Vehicle Description
Chassis, number CSX 2421 was, according to the SAAC World Registry,
shipped to Los Angeles aboard the SS Dintledyk, and it was invoiced
on November 6, 1964, to Jerry Watson Ford, of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
That invoice was then voided, and the car returned to Los Angeles,
for sale by Carroll Shelby's own dealership, Hi-Performance Motors,
from which it soon sold.
From 1965 to 1973 not much is known about this car's whereabouts
but the Cobra made its way to Pennsylvania, into the hands of its
first documented owners, Bill and Kathy Armstrong. The Armstrongs
had moved up to Pennsylvania after finishing their stint at Fort
Bragg here in North Carolina. They enjoyed showing their Cobra in
various Eastern and Midwestern events, even winning an award at the
New Hope Auto Show in 1977 (INSERT picture) and taking the Best
Cobra award at the first annual SAAC meet in Brown County, Indiana,
in 1978.
In 1978 Mr. Armstrong was once again called upon to serve his
country abroad for several years. His wife Kathy accompanied him,
and they put their cars into storage, where they apparently
intended to retrieve them upon their return in the 1980s. For
reasons unknown at the time (must have been kids!), that never
happened. The Cobra just sat for many years until about 1990.
Enter Gary "Bubba" Carter into the story. Bubba answered a
newspaper ad for the car, called Eddie O'Brian, inspected it, and
bought it.
After purchasing the car Bubba shipped it Eddie in Colorado for a
thorough inspection and a light refreshing. They went further. The
car was stripped to the bare metal revealing only a slight bump on
the lower front nose. The car, with that paint and interior that
was renewed for Bubba in the 1990s, was said to have survived in
"remarkably fine condition" in RM's Amelia Island catalog in 2014.
An inspection of the body and chassis reveals no evidence of the
car having ever been damaged or undergone significant repairs.
To ensure that the body and chassis remained in such fine
condition, the car was send to Colour restorations to be refreshed
under the watchful eye of Glenn Watts. Glenn worked under renowned
Cobra restorer Bill Murray for more than 20 years and is simply one
of the best. The current owner reports that much of the trim and
hardware present on the car is original, and each piece still bears
the correct 2421 number. In addition, this Shelby is still equipped
with its original, charmingly yellowed Stewart-Warner gauges, with
the odometer reading 41,000 miles. When the car was restored, a new
top and side curtain assembly was made but its original top and
side curtains also remain with the car.
For decades, since the beginning of the Cobra's status as a true
"collectible," CSX 2421 has been sought by many and acquired by so
few. Today, it is offered as one of the very few remaining Cobras,
expertly refinished with the great attention to retain its original
numbered pieces. Its truly the best offered, both in condition and
provenance, and it is ready to live the next chapter of its life
for an owner who may drive it, show it, and enjoy it as Carroll
Shelby intend.
