1964 Shelby Cobra 289 Roadster

This 1964 Shelby American factory-prepared Competition Cobra, CSX2290, was originally purchased by John Hilton (of the Hilton Hotels) in street configuration at a purchase price of $5,584.05. Shortly after being purchased, Mr. Hilton returned CSX2290 to the Shelby factory for conversion by the factory to racing specifications at an additional cost of $5,478.47. CSX2290 was then raced in USRRC, FIA and SCCA events. Driven by Charlie Parsons and Monte Shelton, the car placed first overall and first in 'A' Production numerous times.

The legacy of the Anglo-American hybrid sports cars can trace their roots back to the introduction of Ford's original 'flathead' V-8 of 1932. This new powerplant provided an infusion of relatively inexpensive and easily upgraded power to the elegant British sportsters of that era. The list includes Jensen, Brough Superior, Railton, Batten, and many others. In the post-War era period, Sydney Allard took the concept even further, and his various models were very effective and competitive wherever they raced.

Carroll Shelby's 1962 Cobra roadster was the pinnacle of this concept. Using the knowledge he gained during his career racing, he knew what worked and what didn't. At the time, Shelby was 37 and his career in racing was coming to a close. He had won the 24 Hours of LeMans race for Aston Martin in 1959, and by the early 1960s had become the Goodyear Racing tire distributor for the western USA and started his own racing school at Riverside Raceway in California.

Shelby initially considered installed a V-8 into the Austin-Healey 3000, but Donald Healey was not interested; Mr. Healey was doing fine with his BMC factory deal. Shelby's Scaglietti Corvette project of 1959 begat three cars, but Chevrolet was loathe to support a Corvette challenger and Scaglietti was not willing to anger its main client, Ferrari.

Shelby was able to find a supporter at AC Cars, of Thames Ditton in Surrey. The company's John Tojeiro-designed Ace roadster had been a competitive racer for several years, but the outdated BMW two-liter, six-cylinder was in need of modernization. Bristol Cars had been making the engine under license, but their line of coupes had grown in size, and the engine had been stretched to its limit. Bristol made the decision to abandon the old six and use a 331 cubic-inch Chrysler V-8, which meant AC would be left without a motor.

The Hurlock brothers, who owned AC, were working with tuner Ken Rudd to extract every ounce of power from the 2.6-liter English Ford Zephyr OHV six-cylinder motor. The result was 170 horsepower but it was done at a cost, highlighting the weakness of the engine's bottom end, leading to 'light bulb' motors, which burned brightly but not for long.

Shelby wanted to use a small-block Chevrolet V-8, but GM was protective of its Corvette franchise. Instead, Ray Brock told Shelby about a new, lightweight Ford V-8 engine. The powerplant had 221 cubic-inches and thin-wall construction which meant it weighed only slightly more than the outgoing Bristol. Ford engineer Dave Evans offered Shelby a couple of 260 cubic-inch high performance variants, designed for the Falcon Sprint, completely winning over Shelby. Shelby flew to England on February 1st of 1962 to test drive his new Cobra.

The new cars were completed in Shelby's California factory, and most were taken directly to the race track. The first 75 cars were powered by the 260 cubic-inch motor, which was quickly enlarged to 289 cubic-inches. In racing guise, the engine offered 385 horsepower in a vehicle that weighed just 2,000 pounds - or about 500 less than the Corvette. On February 2nd of 1963, Dave MacDonald outpaced a field of Corvettes, Jaguars, Porches, and Maseratis with a Shelby Cobra. Every red-blooded sports car aficionado in the USA was now in search of the Shelby Cobra.

One purchaser of a Cobra was J. Randy Hilton, of Carmel, California. He was an active privateer racing-team owner in America's top-level SCCA racing classes during the 1960s. He purchased CSX2290 which was originally built as a 'street' 289 Cobra and equipped with the Class 'A' option package, including white sidewall tires, a luggage rack, five chrome wheels, and anti-freeze. The car was billed to Shelby American on January 24, 1963 and on February 5, it was shipped to Los Angeles, California on the SS Diemerdyk. Though Mr. Hilton purchased the Cobra via Monterey, California's Leslie Motors, he elected to pick it up directly from the Shelby American facilities at Riverside instead.

Shortly after taking possession of CSX2290, Mr. Hilton returned the Cobra to Shelby American for conversion into an all-out SCCA A-Production racing car. Upon completion, the Cobra was re-invoiced to Mr. Hilton on June 4th of 1964 for an additional $5,478.47 over the original cost of the car. The conversion work included a 289 Cobra racing engine, numbered D 103, a complete 4.09:1 differential assembly, 6.5-inch front and 8.5-inch rear FIA-type Halibrand six-spoke wheels, two front and two rear sway bars, a small racing windscreen, and four sets of front and rear brake pads. Finished in red with white racing stripes, the Cobra was further modified with rounded front and rear fender flares, brake-cooling scoops, a hood scoop, a roll bar, and side-exit exhaust pipes.

CSX2290 is listed in the latest Shelby American Registry as a 'full specification competition model' and is one of only 12 factory-prepared Cobras that were shipped to independent racers outside of the factory team.

CSX2290 was driven in SCCA A-Production races during the 1964 season by Charlie 'Chuck' Parsons. His success in the 1964 season earned him an invite to the ARRC Run-Offs.

Monte Shelton became the cars next owner in March of 1965. Mr. Shelton drove the car in multiple competitive events, including a A-Production Class victory and First Overall at the Portland, Oregon SCCA Nationals in August of 1965. In September and November, a third-place podium and a first in A-Production were earned, respectively, at the Vaca Valley SCCA national events. After the 1965 racing season, the Cobra was advertised for sale and subsequently purchased by David Phelan, who raced the car through 1966 and also earned an invite to the ARRC Run-Offs. California's Dan Harper acquired the car after it had been repainted Guardsman Blue, and three more owners followed until February 1988, when the next owner, Chicago's Tom Snelback, bought CSX 2290. Mr. Snelback commissioned a restoration which was completed in 1991. The work included bringing the car back to its circa 1964 livery and specifications, as it was raced by Chuck Parsons for Randy Hilton.

The Cobra was displayed at the Shelby Reunion during the 1997 Monterey Historics. It was featured in print in the December 1997 edition of Motor Trend. In 2001, the car joined the collection of Ross Meyers, of Worcester, PA, who competed with it in the 2003 Monterey Historics and showed it in 2005 at New York's Saratoga Automobile Museum, where it formed part of the 'Ford Connection' display. It was also depicted in The Shelby American (Number 74, page 57).

Two more owners would care for the car before coming into the care of its current owner. The latest owner has used the car in many historic racing events.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at RM Auction's Monterey, CA sale. The car was estimated to sell for $1,200,000 - $1,400,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $1,320,000, inclusive of buyer's premium.