Cobra. Before the production car’s actual release, Ford obtained the chassis of Cobra model number CSX2008 (the eighth Cobra ever produced) and started to develop new bodywork. Gene Bordinat, the Ford Vice President of Design at the time, oversaw the production of this body in 1962. His ideas resulted in a stylish and angular model that was coincidentally very similar to the not-yet-released C2 Corvette but still had enough differences to make it stand out on its own. The car was christened the “Cougar II” and was incorporated into the line of Styling X-cars, a series of concept vehicles that the company advertised and toured around the country to give potential customers a look into the future of Ford.

In order to add some variety to the X-car lineup, Bordinat also ordered the creation of an additional sports coupe in 1963. This new design was a bit of a step up from the Cougar II, as its coil-spring frame was borrowed from the not-yet-released Cobra Mk. III. It was also powered by a 289 High-Performance engine, an improvement from the Cougar II’s 260 cu. In. V8. The resultant honey gold drop-top car was initially called the XP Cobra, but quickly came to be known as the Bordinat Cobra when Bordinat began using it as one of his personal vehicles. 

Both the Cougar II and the Bordinat Cobra had laid the groundwork for something special. The Bordinat Cobra saw the first integration of a Ford sports car and the Hi-Po engine, predating the combination seen in the 1965 “K-code” Mustang. This combined next-level performance with the increasingly on-trend angular and sporty look of the day. The pair enjoyed a modicum of public intrigue throughout their handful of appearances in Styling-X brochures and car shows. The Cougar II was even featured in the Ford Pavillion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. However, when the Ford Mustang and the Shelby Daytona became incredibly popular upon their respective releases, the need for cars like the concepts dwindled. Ford had found their own success with cars that did not resemble the C2 Corvette, and the pair faded away into the background.

It was not until 2004 that the concepts became part of the public eye once more. Jeff Burgy, a long-time industrial designer for Ford, had recently retired and set out to find the pair. He had been an enthusiast of Bordinat’s work during his youth and had received images of the cars in Bordinat’s response to one of his fan letters. Decades later, his search led him to Detroit, Michigan, where he found both cars among the secretive Detroit Bubble Car collection in the Detroit Historical Museum archives. Burgy collaborated with the museum and, after a brief restoration process, was able to show the cars off to the public once more at the 2004 Shelby American Automobile Club National Convention. They were the stars of the event, intriguing everyone in attendance. Even Carroll Shelby himself had no idea where the cars had gone after their showings and was surprised to see them.

Since knowledge of their existence became public knowledge once more, the cars have remained some of the most well-known and well-liked concepts in the eyes of Ford history enthusiasts and gearheads across the country. Both cars have seen regular exhibitions in the Detroit Historical Museum and even an appearance at the 2012 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Their occasional disappearance back into storage means that they are still not as widely known as they could be. However, we are certain that these cars are as likely to turn heads and capture imaginations as they were almost 60 years ago.

References:

Lost Ambition: The Story Behind The 1963 Ford Bordinat Cobra and 1964 Ford Cougar II (topspeed.com)

Lost concept cars: The Shelby Cobra-based Ford Cougar II | Hemmings

HOW SHELBY FAN HELPED UNEARTH ’63 BORDINAT COBRA CONCEPT CAR (ford.com)

Another Lost Cobra Found Hiding Under the Name Ford Cougar II - MyCarQuest.com

AC Cobra Wikipedia

1965 FordXP Bordinat Cobra - Concepts (carstyling.ru)