Vehicle Description
1964 Shelby Cobra For Sale - One of The Most Original 289 Factory
Full Competition Cobras LMC is very proud to offer for sale this
1964 Shelby 289 Factory Competition Cobra The car offered here is
one of the rarest of all Cobras: a 'Factory-Prepared Full
Competition Car', Only 38 Factory 289 ci Competition Roadsters were
ever produced from 1962-1965 and have accounted for winning a
substantial number of races all over North America backing up their
reputation as a light, reliable, winning machine. Of those 38, only
approximately 20 Cobra roadsters had raced under the Team Shelby
American banner. This car was campaigned by "Gentlemen" racer Tom
Payne and raced as a Factory Team Car by Shelby American in many
events. The infamous Tom Payne of Ann Arbor, Michigan, first
started racing in 1954, when he first got behind the wheel of an
Arnolt-Bristol whilst in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, and Sebring. He then
later raced a Porsche RS61 stateside before trying his hand at
Formula Juniors. Interestingly, the ambitious young businessman
even tried his hand at politics on two occasions, running for
Congress in 1960 and 1962, which was a campaign that attracted John
F. Kennedy, who visited Michigan during a "whistle-stop" tour and
spoke on behalf of the young candidate. Over the next 8 years Payne
raced over a dozen different race cars in nearly 100 races before
co-driving a Shelby Cobra owned by an acquaintance Dan Gerber.
Payne first met Gerber at an SCCA race in Northern Michigan, where
he hopped out of his RS61 and into Gerber's Cobra, and from that
moment he was instantly smitten! Dan Gerber and Tom Payne's belief
in the Cobra's ability on the track was so strong that they decided
to become business partners selling Cobras in Michigan, becoming
Gerber-Payne Ford. Shelby American began work on Mr. Payne's Cobra,
building it into a factory-specification competition with its
equipment list including but, not limited to; hood scoop, chrome
roll bar, 6�-inch Halibrand front wheels (8�-inch at the rear),
flared wings, Koni shocks, front and rear sway bars, competition
brakes, quick-jack points, side pipes, dual long-range fuel tanks,
Monza snap-open fuel cap, racing seat, Sun tachometer, fuel-
pressure gauge, differential cooler, oil cooler, electric
Stewart-Warner fuel pump, and an aluminum Harrison header tank. Of
course, the soul of the roadster was a full race-specification
289ci V-8 that had Weber carburetors and 12:1 compression, which
could deliver about 400 horsepower. Once completed the car was
billed to Ford Motorcar Company and delivered to Detroit in late
July. Under the ownership and sponsorship of Ford, Payne campaigned
the car through the 1964-1965 seasons with many races as a Shelby
American Team entrant. Payne's debut race was at the Greenwood
raceway USRRC event, and his first victory came less than two weeks
later at Waterford Hills SCCA Divisional in August of 1964. The
season consisted of; Lyndale Farms, the extremely dangerous
Meadowdale USRRC finishing 3rd, Mid-Ohio USRRC finishing 3rd, Kent
Fields and Greenwood SCCA with a 1st overall in both events. Tom
finished off the season racing in the Nassau Bahamas Speed Weeks.
Payne had a remarkable 1964 season in America, in which, every race
that he completed resulted in a podium finish. Payne was able to
capture, three 1st place finishes throughout the season. Tom Payne
started off the 1965 season as a factory team driver racing the
famous Daytona Coupes at Daytona, Sebring and The 24 Hours of Le
Mans, the trifecta of endurance racing. The first event of the 1965
season for this Cobra was certainly Tom Payne's most notable race.
After showing up late in Canada for the 1965 Mont Tremblant Pepsi
Cola Trophy races, with no time to change into his racing clothes,
he piloted his car at breakneck speed whilst still donning the Glen
Plaid suit and necktie with which he had left work! He was known as
"Gentleman Tom" thereafter. After much success at Tremblant the
team travelled west to one of Motorsports most famous and
challenging tracks, Mosport. After a disappointing DNF at Mosport,
Payne headed back to Tremblant and scored a 1st place finish in
both the Saturday and Sunday events. Ray Cumo and Tom Yeager took
over the driving duties for the car at the next race at the Road
America 500 where they finished 5th in class. The car's next race
was back across the border, returning to Tremblant finishing 1st in
class for his fourth time of the season at the circuit. At the end
of the season, Payne and the crew headed back down to Nassau
searching for better results than the previous year. Payne finished
the first two preliminary races with 2nd and 3rd place finishes
but, could not compete in the final 56 lap Nassau Trophy Race due
to a fall in a warehouse nearby breaking his ribs. As a result, Bob
Grossman who was an avid Ferrari racer decided to swap seats moving
from his red Ferrari 250 GTO to the red Cobra for the final race.
After winning both of his races earlier in the weekend, Grossman
was sandwiched between a 250 GTO and 275 GTB/C Comp Speciale on the
starting grid, the mockingly red Cobra and its Ferrari pilot
managed to score a 1st in class and 5th overall beating out all the
Blood red Ferraris. After this Bob Grossman was bit by the snake,
sold his Ferrari 250 LM and purchased a full competition 427 Cobra
which he placed 1st in class at the 1966 Sebring 12 Hours. After
the 1965 season, Shelby American supplied Tom Payne with a full
competition 427 Cobra to race the following year. The car was then
sold off to John "Scotty" Addison who campaigned the car through
the 1966 season, kicking it off with the 12 Hours of Sebring
resulting in an impressive 3rd in class. Scotty kept the car's
winning reputation going through the 1966 season by winning at
least 4 events in class including the Road America Badger 200. By
1967, the Cobra was sold to Dan Schlames who competed in several
SCCA regional races in Michigan. Schlames placed the car for sale
in late 1979 and was sold to Ken Eber; a principle of the Shelby
American Automobile Club and astute Cobra collector. Eber then sold
the car to Rick Nagel of Dallas Texas who has owned some of the
most significant Shelby/Ford products including an original Daytona
Coupe. In 1984, Nagel restored the car to original condition and
entered it in the Texas Vintage Challenge with Carroll Shelby at
the wheel taking home 1st place after Shelby's long hiatus from his
past racing glory. In the summer of 1985 Steven Volk, founder of
the Shelby American Collection Museum purchased the car. Both
founder and Museum are renowned for owning the most sought after
289 Team Cobra on the planet and an original GT40 MKIV. Bill
Murray, one of the highest regarded Cobra restorers was selected to
restore the car to concours condition. Steven Volk displayed the
car for nearly 25 year at his museum surrounded by the most
significant collection of Cobras and GT40s that has been assembled.
Larry Bowman managed to pry the car loose from Volk in 2010. Bowman
also had a staggering collection of only the best historical and
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