<PAGE>   1

 As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 16, 1998
                                                         Registration No. 333-

================================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                -----------------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                              ---------------------

                          COBRA ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

              DELAWARE                                36-2479991
   (State or other jurisdiction of        (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
   incorporation or organization)

       6500 WEST CORTLAND STREET                            60707
            CHICAGO, ILLINOIS                            (Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)


                          COBRA ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
                             1998 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

             GERALD M. LAURES                              Copy to:
VICE PRESIDENT-FINANCE AND CORPORATE SECRETARY           JIM L. KAPUT
        COBRA ELECTRONICS CORPORATION                   SIDLEY & AUSTIN
          6500 WEST CORTLAND STREET                 ONE FIRST NATIONAL PLAZA
            CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60707                  CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60603
                (773) 889-8870                           (312) 853-7000
   (Name, address, and telephone number,
 including area code, of agent for service)

                          ----------------------------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

================================================================================
                                      Proposed      Proposed  
                         Amount        maximum       maximum
      Title of           to be        offering      aggregate      Amount of
 Securities to be    registered(1)    price per     offering    registration fee
    registered                         share(2)       price

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Common Stock,                       
$.33 1/3 par value   310,000 shares     $ 3.75     $1,162,500(2)    $ 343

================================================================================

(1)      This registration statement also covers an additional and indeterminate
         number of shares as may become issuable because of the provisions of
         the Plan relating to adjustments for changes resulting from stock
         dividends, stock splits and similar changes.

(2)      Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
         and, pursuant to Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act of 1933, based
         upon the average of the high and low sale prices of the Common Stock of
         the Registrant on The Nasdaq Stock Market on September 10, 1998.
================================================================================


<PAGE>   2

                                     PART II
                           INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT


ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The following documents heretofore filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") by Cobra Electronics Corporation (the
"Company") are incorporated herein by reference:

         (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1997 filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "Exchange Act");

         (b) All other  reports  filed  pursuant to Section  13(a) or 15(d) of 
the Exchange Act since  December 31, 1997; and

         (c) The description of the Common Stock, par value $.33 1/3, of the
Company which is contained in a registration statement filed under Section 12 of
the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of
updating such description.

         All documents filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, after the date of this
Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to
this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered hereby
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and
to be a part hereof from the respective dates of filing of such documents.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

         Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL") empowers a
Delaware corporation to indemnify any person who was or is threatened to be made
a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding,
whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action
by or in the right of such corporation) by reason of the fact that such person
is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such corporation, or is or
was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee
or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys' fees),
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred
by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, provided that
such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed
to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with
respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe
such person's conduct was unlawful. A Delaware corporation may indemnify any
person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any
threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the
corporation under the same conditions, except that no indemnification is
permitted without judicial approval if the person is adjudged to be liable to
the corporation. Where a present or former director or officer of the
corporation is successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any
action, suit or proceeding referred to above, or in defense of any claim, issue
or matter therein, the corporation must indemnify such person against expenses
(including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred.

                                      II-1


<PAGE>   3

         In accordance with Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, the Company's 
Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, provides that a director shall not be
personally liable to the Company or its shareholders for monetary damages for
breach of fiduciary duty as a director except for liability (i) for any breach
of the director's duty of loyalty to the Company or its shareholders, (ii) for
acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a
knowing violation of law, (iii) for certain transactions under Section 174 of
the DGLC (unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock purchases or
redemptions) or (iv) for any transaction from which a director derived an
improper personal benefit. The effect of this provision is to eliminate the
personal liability of directors for monetary damages for actions involving a
breach of their fiduciary duty of care, including any actions involving gross
negligence.

         The Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and the By-laws of the
Company provide for indemnification of the Company's directors, officers,
employees and agents to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

         Pursuant to Section 145 of the DGCL and the Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, and the By-laws of the Company, the Company maintains
directors' and officers' liability insurance coverage.


ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

EXHIBIT
  NO.                                 DESCRIPTION
-------                               -----------
4.1            Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, of the Company.

