Vehicle Description
Carroll Shelby is one of the most celebrated, controversial, and
iconic characters in American motoring. On the surface, he played
the role of the down-home, laid-back Texas chicken farmer, but in
reality, he was a hyper-focused racer with a keen sense of
engineering and a shrewd, often ruthless businessman. Following his
forced retirement from racing due to a heart condition, he set
about creating a proper sports car Americans could be proud of. His
inspiration came from Sydney Allard's British-engineered,
American-powered sports cars, and Shelby felt a modern equivalent
could clean up on the race track and in the showroom. Using the
superbly balanced AC Ace as his basis, Shelby set about finding a
suitable power plant to replace the pre-war derived AC and Bristol
engines. He approached GM but was quickly rebuffed to avoid
conflict with the Corvette. Ford, however, was all-ears to the
concept. The new lightweight "Challenger" small block V8 had just
been introduced, and the new head of passenger cars, Lee Iacocca,
was eager to erase Ford's stodgy image and add a halo sports car to
the line. Shelby struck a deal and the rest, as they say, is
history - except it was hardly that simple. A considerable amount
of engineering work on behalf of Shelby and AC Cars went in to
properly develop and strengthen the John Tojiero-designed chassis
to handle what was, in essence, double the output of the original
AC six. When Dave MacDonald obliterated a field of Corvettes,
Jaguars, and Porsches to give the new car its first racing victory
at Riverside Raceway, the Cobra legend was cast. Soon, American
sports car enthusiasts were scrambling to get their hands on this
pretty little Anglo-American hybrid. Seemingly overnight, the
Shelby Cobra - and the man who created it - were legends. This
stunning Shelby 289 roadster is one of just 50 examples produced by
Shelby American to honor the golden anniversary of the iconic
original "slab-side" Cobra. This collector-owned Cobra is offered
in superb condition, with just over 1,100 miles on the odometer.
Each of the 50th Anniversary cars came in the same shade of Shelby
Black over a wine red leather interior and was equipped with chrome
wire wheels, chrome bumpers, and unique badging. As a testament to
the Cobra's interminable popularity with collectors and enthusiasts
worldwide, when Shelby announced the car in 2011, all 50
Anniversary models were spoken for within 48 hours. The anniversary
editions bore official CSX serial numbers 8950-8999, and this car,
CSX 8971, is officially the 22nd off the line. Significantly, CSX
8971 is a genuine, official Shelby American, Inc. Cobra recognized
in the Shelby American World Registry. The form is a direct
descendent of the original '62 design, with the slab-sided body and
subtle wheel arch extensions that preserve the purity and beauty of
the original AC Ace. On the technical side, the factory made a few
welcome improvements to the original chassis design, including a
more robust steel tube frame, modern dampers, rack-and-pinon
steering, powerful four-wheel disc brakes, improved cooling, and a
high-quality, lightweight fiberglass body. The paint quality and
detailing are superb on this car, which has lived a quiet life as
part of a world-class collection of important sports cars and
presents in impeccable condition. The Cobra's tubular frame
supports a Ford 289 cubic-inch V-8 engine and five-speed manual
transmission, feeding a Shelby-made aluminum-housing differential
and Spicer split-spline half-shafts. The 289 is dressed with finned
Shelby valve covers and a chrome pancake air cleaner with unique
Anniversary decals. The engine bay is immaculate and appears
like-new, reflective of this car's low mileage and meticulous care.
It runs beautifully and emits an addictive note from the dual
exhaust. Judged on the sound alone, one would be forgiven for
mistaking it for a big-block sibling. Shelby spared no expense on
trimming the 50th Anniversary cars to a high standard, using
beautiful red leather on the seats and door pockets and matching
wool carpet and red vinyl dash covering. Stewart-Warner
instruments, original-style switchgear, tinted Perspex visors, and
a wood-rimmed alloy steering wheel preserve the authentic,
period-correct appearance. Other special touches include 50th
Anniversary floor mats, Simpson lap belts, numbered dash plaque,
and anniversary steering wheel emblem. A full canvas top and side
curtain set is included for those not bothered by a bit of weather.
Collector-owned from day one and showing only 1,100 miles on the
odometer, this gorgeous 'slab-side' 289 Cobra is virtually new and
presents a rare opportunity to add one a coveted
limited-production, genuine Shelby American Cobras to your stable.
Offers welcome and trades considered For additional details please
view this listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7105-1962-shelby-cobra-50th-anniversary-roadster/
