To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Monterey event, 15 - 17
August 2019.
Estimate:
$825,000 - $900,000
- Accompanied by AC Cars Limited and Shelby American
invoices
- Documented with its original window sticker
- Includes original AC Cobra Chassis Instruction Book in original
envelope
- Features rack-and-pinion steering
- Restored to its original specifications
- A wonderfully sorted 289 Cobra
On 28 October 1963, AC Cars Limited invoiced Ford Motor Credit for
a Cobra body finished 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 power train, 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 motor sports
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-inch seat belts. 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 properly
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/mo19.