All posts in “427”

1966 SHELBY COBRA 427 SUPER SNAKE

I have to admit, I rather like the Shelby Cobra, putting a massive V8 engine into a lightweight body, styled like these are … a Cobra looks sexy. And they are demanding a serious bank account to add to your garage, just read up on our story on Carroll Shelby’s personal 427 Cobra Chassis CSX3178, that sold for $5,940,000 at the Mecum Kissimmee auction in January 2021 … but this one might fetch an even higher bid at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction in late March .

This car is a unique Cobra, CSX 3015 is one of only 23 original 427 Competition Roadster, and it is the only surviving 1966 Super snake, back in 2015 this specific car sold for $5,100,000 at auction, we’re six years down the road now, so chances are this Guardsman Blue beauty will be even more expensive this time around.

Craig Jackson, CEO of Barrett-Jackson:

“This is the ultimate, it was made to go kick Ferrari’s ass on the street after just doing it on the track.”

Not only does this specific Shelby Cobra come with a 427ci V8 engine, it also has two Paxton superchargers fitted by Caroll Shelby himself, because of the massive power, he also had to fit a 3-speed automatic transmission … this Super Snake was fast … extremely fast … 190 mph is no problem at all behind the wheel of this Super Snake.

Chassis CSX 3015 was actually shipped to the UK in September 1965, together with CSX 3014 and two R-model Shelbys, both CSX chassis were original 427 Competition roadsters, these didn’t have mufflers, nor a windshield, nor any bumpers, these were Competition models, race cars … and these weren’t street legal.

The CSX 3015 came back from Europe in late 1966, still in her factory original Competition form, but in 1967 Caroll Shelby turned her into a Super Snake, and turned her into a Cobra 427 SC model (for Semi-Competition), adding mufflers and a windshield, thus making the car legal to drive on the open road. In fact all Cobra 427 SC models were street-legal, but most of them only saw a track during their lifetime.

There was a second Super Snake built, based on a 1967 427 road car, chassis CSX 3303 was initially a public relations car, but Shelby America converted her into a Super Snake too, sold to a dealer in San Fransisco after which she ended up with Tony Maxey … unfortunately both Tony and CSX 3303 got involved in a serious, lethal accident, the car was a total-loss, which makes CSX 3015 the only Super Snake in the world.

Today chassis CSX 3015 is considered a genuine Competition roadster with original body (which is different from other Cobra 427 SC models), and includes the 1967 Super Snake hood, the Girling CR and BR calipers are still date coded to 1965, and the original 377 rear end with oil cooler and pumps are genuine 427 Competition spec.

The 5m17 427ci V8 engine block is date-coded to December 17, 1965, with the original headers and those impressive, chrome side pipes … the estimate for this unique Cobra 427 Super Snake is set between $5,000,000 and $8,000,000 … and I couldn’t have put it any better than Craig Jackson himself, when he stated:

“This car is a very special car, it’s Carroll’s personal car, one he built for himself. You just don’t get any rarer than that.”

February 20, 2021 / Comments Off on 1966 SHELBY COBRA 427 SUPER SNAKE
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The multi-million dollar Shelby 427 Cobra

We all know one of the original Shelby 427 Cobra from the Sixties is a very expensive car to park in your garage, but how does $5,940,000 sound to you? A bit expensive? Perhaps, but the 1965 Shelby 427 Cobra Roadster that fetched this high bid at Mecum’s Kissimmee auction in January 2021 wasn’t a normal Cobra from the Sixties.

1965 Shelby 427 Cobra – Photo copyright Mecum Auctions

Chassis CSX3178 was in fact Carroll Shelby’s personal 427 Cobra, she was built in March 1966 and went directly to Carroll, and he kept onto this stunning dark grey metallic beauty (one of only five in this shade) for the rest of his life. The Mecum listing mentions “The Shelby American work order specifying ‘Build 427 Street Cobra CSX3178’ was opened on January 7, 1966, and closed on March 3, when it was shipped to Carroll Shelby’s Dallas home sporting a 427 with dual quads and a 4-speed Toploader transmission.”

1965 Shelby 427 Cobra – Photo copyright Mecum Auctions

But the car would change a lot over time, in 1972 Mike McCluskey restored the car, painted it in Guardsman Blue with a gold nose. Later the car was modified with an aluminum-head 427 side-oiler V8 coupled to an automatic gearbox, while in 2002 the car was again repainted, this time in bright red.

1965 Shelby 427 Cobra – Photo copyright Mecum Auctions

Legendary Motorcar Company got the task of performing a concourse level restoration after the car was sold from the Carroll Shelby estate in 2016, CSX3178 went back to wear her Charcoal painted dress, got the original 427 V8 engine back, including the four-speed transmission, just like she was finished back in March of 1966.

1965 Shelby 427 Cobra – Photo copyright Mecum Auctions

Carroll Shelby also owned chassis CSX2000, which was a small-block Cobra that changed hands recently for $14,000,000, but CSX3178 was the only car Carroll held onto until he passed away, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get a real piece of Shelby Cobra history, the new owner just had to spend almost $6,000,000 to be able to add her to his collection, I’m sure he will have several other interesting cars in his collection.

1965 Shelby 427 Cobra – Photo copyright Mecum Auctions
1965 Shelby 427 Cobra – Photo copyright Mecum Auctions
1965 Shelby 427 Cobra – Photo copyright Mecum Auctions
January 26, 2021 / Comments Off on The multi-million dollar Shelby 427 Cobra
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