1963 Shelby Cobra 289 news, pictures, and information

View more photos
Roadster

This Cobra is the last of the 'LeMans' series of competition cars. It was built during the fall of 1963, with the first Daytona Coupe. It has been raced every year from 1963 through 2005, except when it was being restored. It has never been driven on the road, but has competed in hundreds of races, including the first Nassau Trophy Race, the Daytona Continentals (where it finished 7th overall), and twice at the SCCA runoffs. THis car holds the lap records at Thompson, CT; Lime Rock, CT; Loudon, NH; and Blackhawk Farms, IL.

Roadster

Carroll Shelby helped forge the motor racing link between the United States and Europe. He began as an accomplished racing driver who showed Europeans that Americans were not confined to oval tracks, became a driver for a European Formula One team, and won the 1959 LeMans 24-hour race. Although not an engineer, he 'married' the British AC chassis and a powerful Ford V8 engine to produce the Cobra, one of the most successful of all sports cars ever. The first Cobra was sold in 1962, and 75 more came off the assembly line that year, by which time the car had become homologated and was eligible for competition work. Through the next four years, the Cobra was campaigned successfully on both sides of the Atlantic, and by the time production ended in 1966, a total of 1,140 of these cars had been built. This example was sold new by Coventry Motors of Walnut Creek, CA, and was purchased in 2003 by its current owner from an Oregon Ford dealer who had owned it for 22 years.

View more photos
Roadster
Chassis Num: CSX 2060

The AC Car Company in England began building sports cars in the mid-1950s. In 1962 the AC, Shelby America, and Ford Motor Companies formed a partnership to build sports/race cars for the American market. The AC Company shipped cars without engines and transmissions to Shelby American in California. Ford supplied the engines and Shelby America finished the cars.

This car, serial number CSX 2060, is an early AC Cobra. Since the production of AC Cobras started with car CSX 2000, this car is the 61st Cobra built.

The early AC Cobras had 260 cubic-inch Ford engines. In 1964, Ford began to supply 289 cubic-inch Hi-Po engines for installation in Cobras. This car returned to the Shelby America Company and received a 289 Hi-Po race configured engine. A total of 603 small block Cobras were built between late 1962 and late 1964.

View more photos
LeMans Coupe
Chassis Num: CSX 2142

This 1963 AC Shelby Cobra 289 with chassis number CSX 2142 is one of two Cobra Roadsters to race by the factory at the 1963 LeMans race. The sister car was a right-hand drive example. Both of the cars had semi-fastback alloy hardtops and this was the first car to be fitted with the hardtop, giving it greater aerodynamics and faster top speeds. This car was driven by Ed Hugus, Shelby's East Coast representative, who was aided by Peter Jopp with the driving duties. Stirling Moss managed the American Ford entry but engine trouble in the tenth hour meant it was forced to retire prematurely.

John Willment, a Ford dealer with a racing shop, acquired this car along with the sister car. Both cars were without engines. Willment fitted the cars with new engines, tested them at Brands Hatch, and entered them in the 1963 RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood. Both cars were unable to race due to unacceptable suspension parts and modified wheels. The following month, Bob Olthoff drove CSX 2142 at the Autsport 3 Hours at Snetterton race. It was then shipped to South Africa where it continued its racing career until late 1963.

The car was purchased by Ford of France. French racing driver Jo Schlesser was given driving duties at the Rallye de Picardie in May of 1964, finishing second overall. The car was then entered in the Rallye de La Baule the following month, where it was driven to a third overall. The following week, the car competed in the Mont Ventoux Hill Climb where it finished first in class. In August, the car competed in the Mont Dore Hill Climb where it finished first in the GT class.

The car continued to race in 1965 by Schlesser. In June, the car sustained fire damage during practice. It was then sold to Jean Marie Vincent, still in a damaged state. Vincent used parts from CSX 2142 and 6010 to re-assemble his AC Cobra. The bodywork from 2141 was unable to be saved due to the fire damage.

The car was sold near the close of 1965, or early 1966, to Michel Gaudard. While in Gaudard's possession, the engine was damaged while in route to Paris. It would remain parked in an underground garage in a Parisian suburb for the next three years, before it was sent to a scrap yard in Clamart. From there, it was purchased by Bernard Maitre in 1969 and later sold to Bernard Alter, who delivered it to Bernard Afchain. While in Afchain's care, the car was brought back to its 1963 LeMans specifications. The work was completed in 1983 or 1984. In 1990 it was sold to Bernard Merian, who kept the car for three months before selling it back to Afchain, who kept it until 1997 and selling to Yvan Mahe. In 2003, the car returned to the United Kingdom and treated to a restoration by Simon Hadfield.

In 2008, this Le Mans Cobra was brought to the 'Automobiles of Amelia Island' presented by RM Auctions. The car has an estimated value of $1,000,000 - $1,400,000. At auction, the lot failed to sell after bidding reached $790,000.

