One Of Earliest Shelby Cobras Expected To Fetch $2.5 Million
Auctions
Jul 2023
An original and well-kept Mk1 Shelby 260 Cobra is looking for a new home but is expected to rake in as much as $2.5 million when it crosses the block at Gooding & Company's upcoming Pebble Beach Auction.
Only 75 examples of the Shelby 260 Cobra were built, including street-legal cars, factory team cars, independently prepared race cars, and a lone Dragonsnake edition. Of all those, 62 were street cars, of which this immaculate 5,200-mile example was one.
While not as special as Shelby's personal 427 Super Snake, this Cobra is one of the first few original ones in the US. The vehicle comes with Chassis Number CSX2034, which has less than 5,200 miles on the odometer, with some of those including testing by Car and Driver magazine, as this car was featured in the March 1963 edition.
The history of this specific Shelby Cobra dates back to October 1962. The chassis was billed to Shelby American and was shipped from England to New York. Shelby then invoiced Tasca Ford of East Providence, Rhode Island, for $4,995.
CSX2034 came with red exterior paint and black leather upholstery, which it retains today.
The vehicle features slab-sided aluminum bodywork, narrow fender flares, Wilmot-Breeden hood latches, and Shelby-AC-Cobra emblems. The interior has full Smiths instrumentation, wood-rimmed steering, and a shift knob sourced from Ford's parts bin.
Powering the vehicle is a Hi-Po 260-cubic-inch (4.3-liter) Ford V8 engine that delivers around 273 horsepower at 5,800 rpm. The engine is mated to a four-speed BorgWarner manual transmission.
While only a little more than half as powerful as the Coyote V8 engine in the Ford Mustang, one must remember how lightweight these roadsters were.
The current owner of CSX2034 preserved the vehicle in unrestored condition and has turned to Antique Auto Restoration in Seaside, California, for mechanical recommissioning. The owner wanted to return the car to reliable running without compromising the Shelby Cobra's original components.
This 1963 Shelby 260 Cobra has a price guide of $1,750,000-$2,500,000, and it will be up for auction alongside a 1912 Simplex 50 HP Toy Tonneau, 1930 Duesenberg Model J, among others. Gooding & Company is also auctioning a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB.
