In the late 1990s, Carroll Shelby launched the CSX 4000 series, intended as a continuation of his own Cobra 427 model of the 1960s. In many ways it was the same as the original, but it incorporated numerous technical advancements in assembly processes and materials learned over the last half century—including a reinforced steel chassis, the use of better alloys, improved engine cooling, and more insulation for the passenger compartment, suiting the needs of modern drivers. Examples had varying bodywork and drivetrain configurations depending upon the whims of their original owners.
Shelby celebrated the 427’s 50th anniversary with an equal number of special CSX 4000 cars, numbered between CSX 4550 and CSX 4599. Each featured a powder-coated frame, custom gauges, and an interior outfitted with more premium materials, and was equipped with unique badging and logos throughout.
The Cobra 427 S/C 50th Anniversary Edition offered here was the 17th built and was very desirably specified with Kirkham’s beautifully finished bare polished aluminum body with brushed stripes, as well as a leather interior, heater/defroster, 15-inch wood steering wheel, and Shelby gauges. It was set up with transmission mounts for a Tremec five-speed transmission, the standard 3.54:1 rear differential, steel side exhaust and headers, Shelby coil-over suspension and Shelby Wilwood racing brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, 28-gallon fuel tank, and original-style aluminum 15-inch wheels with winged knock-offs. The Carroll Shelby Engine Company then supplied an aluminum 427 FE engine, displacing 468 cubic inches, capable of producing 550 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 580 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm.
Presented in excellent overall condition with scarcely any use, having recorded just 379 actual miles at the time of cataloguing, this utterly stunning Cobra boasts extraordinary performance and muscular beauty. Carroll Shelby would have had it no other way.
