The Shelby Cobra is a sports car produced by the American company AC Cars in the early 1960s. In 1964, Shelby debuted two body styles in the FIA Manufacturer’s World Championship, the Daytona Coupe and the Roadster Cobra. Both were very powerful but not enough to initially dethrone Ferrari. However, they did manage to do so in 1965 when they secured America’s first FIA Manufacturer’s World Championship. Celebrating their 50th anniversary, Shelby American introduced the Cobra 289 FIA 50th Anniversary Edition as part of their Cobra Continuation Series. Only 50 examples were produced and one of them, the 1964 Shelby Cobra 289 FIA 50th Anniversary Edition, is up for auction.
The car is finished in Viking Blue, decorated with a white strip that runs the width of the front part and white circles on the hood, rear cover and sides with the number 50. It is equipped with a three-inch “drawn over Mandrel” tube chassis, an original wood-rimmed steering wheel, polished Monza-style fuel filler, Stewart Warner gauges, dashboard-mounted rearview mirror, an FIA-spec rollbar, and side-exit exhaust.
This Cobra is breathtaking but also provides an impressive driving experience for all road racing fans of the last century. It is powered by a powerful 302-cubic-inch V-8 engine which has been stroked to 363 cubic inches with more than 500 hp (373 kW) and 450 lb-ft (610 Nm) of torque. The engine is equipped with four Weber 48 IDA carburetors, and power is sent to the rear wheels via a TKO 600 Tremec five-speed manual transmission and a Kirkham TorqueTrak differential.
The auction will take place on January 24, 2025 and the estimated value of the car is $200,000 – $250,000 USD (Offered Without Reserve).
Source: RM Sotheby’s
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