Vehicle Description
From day one, racing played a vital role in the Shelby Cobra's
development. The small-block Shelby Cobra (AC Cobra in the UK) was
an instant sensation on the street and the race track, with the
agile little roadsters handily showing the new Corvette Stingray a
clean pair of heels in SCCA competition. By the mid-1960s, Shelby
was racing the Cobra roadster and special-bodied Daytona Coupe on
the world stage, taking on the might of Ferrari in the GT class and
coming out on top for the 1965 season. All along, however, the
quest for more power weighed heavily on the minds of Carroll Shelby
and his right-hand man, Ken Miles. By 1963/1964, the 289 was at the
peak of its development, maxing out at 385 reliable horsepower and
stay at the sharp end of the field, they knew the Cobra needed a
lot more grunt. Following an uncharacteristic embarrassment at the
hands of the Grand Sport Corvettes during the 1963 Nassau Speed
Week, Ken Miles retreated to the drawing board. A past drive in a
427-powered NASCAR Galaxie left a deep impression on Miles, and he
felt the big-block would be the perfect fit for the lightweight
Cobra. A hastily built prototype using 289 suspension was tested at
Sebring, and despite woeful handling, it proved to be blisteringly
fast in a straight line. Its performance was enough to convince
Shelby, Miles, and Ford that the 427 would power the next
generation Cobra. A great deal of development followed as the Cobra
chassis was wholly reworked to handle the additional weight and
power of the big Ford V8. Ford offered the services of its chassis
engineers to assist Miles, with the only restriction being the
90-inch wheelbase which formed the basis for all of AC's body jigs.
Chassis tube diameter increased to 4-inches, and the antiquated
leaf-spring arrangement tossed out in favor of an all-new fully
adjustable coil-spring setup at all four corners. The body was
heavily reworked with dramatic flared wheel arches to accommodate
the fat rubber required to put the power to the ground. With the
new chassis, the 427 Cobra delivered handling that rivaled the
small block 289, coupled with astonishing straight-line
performance. For decades to come, few cars could touch the 427
Cobra for its near-mythical performance. Even today, the 427 Cobra
counts among the greatest sports cars ever built, and they enjoy
permanent standing as true automotive icons. Our featured Cobra is
CSX 3341, one of only 343 genuine coil-spring, big-block Cobras
produced. A very late production example, this car is among the
last 20 cars built by Shelby, and it presents in stunning
condition, with a recently-completed restoration by noted Cobra
expert Mike McCluskey. The history of this particular chassis is
well-documented by the Shelby American Automobile Club. It was sold
new to Richard Darnell of South Bend, Indiana by Romy Hammes Ford
(also of South Bend) in July of 1967. SAAC registry information
lists the original color as Rangoon Red over a black interior, and
equipped with a 427 engine with dual-quad intake. After just one
year and 1900 miles, Darnell listed the car for sale. A series of
owners followed, with documents noting its appearance at the 2nd
annual SAAC convention held in Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1977.
There, it was recorded to show 30,000 miles, fitted with sunburst
wheels, under-car exhaust exiting ahead of the rear wheels, and
dark jade green paintwork. By the mid-1980s, it reappeared finished
in Rangoon Red and with a correct-type replacement 427 engine built
by noted Ford guru Jack Roush. In the early 1990s, it had passed
through the hands of Mike McCluskey for the first time, where it
received several updates including side exhaust, S/C wheel arch
lips, and a hood scoop. Eric Bernhard of Entropy Racing installed a
factory style 3-point roll bar and updated the suspension and
brakes for vintage racing. At that point, the car was repainted in
Viking Blue with white stripes. In this configuration, the car
raced extensively on the West Coast, appearing multiple times at
the Monterey Historics and the Wine Country Classic at Sonoma
Raceway throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The current owner
acquired the car from Gary Hunter in approximately 2011. In 2016 he
commissioned Mike McCluskey to perform a complete, concours quality
restoration and return the car to street specification. Still
appearing very fresh, CSX 3341 is an absolutely exquisite example.
Mr. McCluskey noted that while some minor chassis tubes were
replaced over time, neither body nor chassis showed evidence of
crash damage or severe corrosion. His team took great care to
preserve the originality while returning the car to its factory
street spec. It now presents in absolutely gorgeous condition, with
correct under-car exhaust, proper street-spec wide-hip wheel
arches, and no roll bar. The dark midnight blue paintwork and
unadorned street trim accentuate the beautiful lines, and the
quality of the finish is outstanding, with impeccable panel fit and
detailing. Like the exterior bodywork, the inner panels are
restored to exacting standards, with new foot boxes, inner trunk
panels, and fender wells all appearing correct and beautifully
finished. The process of the restoration is well-documented in a
series of photographs. Purposeful and straightforward, the two-seat
cockpit is all about the business of handling the mighty 427 with
no distractions. Once aboard, the seats are quite comfortable, and
the controls fall easily to hand. The soft trim consists of
period-correct leather, vinyl, and carpet, all in black as
original. Smiths instruments are fully restored, and the wheel and
shift lever are proper 427 items. Like the body, the interior
restoration is impeccably detailed and executed to a very high
standard. Under the bonnet sits the heart and soul of the Cobra
legend - Ford's mighty 427 cubic inch V8. Like the rest of the car,
the engine is highly detailed, with an authentic presentation. As
part of the restoration, the engine was stripped down, sonic
checked, and completely rebuilt with a balanced rotating assembly.
Fed by a single 4-bbl carburetor, it runs strong and delivers the
kind of breathtaking performance one expects from a big-block
Cobra. Information from both the restorer and The Cobra Registry
points to CSX 3341 being a cherished car for its entire life.
Evidence shows it was never wrecked, neglected or cut up, and the
few modifications it did receive to go racing were done so without
sacrificing the car's highly original character. Now fresh from a
world-class restoration and equally suited to concours and road
events, CSX 3341 will surely impress the most discerning
enthusiast.
