1964 Shelby Cobra 289 Roadster

This 1964 AC Cobra 289 has the chassis number CSX 2289. The C is for the AC Ace Mark III, the S stands for Shelby and the X for export, left-hand drive. This car was imported into the United States by Carroll Shelby and used as a demonstrator and PR car. It was sold in 1965 to its second owner, who in turn sold it in the early 1970s. It was then stored away in a shed in Santa Maria, California, where it rested for 33 years unit its current owner acquired it and rejuvenated it.

AC Cars Ltd. shipped this car aboard the SS Alblasserdyk on January 23, 1964, to Shelby American Inc. in Los Angeles, California. Work began immediately at Shelby's new workshop at the Los Angeles International Airport, transforming the car into a proper 289 Cobra. It was given Ford electronics, American-made Stewart Warner instruments, and rack and pinion steering. It wore a Bright Blue paint scheme over a red leather interior, believed to be one of as few as 22 examples built in this color combination.

Shelby American retained this Cobra as a demonstrator, sustaining minor damage in May 1964 when Richard Lind reportedly struck a fence at Riverside Raceway. Repairs were made, and the car continued to serve as a Shelby American PR car throughout 1964.

In February 1965, the Cobra was invoiced to Hi-Performance Motors, Shelby's own Los Angeles-based dealership. It was listed as being equipped with Class A accessories, including a radio, luggage rack, and whitewall tires. It found new ownership, possibly by a California-based individual named Heep, and later traded to Marshall Munger in the early 1970s for approximately $2,500 worth of pipe and Mr. Munger's labor to dig a well. At the time, the car had 42,000 miles on its odometer. Mr. Munger parked the Cobra in a shed behind his Santa Maria home, and it would rest in that spot for the next three decades.

Don Lee of Portola Valley, California, purchased the unrestored car from Mr. Munger in 2007 and extracted it from the shed. The Cobra was given a thorough cleaning and mechanical assessment and soon sent to Lynn Park to return it to running order while preserving the charming patina. Upon completion, CSX 2289 made its debut at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance , where it was displayed in the Postwar Preservation class. It was also shown at that year's Shelby American Automobile Club National Meet, where it earned the Chairman's Award – Survivor, Concours Division III.

The Cobra passed through the ownership of Tom Armstrong and then into two prominent European collections, where it remained until it was acquired by the current owner in 2022. Upon its acquisition, the car was sent to Rare Drive Inc. in East Kingston, New Hampshire, where it was meticulously serviced, detailed, and prepared with the goal of making it tour-ready while preserving originality wherever possible. The work was completed in spring 2023 at a cost in excess of $70,000.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2010