Roadster
Chassis Num: CSX2122

CSX2122 was among the first 200 Cobras produced at AC Cars, Ltd. under the newly agreed contract with Shelby America. It is painted in Princess Blue metallic paint and was shipped From AC Cars, Ltd. to Shelby's Los Angeles headquarters on May 2nd of 1963. It is powered by a 289 cubic-inch v8 engine and fitted with a 4-barrel carburetor. It has a luggage rack, WSW tires, and a four-speed manual transmission.

The first owner of this car was Jaques Passino who purchased it on September 16, 1963 for $5,182, which included his $300 employee discount. It returned to Shelby American a year later with 4,058 miles on the odometer. There is was given a Rotunda tachometer, Smiths clock, new soft top and tonneau, and a Ford air cleaner.

The next owner was Hi-Performance Motors of Los Angeles purchasing it on August 10th of 1964. It was then sold to Robert Brandes who sold it a year later to Monte Stutes of Conroe, Texas. It remained in his care until September of 1973, when it was again offered for sale. At this point, the advertisement stated it has 26K miles, was painted in metallic grey, and offered for $7,800.

W.H. Griffin of Topeka, Kansa purchased, kept it for about a year, before selling it to John D. Leatherman of PA. A Wisconsin individual named Bill Milburn purchased the car in 1976 and later sold it to Jim Cowles of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

While in Mr. Cowles care, the car was given a restoration. Upon completion, it was featured in the January 1994 issue of Mustangs and Fast Fords. David Furay of Colorado purchased the car in 1996 and sold it on to his brother Dan Furay of Frankfort, Illinois in 2001. The car currently has 39,000 miles and is reported to be in great mechanical and cosmetic condition.

In 2009, it was brought to the Gooding & Company auction held in Scottsdale, Arizona where it was estimated to sell for $525,000 - $600,000. Bidding failed to satisfy the vehicle's reserve and the lot was left unsold.

The formula for the success of the Cobra came through a man named Carroll Shelby adapting a powerful Ford engine into a nimble, British sports car.
A.C. Cars of Thames Ditton in Surrey, England had been producing the Ace since 1954. It was designed by John Tojeiro and featured an independent suspension by transverse leaf springs. The tubular frame body of the vehicle took its styling cues from Ferrari. The original engine used in the Ace was a 1991 cc, over-head-cam engine designed by John Weller, the founder of AC, in the 1920s. In 1956, an optional Bristol engine became available. This was a BMW derived, 1971 cc six-cylinder engine that was capable of producing 125 horsepower. With the Bristol engine, the Ace captured many victories on the race tracks around the world. It even won the SCCA Class E championship three years in a row.

In 1959, Bristol ceased its six-cylinder engine production. When Bristol stopped supplying A.C. with the engine, the production of the Ace ceased. Carroll Shelby quickly negotiated a deal where A.C. would supply him with the chassis. Now all Shelby needed was an appropriate engine. In 1961, Ford introduced the 221 cubic-inch small block engine. This was a new lightweight, thin wall-cast, V8 engine that produced 164 horsepower. Shelby approached Ford about the use of the engine for the 2-seat sports car. Ford agrees.

In February of 1962, a 260 HiPo engine and Borg-Warner four-speed manual gearbox was fitted into the aluminum-bodied Cobras. The AC Shelby Ford Cobra was complete.

In April of 1962, the first Cobra with chassis CSX 2000 was painted yellow and shipped to the New York Auto Show where it appeared on the Ford display. The vehicle was an instant success and attracted much attention. Orders came faster than Shelby could build. The prototype CSX 2000 was continuously being repainted for magazine reviews. The purpose was to create an illusion that more Cobras existed.

In 1963 the engine size increased to 289 cubic-inches. Rack-and-pinion steering was added to the vehicle.

Two Cobras were entered into the grueling 24-Hours of Le Mans endurance race. Carroll Shelby himself drove one of the vehicles. Ford had refused to provide an engine so Shelby, with the help of A.C. cars and Ed Hugus, prepare the cars. One of the Cobras managed to capture a seventh place finish, a major accomplishment.

Dan Gurney became the first American driver to win an FIA race in an American car when he won the Bridgehampton 500KM race in September of 1963 while driving a Cobra.

In 1964, the Cobra returned to LeMans where it finished fourth overall and first in the GT class.

Near the end of 1964, the Cobra 427 was unveiled to the press. If featured a new tubular, aluminum body, coil spring chassis, and a 427 cubic-inch, 425 horsepower engine. The car was able to go from zero to 100 mph and back to zero in less than 14 seconds. This combination captured the FIA World Championship for Ford in 1965.

In 1965, Ford discontinued its support of Shelby's racing program and the Cobra 427 production ceased after only 160 vehicles had been produced. AC continued to produce the AC 289 until 1968.

In 1967, the last 427 Cobra was built and in 1968, the last 427 Cobra was sold by Carroll Shelby.

Ford had shifted their resources to the new GT40 and modified Mustang programs. In 1966, three GT-40 Mark II's crossed the finish line at Le Mans capturing first, second, and third.

For more information and related vehicles, click here