OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE

Chassis #: CSX3275

Est. 450+ hp, 427 cu. in. Ford side-oiler V8 engine, single four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, four-wheel independent coil-spring suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 90"

- Authentic, low mileage example of the powerful Big Block Cobra
- Cosmetically restored by Bruce Canepa with sympathetic handling upgrade
- Unblemished ownership history in Shelby American World Registry

In many respects, the father of the 427 Cobra was famed racing driver Ken Miles, who had driven many one-off specials with large-displacement V8 engines. While the 289 reached its reliability limit at around 390 horsepower, more output was required, as confirmed by the emergence of the new Corvette Grand Sport at Nassau’s Speed Week in 1963.

Although Shelby had been promised a new aluminum-block version of Ford’s FE-Series 390-cu. in. engine, internal resistance developed from the NASCAR faction inside Ford Motor Company. The alternative was Ford’s cast-iron 427 V8. Despite being reliable at 500-plus horsepower, it was so much heavier than the 289 that a complete redesign of the Cobra chassis was required to ensure proper handling. With the help of Ford’s engineering department, the necessary development work was done, and the 427 Cobra was introduced in 1965.

In order to qualify or homologate as a production car under FIA rules for the GT class, manufacturers were required to produce a minimum of 100 examples. Anticipating FIA approval, Shelby ordered 100 competition-spec 427 Cobra bodies from AC. When FIA inspectors arrived at Shelby’s facilities on April 29th, 1965, they found just 51 completed competition cars and refused to homologate the cars.

Once Shelby knew that the FIA was not going to allow the new 427 Cobra to compete in the GT class, he cancelled his order for the remaining competition cars, and AC reverted to road-going or street Cobra production. Then, in June 1965, the FIA juggled its classification system and created the new “Competition GT” class. This time, the production requirement was lowered to 50 – coincidentally, one less than the number of 427 competition cars built at the time of the FIA inspection.

The rule change created another problem for Shelby – it put his Cobra in the same class as Ford’s GT40. Since Shelby was running that program for Ford, there was a clear conflict of interest. To resolve it, Shelby agreed not to campaign his own car, leaving the racing Cobras in the hands of privateer teams.

Regardless of the model – full competition, “S/C” semi-competition or regular street specification – Shelby’s 427 Cobra was a sports car unlike any other. Performance was mind-blowing, with the Cobra’s extraordinary power-to-weight ratio allowing for an incredible 0-100-0 mph sprint in an astounding 13.2 seconds, as reported in Sports Car Graphic magazine.

According to the Shelby American World Registry, CSX 3275, the Cobra offered here, was billed to Shelby American on June 10th, 1966 and invoiced to Tasca Ford of Providence, Rhode Island on September 15th, 1966. It was updated to 1967 specifications with a new ID tag and the “67 CSX3275” serial number prior to being sold by Tasca to its first owner, Lou Nielson, a resident of Illinois. A 427 “side oiler” V8 was believed to have replaced the original 428 V8 in 1968, and in 1980, Mr. Neilson indicated that the car was still finished in Rangoon Red. By the mid-1980s, the Cobra, which remained remarkably original, was sold to well-known Cobra authority Bill Kemper, who in turn sold it in 1987 to Larry Greenberg of Great Neck, New York. That year, Kemper refinished the Cobra in black, and then in 1990, he completed its restoration to stock specification.

Greenberg sold the Cobra in early 1999 to Thomas J. Horan of Denver, Colorado who, in turn, sold it in 2004 to noted collector Jim Spiro of New Orleans, Louisiana. At that time, the Shelby American World Registry reports CSX 3275 as being black, with a black interior, “sunburst” wheels, a stock exhaust system and 26,000 miles traveled. In early 2007, still in black/black and with sunburst wheels, it was sold at RM's Automobiles of Amelia Island auction for $766,800.

Soon afterwards, Bruce Canepa acquired the Cobra. He recently recalled that, at the time, it remained in very good condition with a black finish and complete with all of its original, sound and undamaged bodywork, unlike all too many of these lightweight and extremely powerful cars. Under Canepa’s ownership, the Cobra was sorted mechanically and slightly lowered according to Canepa's noted standards of re-engineered handling. Cosmetically, the Cobra was restored to show-quality standards, with the body stripped to bare metal, refinished in a stunning dark blue and complemented by new carpeting, a new convertible top, new side curtains and restored brightwork. The original upholstery remains in excellent condition with a very pleasing patina. At the Monterey Historic Races in August 2007, the Cobra was parked in Canepa’s pit area, and the current New York-based owner purchased it.

As offered today, the Cobra possesses a clean, simple and unique look that escapes many other 427 Cobras in their presentation. It remains in excellent cosmetic and mechanical condition throughout, and with a well-known, trauma-free history, CSX 3275 is ready to be driven, shown and thoroughly enjoyed by its next owner.