Chassis No. CSX 4170

"My name's Carroll Shelby and performance is my business."

- Carroll Shelby, 1963

Chicken farmer, Army Air Corps pilot, 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, car constructor, race team owner, entrepreneur, and above all else businessman: Carroll Shelby wore many hats in life, among those his famous black Stetson, but he is most celebrated for the cars that bear his name. The most famous is, of course, the Shelby Cobra. In 1962, Shelby founded Shelby American, Inc. and immediately merged the aluminum body from the AC Ace with Ford's 260 cu-in V8 engine. The result was a marriage of British lightweight engineering and American power, creating an all-time automotive performance icon - the Shelby Cobra. In the quest for more power and racing homologation, Shelby utilized Ford's 427 cu-in engine in 1965 creating the Shelby 427 Cobra. It was more than just an engine swap; the new 427 Cobra received a larger diameter and wider tube chassis, wider body, wider wheels and tires, and redesigned coil spring suspension among many other performance modifications. Shelby ceased production of the Cobra in 1967 and other cars followed, but his Cobra remained THE product most associated with the man.

With values rising for all Cobras over the next few decades, Shelby's Cobra quickly became the most replicated motor car in history, with some recreations being remarkably true to form, while others were and continue to be far from period correct. Wearing his executive hat, in 1997 Shelby returned to his creation from decades earlier and formed Shelby Automobiles, Inc. to produce the first group of continuation Cobras with aluminum and fiberglass bodies. These continuation Cobras, based on the original 1965 Cobra 427 S/C, wore serial numbers in the CSX 4000 range, following the CSX 2000 and CSX 3000 numbers given to the Cobras built in the 1960s.

This 1965 Shelby 427 Cobra S/C, CSX 4170, a first series continuation car, was built in the year 2000 with an optional hand-formed aluminum body, one of only 164 first series continuation cars to feature this construction. In addition to the rare and historically correct body choice, the original build sheet features numerous well-selected options including a Tremec five-speed manual transmission mated to a 500-horsepower all-aluminum 427 V8, Halibrand-style wheels, Wilwood four-piston brakes, and a full leather interior.

With just under 16,000 miles at time of cataloging, this 1965-titled Shelby Cobra is offered from a noted private collection and is indeed power personified. As values have escalated for CSX 2000 and 3000 cars, the CSX 4000 cars, especially those built with the rare aluminum body, have followed their upward trajectory and are now highly desirable collectibles in their own right. Finished in black over black leather with silver Le Mans stripes riding on Goodyear billboard tires, CSX 4170 carries a menacing, purposeful presence, one that will leave no doubt about the provenance of this very special, well-ordered continuation Cobra.

Please note: Title in transit