For Sale: 1964 Shelby Cobra in Morgantown, Pennsylvania

1964 Shelby Cobra Roadster

Even before he started racing professionally and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Carroll Shelby had a dream of building sports cars under his own name. In 1961, he got the news that AC Cars from England would stop production of their AC Ace model since the Bristol six cylinder engines weren't available anymore. True entrepreneur at heart, Shelby realized that the light and nimble British roadster could be a perfect match for a powerful American V8 engine. With some help from Ford Motor Company and a small team of mechanics, the first Shelby Cobra was introduced in 1962, and the rest, as they say, is of historic significance.

For consignment, a 1964 Shelby Cobra roadster with 1,881 miles, but the true miles are unknown, however the car does have a well documented history. This is chassis number CSX2133, an authentic and registered aluminum bodied Shelby Cobra and one of only about 100 that were built in 1964. As with most real Shelby Cobras, its whereabouts and ownership has been tracked since day one, in this case, May 20th, 1963. The car presents the rare opportunity to own perhaps the most coveted sports car in the history of automotives.

Exterior
In 1984, the car was repainted in Guardsman Blue. Notably, this is believed to be the first car to wear the final style small, round Cobra badges and there's one on the nose of the car as well as the decklid and both show appropriate patina. Tubular chrome bumpers bookend the car and when it was advertised for sale in 1970, it was the first mention of the chrome roll bar. Up front are 15x6.5-inch six spoke Halibrand wheels and in back, 15x7.5-inch GT40 Halibrand wheels tucked under the subtly flared fenders. A hood scoop, latches, and a racing fuel cap rise from the body while the windshield wears wind wings and visors. On the fenders, epic side vents are topped with the familiar Powered by Ford emblems which also shows fading and tabs run along the rear deck for the accessory hardtop which is black and comes with the car. The Cobra presents in unrestored condition and imperfections include various bubbles, chips, and scratches in the paint, the lower air intake fiberglass scoop is broken, and drip staining on rear fender.

Interior
The diminutive doors are kept light with just a leather pocket and cloth lining on the inside, opening up to black bomber seats that show patina including some small tears and wrinkling, all congruent with the outer condition. The AC branded wood rimmed steering wheel shows typical age and leads to the leather fronted dashboard housing Stewart Warner gauges in front and in a billiard style configuration in the center. A carpeted transmission tunnel is home to the stout shifter and provides the inner walls to the footwells where AC engraved pedals await the pilot's command while the passenger shares the space with the hand brake. The trunk is appropriately barren and presents in original condition.

Drivetrain
In the mid 70's, a blueprinted 289ci V8 was installed and rated at 271 horsepower, fueled by a Holley 4-barrel carburetor. Behind it is a Toploader 4-speed manual transmission that routed power to 3.77 gears in the rear axle. Finned Cobra stamped valve covers are on board.

Undercarriage
If you're thinking about restoring this car, drive it first as the underside presents in driver condition and no amount of dirt will hurt it. There's typical surface rust and even some residual oil, but everything is intact and otherwise solid. Dual exhaust runs from headers through Super Turbo mufflers and then the tailpipes turn east and west to exit out the sides. Suspension consists of transverse leaf springs on front and rear independent systems and disc brakes are found at all four corners. We also note that this is one of the rack and pinion cars.

Drive-Ability
It's not everyday you get to drive a legend, so we keep it pedestrian in this rare and valuable car, going just long enough to test functionality. Speed and handling are not a problem, nor is the auditory experience. But will the lights, brakes, and gauges function after all this time? Indeed they do and this snake is carefully wrangled back to the mall. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.

Classic Auto Mall has represented dozens of excellent Cobra replicas, but to have an original in our midst is like hosting the head of state. This car presents a rare opportunity to purchase an original and well documented small block Cobra roadster, and whether you keep it as is or restore it to concours level, it will always be a real deal Shelby Cobra from 1964.

Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.

With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!