Vehicle Description
1964 Shelby 289 Factory Comp. Cobra For Sale- Raced As A Factory
Team Car By Shelby LMC is very proud to offer for sale this 1964
Shelby 289 Factory Competition Cobra The car offered here is one of
the rarest of all Cobras: a 'Factory-Prepared Full Competition
Car', the latter being the designation of cars prepared to
full-race specification by Shelby. Only 38 Factory 289ci
Competition Roadsters were ever produced from 1962-1965 and have
accounted for winning a substantial number of races all over North
America backing up their reputation as a light, reliable, winning
machine. Of those 38, only 24 Cobra roadsters had raced under the
Team Shelby American banner. This car was campaigned by "Gentlemen"
racer Tom Payne and raced as a factory team car by Shelby American
in many events. The infamous Tom Payne of Ann Arbor, Michigan,
first started racing in 1954, when he first got behind the wheel of
an Arnolt-Bristol whilst in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, and Sebring. He then
later raced a Porsche RS61 stateside before trying his hand at
Formula Juniors. Interestingly, the ambitious young businessman
even tried his hand at politics on two occasions, running for
Congress in 1960 and 1962, which was a campaign that attracted John
F. Kennedy, who visited Michigan during a "whistle-stop" tour and
spoke on behalf of the young Democratic candidate. Over the next 8
years Payne raced over a dozen different race cars in nearly 100
races before co-driving a Shelby Cobra owned by an acquaintance Dan
Gerber. Payne first met Gerber at an SCCA race in Northern
Michigan, where he hopped out of his RS61 and into Gerber's Cobra,
and from that moment he was instantly smitten! Jacques Passino,
vice president of Ford's Special Vehicle Division approved the
build of the 1964 Competition Cobra for Tom Payne, Shelby American
began work right away on the car with theunderstanding that it
would remain the property of Ford. The Factory built the Cobra it
into a factory-specification competition car with its equipment
list including but, not limited to; hood scoop, chrome roll bar,
6�-inch Halibrand front wheels (8�-inch at the rear), flared wings,
Koni shocks, front and rear sway bars, competition brakes,
quick-jack points, side pipes, dual long-range fuel tanks, Monza
snap-open fuel cap, racing seat, Sun tachometer, fuel- pressure
gauge, differential cooler, oil cooler, electric Stewart-Warner
fuel pump, and an aluminum Harrison header tank. Of course, the
soul of the roadster was a full race-specification 289ci V-8 that
had Weber carburetors and 12:1 compression, which could deliver
about 400 horsepower. Once completed the car was billed to Ford
Motorcar Company and delivered to Detroit in late July. Under the
ownership and sponsorship of Ford, Payne campaigned the car through
the 1964-1965 seasons with many races as a Shelby American Team
entrant. Payne's debut race was at the Greenwood raceway USRRC
event, and his first victory came less than two weeks later at
Waterford Hills SCCA Divisional in August of 1964. The season
consisted of; Lyndale Farms, the extremely dangerous Meadowdale
USRRC finishing 3rd, Mid-Ohio USRRC finishing 3rd, Kent Fields and
Greenwood SCCA with a 1st overall in both events. Tom finished off
the season racing in the Nassau Bahamas Speed Weeks. Payne had a
remarkable 1964 season in America, in which, every race that he
completed resulted in a podium finish. Payne was able to capture,
three 1st place finishes throughout the season. Tom Payne started
off the 1965 season as a factory team driver racing the famous
Daytona Coupes at Daytona, Sebring and The 24 Hours of LeMans, the
trifecta of endurance racing. The first event of the 1965 season
for this Cobra was certainly Tom Payne's most notable race. After
showing up late in Canada for the 1965 Mont Tremblant Pepsi Cola
Trophy races, with no time to change into his racing clothes, he
piloted his car at breakneck speed whilst still donning the Glen
Plaid suit and necktie with which he had left work! He was known as
"Gentleman Tom" thereafter. After much success at Tremblant the
team travelled west to one of Motorsports most famous and
challenging tracks, Mosport. After a disappointing DNF at Mosport,
Payne headed back to Tremblant and scored a 1st place finish in
both the Saturday and Sunday events. Ray Cumo and Tom Yeager took
over the driving duties for the car at the next race at the Road
America 500 where they finished 5th in class. The car's next race
was back across the border, returning to Tremblant finishing 1st in
class for his fourth time of the season at the circuit. At the end
of the season, Payne and the crew headed back down to Nassau
searching for better results than the previous year. Payne finished
the first two preliminary races with 2nd and 3rd place finishes
but, could not compete in the final 56 lap Nassau Trophy Race due
to a fall in a warehouse nearby breaking his ribs. As a result, Bob
Grossman who was an avid Ferrari racer decided to swap seats moving
from his red Ferrari 250 GTO to the red Cobra for the final race.
After winning both of his races earlier in the weekend, Grossman
was sandwiched between a 250 GTO and 275 GTB/C Comp Speciale on the
starting grid, the mockingly red Cobra and its Ferrari pilot
managed to score a 1st in class and 5th overall beating out all the
Blood red Ferraris. After this Bob Grossman was bit by the snake,
sold his Ferrari 250 LM and purchased a full competition 427 Cobra
which he placed 1st in class at the 1966 Sebring 12 Hours. After
the 1965 season, Shelby American supplied Tom Payne with a full
competition 427 Cobra to race the following year. The car was then
sold off to John "Scotty" Addison who campaigned the car through
the 1966 season, kicking it off with the 12 Hours of Sebring
resulting in an impressive 3rd in class. Scotty kept the car's
winning reputation going through the 1966 season by winning at
least 4 events in class including the Road America Badger 200.
