Very rare cobra rumored to be for sale


Red Rocket

GT Owner
Aug 31, 2006
410
Pacific North West
There were two of these 427 cars built; one for Caroll Shelby (CSX3015), the other for Bill Cosby (CSX 3303). They have two Paxton Superchargers on the motor; I believe the old Motor Trend article stated something about 650 HP or thereabouts. This one pictured at the link below was Carroll Shelby's personal car, which was sold, and now the current owner apparently is going to auction it at BJ.

http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p24/redrocket_photos/?sc=1&addtype=local

The other car was sold by Cosby and then wrecked in a fatal accident. According to my buddy Jeff, it was destroyed flying off the Pacific Coast Highway outside San Francisco. The mangled pieces were eventually taken to Brian Angliss at AC Cars, who fabricated a new frame and body. Current whereabouts are unknown (but we're working on it - any help out there?).

Anyway at risk of having other guys bidding against us if we decide to try for the car; I'd rather have one of "us" forum guys get it than somebody else.
 

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50 BMG

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2005
559
AZ
Car came with a 427 cammer as well.
 

Red Rocket

GT Owner
Aug 31, 2006
410
Pacific North West
Excellent info - thanks. I have the original car story lost in storage somewhere so I can't refer to it; someone out there probably has it in their magazine collection and may want to scan the article(s) on the cars for others to see. Quite an awesome car and a rare opportunity for a special piece of Shelby heritage.
 

Bobcobra

New member
May 30, 2006
4
Very rare cobra rumored for sale

There is also a very rare 2005 Ford GT for sale. A South Carolina dealer listed on Auto Trader last week #348, which is the one and only Sonic Blue car. Asking price was $1 million.
 

David Gencay

GT Owner
Apr 23, 2006
29
two cobras another point of interest

also both of the cobras your talking about were automatics.
 

centerpunch

ex-GT owner x2
Mark II Lifetime
Sep 16, 2005
952
OH/NC
Bill Cosby did a very funny comedy bit on his Cobra, the album is called "200 MPH."

It's available on CD or on iTunes.
 

SteveA

GT Owner/B.O.D
Mark IV Lifetime
Dec 13, 2005
3,694
Sandpoint Id
centerpunch said:
Bill Cosby did a very funny comedy bit on his Cobra, the album is called "200 MPH."

It's available on CD or on iTunes.


I have that on a 33. Still play it once in a while, timeless.
 

Kirby Vieira

GT Owner/B.o.D
Mark IV Lifetime
Sep 22, 2005
1,768
Atlanta
I believe this car was offered and maybe sold at an auction (christie's??) in NY City in 2005.
 

Red Rocket

GT Owner
Aug 31, 2006
410
Pacific North West
web search of the serial number turned this up - http://www.barrett-jackson.com/about/pressreleases/bj06_CarrollShelbyPersonalCobra.asp

800HP in 1966. Not too shabby.

Gotta love Google power.

another link - it was once black http://www.nvsaac.com/gallery/cobra4.htm
 
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RADGT

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Aug 31, 2006
858
Connecticut
I also think CSX3301 is up for auction @BJ. Car wasrestoredby HRE and shortly after was on the sale block, ebay a few times and at some other auctions as well. I had heard that some deals had fallen through and the seller was looking to get 850K or something. Will be interesting to see what finally happens at a no reserve auction.

Stu
 

Cracker

New member
Nov 12, 2006
2
50 BMG - It might have come with A SOHC motor but it's only a standard 427 now, according to the pics.
 

bitzman

Permanent Vacation
Oct 7, 2005
193
Is this the one owned by Harley Cluxton?

I thought I saw a blue 427 Cobra owned by Cluxton at Monterey HIstorics last summer in the pits but I don't remember it having this hood.
I also read one time that an astronaut owned a 427 Cobra with an automatic but that must have not been one of the twin Paxton cars.
Here's an interesting story: one of the owners of one of the twin Paxton cars for awhile was a guy named Jimmy Webb who wrote the song "by the Time I get to Phoenix." It was a best seller andhe bought lots of cars. I dropped by his house one time when he was loading up some of his cars (including a Jag XK-SS) to light out for Canada because the IRS wanted to glom onto his stuff. He hid the Cobra up in the SF valley and it took the IRS years to find it (who knows who they tortured..)when they did they put it up for sale in a full page ad in Hemmings. I couldn't believe it but there it was (if anybody saved the ad, let me know please). I don't know what it sold for. Every time I hear that song, I remember ol' Jimmy.....
 

Red Rocket

GT Owner
Aug 31, 2006
410
Pacific North West
Yes, I believe Mr. Cluxton has it now, as covered in the B-J news release linked above. He also owns GT #1075, the most famous of all. That's one fella I have to meet someday.
 

