1964 Shelby Cobra

1964 Shelby Cobra Roadster Even before he started racing professionally and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Carroll Shelby had a dream of building sports cars under his own name. In 1961, he got the news that AC Cars from England would stop production of their AC Ace model since the Bristol six cylinder engines weren't available anymore. True entrepreneur at heart, Shelby realized that the light and nimble British roadster could be a perfect match for a powerful American V8 engine. With some help from Ford Motor Company and a small team of mechanics, the first Shelby Cobra was introduced in 1962, and the rest, as they say, is of historic significance. For consignment, a 1964 Shelby Cobra roadster with 1,881 miles, but the true miles are unknown, however the car does have a well documented history. This is chassis number CSX2133, an authentic and registered Shelby Cobra and one of only about 100 that were built in 1964. As with most real Shelby Cobras, its whereabouts and ownership has been tracked since day one, in this case, May 20th, 1963. The car presents the rare opportunity to own perhaps the most coveted sports car in the history of automotives. Exterior In 1984, the car was repainted in Guardsman Blue. Notably, this is believed to be the first car to wear the final style small, round Cobra badges and there's one on the nose of the car as well as the decklid and both show appropriate patina. Tubular chrome bumpers bookend the car and when it was advertised for sale in 1970, it was the first mention of the chrome roll bar. Up front are 15x6.5-inch six spoke Halibrand wheels and in back, 15x7.5-inch GT40 Halibrand wheels tucked under the subtly flared fenders. A hood scoop, latches, and a racing fuel cap rise from the body while the windshield wears wind wings and visors. On the fenders, epic side vents are topped with the familiar Powered by Ford emblems which also shows fading and tabs run along the rear deck for the accessory hardtop which is black and comes with the car. The Cobra presents in unrestored condition and imperfections include various bubbles, chips, and scratches in the paint, the lower air intake fiberglass scoop is broken, and drip staining on rear fender. Interior The diminutive doors are kept light with just a leather pocket and cloth lining on the inside, opening up to black bomber seats that show patina including some small tears and wrinkling, all congruent with the outer condition. The AC branded wood rimmed steering wheel shows typical age and leads to the leather fronted dashboard housing Stewart Warner gauges in front and in a billiard style configuration in the center. A carpeted transmission tunnel is home to the stout shifter and provides the inner walls to the footwells where AC engraved pedals await the pilot's command while the passenger shares the space with the hand brake. The trunk is appropriately barren and presents in original condition. Drivetrain In the mid 70's, a blueprinted 289ci V8 was installed and rated at 271 horsepower, fueled by a Holley 4-barrel carburetor. Behind it is a Toploader 4-speed manual transmission that routed power to 3.77 gears in the rear axle. Finned Cobra stamped valve covers are on board. Undercarriage If you're thinking about restoring this car, drive it first as the underside presents in driver condition and no amount of dirt will hurt it. There's typical surface rust and even some residual oil, but everything is intact and otherwise solid. Dual exhaust runs from headers through Super Turbo mufflers and then the tailpipes turn east and west to exit out the sides. Suspension consists of transverse leaf springs on front and rear independent systems and disc brakes are found at all four corners. We also note that this is one of the rack and pinion cars. Drive-Ability It's not everyday you get to drive a legend, so we keep it pedestrian in this rare and valuable car, going just long enough to test functionality. Speed and handlin