4.2            By-laws of the Company.

5              Opinion of Sidley & Austin.

23.1           Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

23.2           Consent of Sidley & Austin  (contained in Exhibit 5).

24             Powers of Attorney (included on signature page).

99.1           Cobra Electronics Corporation 1998 Stock Option Plan, as amended.

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

         (a)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

         (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being 
made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement;

         (i)  To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the 
Securities Act of 1933;

         (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
              the effective date of the registration statement (or the most
              recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in
              the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information
              set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the
              foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities 
              offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would
              not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the
              low or high end of the estimated maximum 


                                      II-2

<PAGE>   4


              offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed
              with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate,
              the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent
              change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
              "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective
              registration statement;

        (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of
              distribution not previously disclosed in the registration 
              statement or any material change to such information in the
              registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the
registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information required
to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant
pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are
incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

         (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof;

         (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remained unsold at the termination
of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of
1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities
Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.






                                      II-3

<PAGE>   5


                                   SIGNATURES


          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, on this 16th day of
September, 1998.

                             Cobra Electronics Corporation


                             By:  /s/ Gerald M. Laures                          
                                  -----------------------------------------
                                  Gerald M. Laures
                                  Vice President-Finance and Corporate Secretary

                        POWER OF ATTORNEY AND SIGNATURES

         We, the undersigned officers and directors of Cobra Electronics
Corporation hereby severally constitute and appoint James R. Bazet and Gerald M.
Laures, and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys, with full power
to them and each of them singly, to sign for us in our names in the capacities
indicated below, all pre-effective and post-effective amendments to this
registration statement, and generally to do all things in our names and on our
behalf in such capacities to enable the Company to comply with the provisions of
the Securities Act of 1933, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange
Commission.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

            SIGNATURE                              TITLE(S)                                  DATE
            ---------                              --------                                  ----
<S>                                <C>                                                  <C> 
   /s/ James R. Bazet              President and Chief Executive Officer
------------------------------     and Director (Principal Executive Officer)           September 16, 1998
       James R. Bazet                                                                  


   /s/ Gerald M.  Laures           Vice President-Finance and Corporate Secretary
------------------------------     and Director (Principal Financial and Accounting
       Gerald M.  Laures           Officer)                                             September 16, 1998
                                   

   /s/ Carl Korn                   Chairman of the Board of Directors                   September 16, 1998
------------------------------     and Director
       Carl Korn                  


   /s/ Jerry Kalov                 Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors              September 16, 1998
------------------------------     and Director
       Jerry Kalov                 

   /s/ William P.  Carmichael      Director                                             September 16, 1998
------------------------------  
       William P.  Carmichael

   /s/ Samuel B.  Horberg          Director                                             September 16, 1998
------------------------------  
       Samuel B.  Horberg


   /s/ Harold D.  Schwartz         Director                                             September 16, 1998
------------------------------  
       Harold D.  Schwartz
</TABLE>



                                      II-4

<PAGE>   6

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT
NUMBER                             DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT
------                             ----------------------

4.1              Certificate of Incorporation,  as amended, of the Company  
                 (incorporated by reference to the  Company's  Annual  Report 
                 on Form 10-K for the year ended  December  31, 1990 (File No. 
                 0-511), Exhibit 3-1).

4.2              By-laws of the Company  (incorporated  by reference to the 
                 Company's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the year ended 
                 December 31, 1990 (File No. 0-511), Exhibit 3-2).

5*               Opinion of Sidley & Austin.

23.1*            Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

23.2*            Consent of Sidley & Austin  (contained in Exhibit 5).

24*              Powers of Attorney (included on signature page).

99.1*            Cobra Electronics Corporation 1998 Stock Option Plan, as 
                 amended.

