For Sale at Auction: 1964 Shelby 289 Cobra in Carmel, California

Chassis No. CSX2370
Engine No. 4180
Transmission Date Code 9-26-63
Rear Axle No. A64-227

Few sports cars express Carroll Shelby's philosophy more clearly than the Cobra. After winning Le Mans in 1959 and retiring from competition the following year, Shelby set out to combine the light weight and agility of a European sports car with the power and dependability of an American V-8. AC Cars' proven Ace chassis provided the foundation, Ford supplied its new small-block engine, and Shelby American brought the two together in Los Angeles. The result was one of the defining performance cars of the 1960s.

Transforming the Ace into a Cobra required far more than simply installing a V-8. The chassis was strengthened, the suspension stiffened, the wheels and tires widened, and the driveline upgraded to cope with the additional power. The first 75 production cars were fitted with Ford's 260-cubic-inch engine, but Shelby soon adopted the more powerful 289 for 1963. Later examples also benefited from rack-and-pinion steering and other refinements, creating a faster, more developed road car without losing the competition-bred character that made the Cobra so successful. The formula worked, both on the road and in competition, with the Cobra capturing the 1963 SCCA National Sports Car Championship and establishing Shelby American as a serious force in sports car racing.

According to its entry in the Shelby American Automobile Club Registry, chassis CSX2370 was invoiced to Shelby American on 13 June 1964. One week later, it left AC Cars in Thames Ditton aboard the SS Loch Avon, bound for Los Angeles. After completion by Shelby American, the Cobra was transported to Woody Sander Ford in Cincinnati, Ohio, carrying a total sticker price of $5,789.55.

In August 1965, CSX2370 was traded to Marshal Motor Company and purchased by its first owner, Martha Agard of Mentor, Ohio. A warranty claim filed the following month for a faulty fuel-sender unit recorded approximately 2,400 miles, indicating that the Cobra had been enthusiastically enjoyed from the outset.

By 1969, the car had been repainted blue and was acquired by Edward Q. Miller of Lakewood, Ohio. Miller retained CSX2370 for the next 28 years, using it sparingly before selling it in 1997 to Lisa DeMilta of Willoughby, Ohio.

DeMilta then commissioned Legendary Motorcar Company to carry out a meticulous ground-up restoration to concours street specifications. The work is extensively documented by more than 100 photographs, including images of the car before disassembly, in bare metal, during assembly, and following completion. The photographs also record minor historic damage to one front fender prior to restoration.

Following completion of the restoration, CSX2370 was purchased in 1999 by John Schumman of Vero Beach, Florida, bringing to an end 35 years of documented Ohio ownership. It subsequently formed part of a collection of important sports cars for the next 27 years and was rarely used. More recently, the Cobra has been carefully freshened and prepared for its next owner. It is accompanied by the 1965 Manufacturer's Statement of Origin, copies of period letters, and copies of the original purchase and order paperwork from both Shelby American and AC Cars Limited.

Today, CSX2370 stands as a particularly appealing late-production 289 road Cobra. Finished in Princess Blue over black, it retains its original body and chassis, original numbers-matching engine, transmission, and rear end, together with the original numbered components and factory markings collectors hope to find. With only five private owners from new, long-term collection history, a fully photo-documented restoration, and unusually strong component originality, CSX2370 is the kind of 289 Cobra that checks every box.