Mar 26, 2023

Visionary H.G. Wells shared a common mankind fantasy of wanting to travel through time. Owing to such he scribed his famed 1895 novella, The Time Machine.

Museums largely exist as ersatz time machines. Through their archiving of subjects, visitors are able to effectively travel back through time to experience the artifacts, environs and culture of the past.

Recently, a pairing of ‘time machines’ took place when famed international cover model, and an Abingdon Watch Company ‘crew’ member, Eugenia Kuzmina, again visited the Lyon Air Museum sporting her Abingdon “Jordan” timepiece.

Mark Foster's potent CSX4155 427 SC aluminum-body Cobra with correct 427 "Side Oiler" and "Top Loader" drivetrain in the shadow of a B-25 "Mitchell" at the Lyon Air Museum

In the original 1960 The Time Machine movie one of the first stops that time-traveler hero George makes is 1966. Had the movie producers accurately predicted that year, one of the cars that George would have visited would have been the iconic 1966 Shelby American 427 SC roadster. 

Among all cars in the modern epoch, the Cobra is arguably the most effective “time machine”. Its basis resides in a 1950 Bristol Ace and its prodigious power comes from the 1960s era of Ford “Total Performance” juggernaut that included the famous Carroll Shelby and the Shelby American Ford GTs, GT350 Mustangs and the legendary Cobra itself. 

Now, some 60 years later, the Cobra is more famous and desirable than ever—its appeal transcending time. Yes, it's is an automotive ‘time machine’.

The "period-correctness" of Mark Foster's 427 SC is replete with requisite Carroll Shelby personal signature of approval

Watches are also “time machines”—born out of maritime navigations needs of centuries ago, today they are the most popular and functional of all jeweled accoutrement and essential to contemporary life and its personal schedules. Timepieces are also essential parts of cockpits of aircraft and rally cars and so are a logical and indelible part of both aircraft and automotive cultures. 

The Abingdon Watch Company was founded in 2006 to uniquely fulfill and memorialize the achievements of women aviators (and women of active, performance lifestyles). The founder, Ms. Abingdon Mullin, is the personification of such—being both an aviatrix and past acquaintance of Carroll Shelby himself! 

Enter, Eugenia Kuzmina who is no passive “Weena” character but equally impressive to Abingdon in her performance lifestyle of continuing her famed international cover modeling, filmscreen acting (in her second Guy Ritchie film, now in theaters) raising three children, doing stand-up comedy, and most recently taking on competition driving with Martina Kwan and Optima Batteries’ vintage C36AMG.

Recently, the “time machines” convened the Lyon Air Museum with Eugenia sporting a “Jordan” model Abingdon chronograph while ensconced in Mark Foster’s CSX4000 series 1966 427 Cobra SC. Mark’s Shelby is a proper automotive “time piece” as it's authentic to the ‘wide hip’ aluminum body in the traditional Shelby/American racing blue and white color scheme--powered by Ford 427 aluminum “side oiler” mated to the period-correct ‘top loader’ 4-speed. 

Additionally and significantly, this automotive and fashion confluence of time machines took place in the shadows of one of the most memorable of all warbirds, the Lyon Air Museum’s famed B-25 “Mitchell”.

As can be seen here, Eugenia’s presence, wearing her Abingdon watch, in Mark’s Cobra made for an event that was both memorable and time-transcendent. H.G. himself would have been proud to have seen his vision realized in such an appealing fashion.

Carroll Shelby's 1966 "time machine"--his immortal 427 SC roadster

Originally published on Exposure.