------------------------
*Filed herewith
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 18090}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "COBRA ELECTRONICS CORP", "cik": "0000030828", "assigned-sic": "3663", "irs-number": "362479991", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-63501", "film-number": "98710503"}, "business-address": {"street1": "6460 W CORTLAND ST", "city": "CHICAGO", "state": "IL", "zip": "60635", "phone": "3128898870"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "6460 W CORTLAND ST", "city": "CHICAGO", "state": "IL", "zip": "60635"}}
1

 As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 16, 1998
                                                         Registration No. 333-

================================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                -----------------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                              ---------------------

                          COBRA ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

              DELAWARE                                36-2479991
   (State or other jurisdiction of        (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
   incorporation or organization)

       6500 WEST CORTLAND STREET                            60707
            CHICAGO, ILLINOIS                            (Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)

                          COBRA ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
                             1998 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

             GERALD M. LAURES                              Copy to:
VICE PRESIDENT-FINANCE AND CORPORATE SECRETARY           JIM L. KAPUT
        COBRA ELECTRONICS CORPORATION                   SIDLEY & AUSTIN
          6500 WEST CORTLAND STREET                 ONE FIRST NATIONAL PLAZA
            CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60707                  CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60603
                (773) 889-8870                           (312) 853-7000
   (Name, address, and telephone number,
 including area code, of agent for service)

                          ----------------------------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

================================================================================
                                      Proposed      Proposed  
                         Amount        maximum       maximum
      Title of           to be        offering      aggregate      Amount of
 Securities to be    registered(1)    price per     offering    registration fee
    registered                         share(2)       price

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Common Stock,                       
$.33 1/3 par value   310,000 shares     $ 3.75     $1,162,500(2)    $ 343

================================================================================

(1)      This registration statement also covers an additional and indeterminate
         number of shares as may become issuable because of the provisions of
         the Plan relating to adjustments for changes resulting from stock
         dividends, stock splits and similar changes.

(2)      Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
         and, pursuant to Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act of 1933, based
         upon the average of the high and low sale prices of the Common Stock of
         the Registrant on The Nasdaq Stock Market on September 10, 1998.
================================================================================
2

                                     PART II
                           INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The following documents heretofore filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") by Cobra Electronics Corporation (the
"Company") are incorporated herein by reference:

         (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1997 filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "Exchange Act");

         (b) All other  reports  filed  pursuant to Section  13(a) or 15(d) of 
the Exchange Act since  December 31, 1997; and

         (c) The description of the Common Stock, par value $.33 1/3, of the
Company which is contained in a registration statement filed under Section 12 of
the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of
updating such description.

         All documents filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, after the date of this
Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to
this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered hereby
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and
to be a part hereof from the respective dates of filing of such documents.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

         Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL") empowers a
Delaware corporation to indemnify any person who was or is threatened to be made
a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding,
whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action
by or in the right of such corporation) by reason of the fact that such person
is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such corporation, or is or
was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee
or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other
enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys' fees),
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred
by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, provided that
such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed
to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with
respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe
such person's conduct was unlawful. A Delaware corporation may indemnify any
person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any
threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the
corporation under the same conditions, except that no indemnification is
permitted without judicial approval if the person is adjudged to be liable to
the corporation. Where a present or former director or officer of the
corporation is successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any
action, suit or proceeding referred to above, or in defense of any claim, issue
or matter therein, the corporation must indemnify such person against expenses
(including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred.

                                      II-1
3

         In accordance with Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, the Company's 
Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, provides that a director shall not be
personally liable to the Company or its shareholders for monetary damages for
breach of fiduciary duty as a director except for liability (i) for any breach
of the director's duty of loyalty to the Company or its shareholders, (ii) for
acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a
knowing violation of law, (iii) for certain transactions under Section 174 of
the DGLC (unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock purchases or
redemptions) or (iv) for any transaction from which a director derived an
improper personal benefit. The effect of this provision is to eliminate the
personal liability of directors for monetary damages for actions involving a
breach of their fiduciary duty of care, including any actions involving gross
negligence.

