To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' The Petersen Automotive
Museum Auction event, 8 December 2018.
Estimate:
$850,000 - $950,000
- Accompanied by AC Cars Limited and Shelby American
invoices
- Original window sticker and original AC Cobra Chassis
Instruction Book in original envelope
- Features rack-and-pinion steering
- Restored to its original specifications
? Lots with this symbol indicate that RM Sotheby's owns the lot in
whole or in part or has an economic interest in the lot equivalent
to an ownership interest.
On 28 October 1963, AC Cars Limited invoiced Ford Motor Credit for
a Cobra body in White with Red trim, top, tonneau, and
rack-and-pinion steering. The body left the UK aboard the SS
Pacific Fortune, which set sail for the U.S. on 7 November 1963
destined for Los Angeles, California. Upon arrival in the States,
the Cobra was transported to Shelby American, Inc. in Venice.
There, the car received its Ford powertrain, which included a
271-hp, 289-cu. in. Hi-Po V-8 engine, a four-speed manual
transmission, and a Powr-Lok limited-slip differential. Shelby
American invoiced Pearson Ford in San Diego on 13 January 1964 for
a total of $5,525.20, less the $1,000 deposit. The window sticker
MSRP shows the "Cobra Sports Roadster" listed at $5,995 plus $391
worth of Group A factory-installed optional equipment and $64.50 in
Group B extras for a total initial investment of $6,747.50 with the
license and taxes.
CSX 2216 was originally purchased by Henry Hartwell Hester, an
award-winning mid-century architect and avid motorsports
enthusiast. Hester raced Formula 1 cars, enjoyed motorcycles, held
his pilot's license, and sailed with various yacht clubs. His
business card is even attached to the inside front cover of the
original AC Cobra Chassis Instruction Book. Below the card are
handwritten notes on his car's particulars. His recorded purchase
date is 21 September 1964 with the chassis and engine numbers
chronicled, as well. Mr. Hester also made notes on his choice of
service agent (Precision Motors of Beverly Hills), plus tire specs,
sources, and the Shelby factory information. His contact's names,
addresses, and phone numbers are all dutifully logged.
Mr. Hester placed the car for sale in the May 1965 issue of Road &
Track magazine, though the car did not sell. Hester then had the
car repainted in black in 1967. In 1969, Hester dropped CSX 2216
off at an Oldsmobile dealership in La Jolla for an oil change, only
to return and find out an employee had been involved in an
accident. With the damage repaired, Hester sold the Cobra in 1970
to James Gauthier of El Cajon, California.
Under Gauthier's ownership, CSX 2216 was modified for Solo I
competition, and he campaigned it for several years before selling
the Cobra to Ken Champion in 1982; it was noted at that time that a
new engine was fitted. Champion enjoyed the car before selling the
Cobra through Grand Prix Classics in the late 1980s to Investment
Motorsports of Illinois. Investment Motorsports commissioned a
rebuild back to original specifications, sending the Cobra to
Baurle's Autosport in Addison, Illinois. Gerald A Schwalbach of
Minneapolis, Minnesota, acquired the car in 1989.
Most recently, the Cobra benefitted from a restoration back to the
way it originally left the Shelby American facility. The
�slab-side' body was refinished in its original white and features
front and rear nerf bar bumpers, wind wings, and sun visors. The
car rides Michelin XWX tires which are mounted on chrome wire
wheels. Though a replacement, the Cobra is powered by an original
289-cu. in. K-code engine and fitted with stock exhaust. It retains
its original Borg Warner T-10 aluminum four-speed manual
transmission. The interior is completed in red leather and features
a wood-rimmed steering wheel with AC center cap, Stewart Warner
instrumentation, clock, dash-mounted rearview mirror, and bucket
seats with three-in. seatbelts. A tonneau cover and convertible top
with top irons provide weather protection. The Cobra retains its
original doors, hood latch, and trunk latch, each of which are
stamped correctly "2216."
CSX 2216 is accompanied by its original window sticker, Shelby
American invoice to the receiving dealer, and a certified copy of
the AC Cars Limited invoice to Ford Motor Credit for the account of
Shelby American and the original AC Cobra Chassis Instruction Book
in its original envelope.
With its early history catalogued in the SAAC registry, its recent
restoration to factory specifications, and the fact that it retains
its rare Shelby Cobra documentation, this is an excellent
opportunity to experience the thrill of a Cobra that is fully
dialed-in and ready to roll.To view this car and others currently
consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/ca18.
