Vehicle Description
1966 Shelby 427 Cobra For Sale - 1 of 15 Factory Black 427 Cobras
LMC is very proud to offer for sale this 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra.
While the 289s were cleaning up against the Ferraris, Shelby knew
Enzo would build something for the next season that would be built
to beat the Cobra. Shelby had to look ahead to the next season and
build something faster. The 289 Cobra could not be made any
lighter, so he decided to give the car a larger engine. The first
427 prototype was built on a stiffened 289 chassis, but the small
block's 20-year-old technology could not handle the massive power
coming from the new engine. The 427 featured a thick and larger
chassis and slightly modified body, but keeping the original 289
doors, windscreen, hood, and trunk lid. By the time the 427 came to
life, Ford already had a promising sports car to beat the Ferraris
and the GT40. Due to the use of this, the only 427 to ever race for
the team was the first prototype, CSX2196. Shelby made many
versions of the original CSX 427 Cobras, of which, only 316 were
built in total. There were 19 full Competition, 31 S/C models and
260 street cars built, of which, roughly 100 of them came with a
lower horsepower 428 engine as this was a way for Shelby to save
money. The remaining 160 came with the more powerful 427 engines.
The 427 Cobra is the ultimate successor to the 289 and "Anything
the 289 did poorly, the 427 did well; and anything the 289 did
well, the 427 did better". On August, 16, 1965 Shelby American was
billed by AC Cars for one 427 Cobra with factory Black paint and
interior. Shelby American received delivery of the Cobra in
December of 1965 and had the car finished ready for shipment by
February, 2, 1966. Jim Hopkins of Illinois became the first owner
after the car was air freighted into O'Hare airport. In 1967,
Hopkins moved to California where Shelby's Hi-Performance Motors
serviced the car during his ownership. By the late 1960's, Mike
Novik of Michigan became the next known owner of the 427. Novik
enjoyed the 427 for several years before he placed it for sale in
1973 with 12,000 actual miles, "perfect in every way". �Its third
owner, Gordon Walker, took advantage of the car and enjoyed
occasional autocross competition in the mid-'70s. Walker took the
car to a SOA convention and a Blackhawk farms event where he placed
1st in class on both occasions. Later it would be repainted silver
during that period and was sold to Phil Ramey in 1978. During his
ownership, Ramey drove the car cross-country at least twice, and
stopped in for the 4th and 6th SAAC convention. It wasn't till 1991
when the car would be restored back to its highly collectible
original factory black exterior. �After a few subsequent owners, 23
years later and the car remaining in the same general condition,
LMC was able to purchase this very special and unique cobra. Over
the past few years of ownership, LMC treated the car to a frame on
restoration, returning it to its original configuration with
attention to detail. Of the 260 big blocks, this is one of only 160
real 427 engine street Cobras and one of only 15 painted in the
most desirable color, black. This car retains its original body,
chassis and is a true icon of motoring history. With this
combination, this car is undoubtedly one of the most desirable
street 427 Cobras in the world. Legendary Motorcar has just
finished the restoration on this Cobra and has ensured the car
looks and feels the same way for its next owner, as it felt for its
original owner, over 50 years ago! Additional Details: 1966 SHELBY
427 COBRA -