         The Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and the By-laws of the
Company provide for indemnification of the Company's directors, officers,
employees and agents to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

         Pursuant to Section 145 of the DGCL and the Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, and the By-laws of the Company, the Company maintains
directors' and officers' liability insurance coverage.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

EXHIBIT
  NO.                                 DESCRIPTION
-------                               -----------
4.1            Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, of the Company.

4.2            By-laws of the Company.

5              Opinion of Sidley & Austin.

23.1           Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

23.2           Consent of Sidley & Austin  (contained in Exhibit 5).

24             Powers of Attorney (included on signature page).

99.1           Cobra Electronics Corporation 1998 Stock Option Plan, as amended.

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

         (a)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

         (1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being 
made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement;

         (i)  To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the 
Securities Act of 1933;

         (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
              the effective date of the registration statement (or the most
              recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in
              the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information
              set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the
              foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities 
              offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would
              not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the
              low or high end of the estimated maximum 

                                      II-2
4

              offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed
              with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate,
              the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent
              change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
              "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective
              registration statement;

        (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of
              distribution not previously disclosed in the registration 
              statement or any material change to such information in the
              registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the
registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form S-8, and the information required
to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant
pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are
incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

         (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof;

         (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remained unsold at the termination
of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of
1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities
Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                      II-3
5

                                   SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, on this 16th day of
September, 1998.

                             Cobra Electronics Corporation

                             By:  /s/ Gerald M. Laures                          
                                  -----------------------------------------
                                  Gerald M. Laures
                                  Vice President-Finance and Corporate Secretary

                        POWER OF ATTORNEY AND SIGNATURES

         We, the undersigned officers and directors of Cobra Electronics
Corporation hereby severally constitute and appoint James R. Bazet and Gerald M.
Laures, and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys, with full power
to them and each of them singly, to sign for us in our names in the capacities
indicated below, all pre-effective and post-effective amendments to this
registration statement, and generally to do all things in our names and on our
behalf in such capacities to enable the Company to comply with the provisions of
the Securities Act of 1933, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange
Commission.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.
SIGNATURE                              TITLE(S)                                  DATE
            ---------                              --------                                  ----
/s/ James R. Bazet              President and Chief Executive Officer
------------------------------     and Director (Principal Executive Officer)           September 16, 1998
       James R. Bazet                                                                  

   /s/ Gerald M.  Laures           Vice President-Finance and Corporate Secretary
------------------------------     and Director (Principal Financial and Accounting
       Gerald M.  Laures           Officer)                                             September 16, 1998
                                   

   /s/ Carl Korn                   Chairman of the Board of Directors                   September 16, 1998
------------------------------     and Director
       Carl Korn                  

   /s/ Jerry Kalov                 Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors              September 16, 1998
------------------------------     and Director
       Jerry Kalov                 

   /s/ William P.  Carmichael      Director                                             September 16, 1998
------------------------------  
       William P.  Carmichael

   /s/ Samuel B.  Horberg          Director                                             September 16, 1998
------------------------------  
       Samuel B.  Horberg

   /s/ Harold D.  Schwartz         Director                                             September 16, 1998
------------------------------  
       Harold D.  Schwartz
II-4
6

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT
NUMBER                             DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT
------                             ----------------------

4.1              Certificate of Incorporation,  as amended, of the Company  
                 (incorporated by reference to the  Company's  Annual  Report 
                 on Form 10-K for the year ended  December  31, 1990 (File No. 
                 0-511), Exhibit 3-1).

4.2              By-laws of the Company  (incorporated  by reference to the 
                 Company's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the year ended 
                 December 31, 1990 (File No. 0-511), Exhibit 3-2).

5*               Opinion of Sidley & Austin.

23.1*            Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

23.2*            Consent of Sidley & Austin  (contained in Exhibit 5).

24*              Powers of Attorney (included on signature page).

99.1*            Cobra Electronics Corporation 1998 Stock Option Plan, as 
                 amended.

------------------------
*Filed herewith