Blue Moose

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Apr 12, 2006
1,139
Chandler,Arizona.
Bobcobra said:
There is also a very rare 2005 Ford GT for sale. A South Carolina dealer listed on Auto Trader last week #348, which is the one and only Sonic Blue car. Asking price was $1 million.
Could not find it. Could you post a link? I would like to read more about that one. Thanks.
 

cobrajeff

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Feb 5, 2006
688
Daytona Beach
Twin-Paxton Cobra

Cosby's "200MPH" skit is one of the funniest routines ever.....

10170cosby3.JPG


Both Shelby's car (CSX3015) and Cosby's car (CSX3303) were painted blue, had 427 SO (NOT 427 SOHC engines, and Lincoln automatic transmissions. Contrary to popular belief there were NO original 427 Cobras ever built with a 427 SOHC (Single-OverHead-Camshaft) engine. There have been a handful over the years that were fitted with a 427 SOHC by their owners.

Here's what the standard 427 looks like in Shelby's car with the twin Paxton set-up:

10170saac26_6.jpg


(this shot was taken a few years ago when the car was black)

and here is what a 427 SOHC "Cammer" engine looks like in an original Cobra:

10170gette9.jpg


Note how much wider the engine is, and how the spark plugs go in at the top of the valve covers, instead of below them.

Mr. Cluxton has very good taste in automobiles - in addition to Shelby's old Cobra and an original Ford GT40, he also owns a new Ford GT - the first Heritage car delivered to the public.

regards,

cobrajeff
 

Red Rocket

GT Owner
Aug 31, 2006
410
Pacific North West
Thanks for the detail Jeff. Any guesses on what the supersnake might go for (assuming reasonable sanity)?

Here is another site which has old restoration pictures of the car and good story, to help others doing their due diligence, or those int'd in all things cobra:

http://www.wurthitdesigns.com/cobrastory.htm
 
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cobrajeff

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Feb 5, 2006
688
Daytona Beach
Shelby's 427 "SuperSnake"

Red Rocket -

Difficult to predict - plain old "street" 427's are going for $400k-$600k these days; original S/C (Semi/Competition) models are trading in the $600-$800k range. My guess would be somewhere close to $1 million - certainly very rare - one of only two ever built, and the only surviving one. On the negative side, the automatic will turn-off a lot of guys, and the car is too rare and valuable to enjoy as a "driver".

I'll be there at B-J in January to check it out, first-hand. Looking forward to watching it and the first GTX1 go on the block. Should be very interesting.

regards,

cobrajeff
 

leon

GT Owner
May 29, 2006
59
Hilton Head Island, SC
I believe that blue car is owned by O.C. Welch, F-L-M dealer in Hilton Head Island, SC. He has about 5 GT 's but for some strange reason won't sell any. He is not a collector, thinks he is going to make a killing on those units. Also has some mustang 500gt in stock but won't sell them either.
 

B O N Y

MODERATOR & FGT OWNER
Mark IV Lifetime
Sep 5, 2005
12,110
Fresno, Ca.
cobrajeff said:
Red Rocket -

Difficult to predict - plain old "street" 427's are going for $400k-$600k these days; original S/C (Semi/Competition) models are trading in the $600-$800k range. My guess would be somewhere close to $1 million - certainly very rare - one of only two ever built, and the only surviving one. On the negative side, the automatic will turn-off a lot of guys, and the car is too rare and valuable to enjoy as a "driver".

I'll be there at B-J in January to check it out, first-hand. Looking forward to watching it and the first GTX1 go on the block. Should be very interesting.

regards,

cobrajeff


Hey Jeff,
First, better clean up those shelves in your garage, your loosing control :biggrin I will post in a couple of weeks a thread to see if we can organize a dinner during Barrett Jackson-Russo and Steele week. Hard to do as the auction runs into the evening, but I am will to wack away at it.
Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for keep the Shelby history honest.
Cheers,
daniel
 

ChipBeck

GT Owner
Staff member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 13, 2006
5,773
Scottsdale, Arizona
Red Rocket said:
Yes, I believe Mr. Cluxton has it now, as covered in the B-J news release linked above. He also owns GT #1075, the most famous of all. That's one fella I have to meet someday.

Greetings Red,
Harley Cluxton sold #1075 years ago but the car is still here in Scottsdale. His son attended a GT tech day at PhxGT's home some months back. We discussed having a dinner and taking photos of our cars with 1075 and 1074 which is here as well. Get out here during B-J and meet him then. As there will be many GT owners at B-J we should have a mini Rally. Thoughts??

Chip