Shelby's personal Cobra is going under the hammer

Tuesday, 22 December 2020

Carroll Shelby isn’t someone that needs an introduction, nor does the Cobra. Based around the British AC Ace with the old 2.0-litre Bristol straight-six swapped for a healthy Ford-built V8, the two-seater roadster quickly became synonymous with Shelby’s mechanical knowhow.

Every petrolhead wants one but what about the car that Shelby actually owned?

Mecum Auctions is selling Shelby’s bona fide 427 Cobra, code-named CSX3178, at its Kissimmee auction in January 2021, where it could fetch some big money.

Is there a car more synonymous with good ol’ American V8 power than the Shelby Cobra?

Mecum isn't offering any estimates but the very first Cobra sold for a cool NZ$18 million a few years ago. Given the only previous owner of this one, we could well see a final price of more than $20 million.

**READ MORE:

That’s not the original 427 engine but it’s close. Shelby swapped the first engine at some point for more power before a 2016 restoration returned the Cobra to original spec.

* An original TVR Griffith prototype is up for sale

* Bear tears through classic Shelby Cobra on Alaska road trip

That’s Shelby with Dan Gurney. And an eagle, because America. Man, if this car could talk...

* Ford's donated one-off 'Ole Yeller' Mustang sells for NZ$407,000

* Shelby's first Cobra is for sale

According to the auction listing, the car was owned by Shelby from the day it was assembled in March 1966 until his passing in May 2012.

It’s one of five finished in Charcoal Grey, using a Ford 427 (7.0-litre) V8 paired with a four-speed Toploader manual transmission. It’s also the only 427 Cobra Shelby owned from new until his passing.

Come 1972, Shelby’s friend and renowned Cobra specialist Mike McCluskey restored CSX3178, repainting it in Guardsman Blue with a gold nose. At some point in CSX3178’s life, Carroll Shelby felt he needed more grunt and installed an aluminium-head 427 side-oiler engine with an automatic transmission.

In 2002, the home crew at Shelby American in Las Vegas, Nevada, repainted Carroll Shelby’s famous Cobra in red.

Then, in 2016, the car was purchased from Carroll Shelby’s estate by the consigner, at which time it became the subject of a complete concours restoration by renowned Cobra restorers Legendary Motorcar Company, which returned it to its original Charcoal paint color and the 427-plus-four-speed powertrain.

The Kissimmee Auction kicks off on January 7 and runs through to the 16th. In the meantime, we’re rewatching Ford vs Ferrari for the 28th time this year.