Vehicle Description
1965 Factory Five Shelby Cobra Roadster
"The Cobras dominated Corvettes in North America, winning races
coast to coast. On July 4, 1965, the Cobra, (in roadster and coupe
form), won the World Manufacturers' GT Championship, as the team
soundly defeated Ferrari. Shelby American is the only American
vehicle manufacturer to win the prestigious championship, before or
since.". Thx Shelby.com. Fast forward 30 years and Factory Five was
founded and what started as a small, start up business has become
the world's largest manufacturer of component car kits.
For consignment, a 1965 Factory Five Shelby Cobra roadster showing
6,543 miles, but the true miles are unknown. This one takes the
Guardsman Blue and kicks it up a few notches with a unique hue from
House of Kolor and houses a 5.0 liter 302.
Exterior
HOK's blueish purple, a color we'll call Burple, covers the
muscular lines of the Cobra and are augmented by white stripes that
run from the bottom of the grille and all the way to the rear edge,
beyond the trunk. Signature chrome bumperette adorn the front,
connected to the polished grille surround and in back where they
accompany a tubular bumper. A robust chrome roll bar rises behind
the driver while polished side pipes hug the rockers. 15-inch Cobra
style wheels carry staggered size tires and polished side gills act
as heat extractors and attractive side ornamentation, while the
modest hood scoop looms aggressive over the curvaceous hood. The
paint and metal is fantastic on this widebody and we could not find
any glaring exterior flaws.
Interior
Untreated doors shine with the same glossiness of the exterior,
held in place with a stitched leather hinge strap. You'll be kept
in place on the black vinyl bomber seats with a Simpson four point
harness which will keep you, and the nice seats in place around
high G-force turns. You'll be holding the clean wood rimmed
steering wheel, staring the center Cobra logo in the eye, all while
keeping an eye on the myriad of clean, white faced AutoMeter gauges
placed neatly into the black padded dash. An AM/FM/CD radio is on
board if you get bored of the sweet exhaust notes and the forward
canted shifter rises cleanly from the center box, begging to shake
hands. Low pile black carpet nicely covers the floor and back wall
where speakers are mounted to each side of a Cobra emblem. The
trunk contains shiny aluminum panels riveted like the fuselage of
an airplane, appropriately enough.
Drivetrain
We flip that latches and open the hood to find a clean 5.0 liter V8
with a Trick Flow intake and fuel injection, tied to a Tremec
5-speed manual transmission. There's a Ford 8.8" rear and the
brakes are disc, front and rear.
Undercarriage
The tubular frame is clean and dry conditions prevail underneath
and a polished differential cover spruces things up even more.
Suspension is configured as coilovers in front and a 4 link with
coilovers in back. Headers are underneath briefly before heading
outward and leading into the side pipes.
Drive-Ability
It's a tough job but someone has to do it, namely take this car on
a test drive around a short loop to check functionality, and that
includes the throttle! But time is short and so is our track, and
we run it just long enough to experience a smooth running 5.0 with
crisp shifting, good power, and insane handling. This well
maintained garage queen checks all the boxes for functionality and
that includes lights, gauges, radio, brakes, and of course,
powertrain. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions
were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee
these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Cobra replicas like this one are always the star of the show. If
attention and questions from onlookers and red light neighbors
bother you, you probably stopped reading a long time ago. For those
who remain, you've obviously been bitten. There's only one antidote
for your affliction, and that's to buy this car. Strike quickly as
there may be other snake wranglers in the ring.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
