Chassis No. CSX4501

Even before his professional racing career and his win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Carroll Shelby had a dream of building sports cars under his own name. But in the early 1960s, that dream seemed nearly impossible. Health problems forced him to stop racing, and his other business ventures didn't look promising. In 1961, however, he received news that the British AC Ace would be discontinued due to the unavailability of Bristol six-cylinder engines.

An entrepreneur at heart, Shelby realized that the light and nimble British roadster would be a perfect match for a powerful American V8, and he could realize his dream of becoming a constructor-not just a retired racing car driver. Shelby concluded, rightly, that there was no such thing as too much power, and within the decade he fitted 260, 289, 427, and 428 cu-in Ford V8s under the hood of the small British roadster, creating one of the most sought-after, collectible cars ever produced.

Ever the businessman, Shelby saw the limited supply of 1960s-built Cobras as an opportunity and created the CSX4000 series of Continuation Cobras. The idea behind cars is to continue where production left off, and to imagine what Shelby American could have done with modern materials and manufacturing processes had they been available in the 1960s. The answer, in the case of CSX4501, is a carbon fiber-bodied Shelby Cobra producing nearly 400 horsepower.

Delivered through a dealer in Plano, Texas, this SAAC-registered Continuation Cobra is finished in blue with dual silver racing stripes. The carbon-bodied Cobra joined The Driven Eclectic Collection based in Austin, Texas in 2012. The cockpit is optimized for comfortable yet spirited driving-just like the original CSX2000 series. The lightweight roadster is equipped with a black leather interior, a traditional wood-rimmed steering wheel, and Simpson-branded belts.

The appeal of Shelby's Cobra has always been the simplicity of his original idea: a lightweight and compact British roadster body, a powerful American V8, and a resulting driving experience with few concessions to convention. Continuation Cobra CSX4501 occupies its own place in the Cobra story, building on that essential character of the earliest CSX2000 series cars while introducing a carbon fiber body that offers an exciting opportunity to experience a thoroughly modern take on the timeless concept.