For Sale: 1965 Shelby Cobra Replica in Fredericksburg, Virginia

By the fact that you’re looking at Cobra ads you probably already know about the quality of a Factory Five build.  This vehicle was assembled in 2008 and is a true-to-form 1965 Cobra.   As the pictures show, it was purchased from Brown’s Performance Motorcars in Maryland in 2016. Starting with the exterior she has a beautiful deep cobalt blue finish, bright racing stripes and superbly worked chrome. Taken together with her (uncommon!) twin roll bars and distinctive huge front air intake the car is practically a neon sign calling for a closer look.  And it gets a lot of that.  DMV inspection-ready!

Underneath the high gloss looks this beast is solid muscle.  The engine was born as a 351 Windsor, then was bored and stroked to a true 427 cubic inches.  Several high performance components were added including aluminum heads, an Edelbrock intake, a Fast E-Z electronic fuel injection system with programmer, a five-speed manual transmission, tubular chassis, independent rear suspension, fuel-safe aircraft grade aluminum fuel cell, 4-wheel disc brakes with drilled and slotted rotors, 17” factory rims, and more.  Horsepower is in the 450 range. To give you an idea of what it sounds like when you turn the key, imagine a couple of classic Harleys firing up together.

Acceleration is well controlled with an experienced foot, and the self-adjusting electronic fuel injection keeps the engine’s thirst for fuel satisfied.  It’s worth saying that acceleration is a bottomless pit in any gear and stomping on it can easily break traction, so it must be driven wisely.

For minor mechanical tweaks a local Cobra specialist replaced valve cover gaskets, installed stronger exhaust header bolts and a smoother throttle linkage, and mounted a lower threshold thermostat with a better hose setup to keep the engine running cool.  The car runs at peak performance. 

In addition to the information shown above ClassicCars.com advised me to add more personal insights to my ad.  I'll show their suggested questions (in bold font) with my answers:

• "What made this vehicle special in its day?"  Answer: A Cobra was the hottest thing anyone could buy back then, and I turned 16 the year that this machine came out.  If only I'd had the dough...  (I'd probably be dead; good thing I didn't.)  Check the recent Brad Pitt movie, 'Ford v Ferrari' for another look at what defines, "special."
• "Name and explain any modifications or customizations."  Answer: Nothing added.  The original version that this car faithfully replicates had no power steering nor power brakes, or air conditioning or a radio.  All that was needed was a monster engine on a lightweight frame with racing wheels and a five-speed manual transmission, wrapped in a totally functional body.  This car isn't meant for comfy cross country road trips any more than a championship NFL wide receiver is meant for long walks on the beach.  It's meant to sprint, faster than anything around it.  Its simplicity is just like Carroll Shelby intended.
• "What is this vehicle's history, or story?  (How many owners? Where did you get it? What do you love about it? What do people notice first about it? Why are you selling it?)" Answer: In addition to the car's builders (and Brown's Performance Motorcars) she had one other owner who used her primarily for local show-and-tells and weekend jaunts (as its low mileage indicates).  "What do I love about it?"  'Admire' is a better word, the same way one admires a cheetah without necessarily loving it.  -It's all about what you appreciate.  "What do people notice about it?"  That's easy: immediate eye appeal comes from its classic American race car looks.

“Why sell?” At age 70 we've downsized into a retirement community and the car just isn’t a good fit for the neighborhood or our lifestyle any more.  I’ll be getting another muscle car but a less aggressive one with a roof, air conditioning, a radio, etc.  More creature comforts and less wild animal.