In my recent talk with Peter Brock, he shared the philosophy he relates to most is by Arthur Schopenhauer. Schopenhauer was a German philosopher best known for his book, The World as Will and Representation, in which he claimed that our world is driven by a continually dissatisfied will, continually seeking satisfaction. He was also known for the quote, “All truth passes through three states. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently apposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”
Does this sound like anything you’ve encountered?
Entrepreneurs, designers, dreamers, and the lot are often people who present the world with new ideas. Thoughts or products that nobody has ever seen or believe they want or need. I enjoyed a wonderful talk with Peter Brock on Cars Yeah. He talked about his days as Carroll Shelby’s first employee and his involvement in designing and building the iconic Daytona Coupe.
First, it was ridiculed.
Using design concepts developed by German aircraft engineers studying airflow over a surface, Peter sketched a car design nobody had ever seen before. Compared to most car designs, it was downright odd. And then, after sharing the idea with the rest of Shelby’s staff, Peter found himself almost entirely on his own.
Second, it is violently apposed.
While Shelby agreed to let Peter proceed, the opposition soon began after the team ridiculed the design when he proposed it to the crew. They rejected his idea and refused to participate! He continued to work on the car with Ken Miles and John Ohlsen and once they got the buck built, opinions began to change.
Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
The “self evident” aspect came in to focus when the car was built and on the first test day at Riverside Raceway, the Daytona Coupe broke the lap record by 3.5 seconds! Peter told me in his parting advice… “Don’t lift!” May I suggest that you go out there and dream the impossible dream. Share your truth with the world. If you know your truth is the truth, go for it and don’t lift.
Thank you to Peter and Gayle Brock for the use of their photo of Peter with his iconic Daytona Coupe. Visit them at Brock Racing Enterprises
What is your truth?
Mark, it is hard to understand how the Cobra Daytona Coupe could have been considered “a car design nobody had ever seen before” as it seems inspired by cars like the Ferrari GTO and Jaguar ‘E’ type. Am I missing something?
Thank you for your question Doug – When you listen to the interview with Peter he talks about what made the car so different. It was primarily the back end of the care and the way it was chopped off. Most other race cars of the time followed a tear-drop design, as they were designed for good looks. The rear of the Daytona Coupe was very different and considered odd and ugly by many. But it worked! Enjoy Peter’s interview on Cars Yeah today!
Thank you Mark for that clarification. The Kamm-tail was indeed just being accepted as an aerodynamic aid in racing. The 250 GTO had it while the ‘E’ type did not. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kammback. The Cobra Daytone Coupe would have been one of the first American race cars to use this design.