Dick Smith 427 Cobra to Riverside Automotive Museum
Sports Car Digest | Nov 30, 2009 | Comments 8
Riverside International Automotive Museum announced the arrival of the Dick Smith 427 Cobra, which is billed as the most important 427 Cobra in the country and “the winningest 427 Cobra produced.”
Riverside calls it the most significant 427 Cobra you will ever see and who are we to argue? In addition to winning many national and divisional championships in his Cobra, Dick Smith also set the record at the 1967 Daytona American Road Race of Champions for the fastest production sports car at 198.047 mph. Because of this, the car is also called the fastest 427 in the world.
The Dick Smith 427 Cobra now resides at the Riverside International Automotive Museum, which is open to the public 12 pm until 4 pm, Wednesday through Friday; 10am to 4pm on Saturdays. Suggested Admission is $5.00 and donations are welcome. The museum is located at 815 Marlborough Avenue, Suite 200 in Riverside, California.
For more information, visit riversideinternational.org or call (951) 369-6966.
[Source: RIAM]
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I knew Dick Smith since the early 80s, a true gentleman and scholar. I’m glad his Cobra has a good home.
One of my favorite photos, riding shotgun at Sears Point:
http://www.norcal-saac.org/picoftheday/mn22-smith.jpg
Walt -
Great photo! Thanks for sharing.
SCD
Dick Smith was a good friend of the family, we new him since late 70s. I remember my father had a big party before the PaloAlto Concours in which we stored this cobra as well as a GT40 mk 2 in our garage overnite. The next day after the show Dick and myself made a beer run in the cobra. He offered to let me drive but I foolishly declined. Great Guy.
Cheers Dve Day
Hi Dave; My cobra was also in your garage that nite,…..How is your dad?
Randy, Dad is doing good thx. No Shelby products anymore he is into old fat fendered hot rods. He lives in Grass Valley CA. Was your cobra white with blue stripes buy chance?
Cheers Dave Day
I met Dick Smith when I was about 9 years old. He gave me my first taste of beer (he had a tap in his kitchen!). He let me ride on a Yamaha 90 which I promptly drove into his porsche! Luckily, the fender was already dented. I was in awe of all of his trophies hanging on his walls.
When I ran into him (no pun intended) 20 years later at a Concours D’Elegance in Norther California, he remembered me. He was a truly classy guy and a great racer. I watched him drive #198 in historic races over the years as well. He will be missed. I’m glad his car is in a museum where lots of people can see the REAL 427 Cobra!
Twenty-five +/- years ago, I built a Porsche Speedster kit car. Rick Titus, who was working for Kit CAr magazine at the time, noticed my car at the Northern California Kit Car Show at Knott’s Berry Farm. I later got a call from the magazine inviting me to bring my car to Sears Point for a an article on Porsche kit cars.
There were three kit Porsches there and due to track insurance policies, only licensed race car drivers could drive on the track. The licensed drivers were rick Titus, Dan(?) Day and Dick Smith.
What a thrill it was to sitting next to Dick as he drove my little Speedster around the track. The article which appeared in the magazine was very comprehensive and featured the three cars on the cover while going around the track. My red Speedster was the lead car in the picture.
I’ll never forget that experience, nor will I ever forget what a truly nice person Dick was.
dick smith was my uncle i have a lot of memoreys in that car . im glad to here so many people love and respected my uncle for who he was and what he did in his racing career.last time knew the car was apraised in 1991 for 4.6 million . to know its in a museum is a great releif to me .i love and miss u uncle dick ….love matthew j reed.