I have an old Cobra story...my late father was a Sales Manager at our local Ford dealer in Orlando, Fl. for several years in the 60's and I heard him tell this story many times over the years...A local dentist walks in and says he'd like to buy a 427 Cobra and requests a test drive. My Dad queries him about his driving background and describes the 289 Cobra and the 427 Cobra and suggests they go on a test drive in the 289...the dentist is firm that he wants to buy the 427 and says he wants to test drive the 427...so my Dad gets the car and they go on a spirited test drive...when they get back to the shop, the dentist is looking pretty shaken and agrees that yeah maybe I should consider and test drive the 289 after all...to which my dad announced...THAT was the 289.
a car i have $25,000 into has a 0-60 in 4.2 AWD and is a 2013. . . i dont understand people freaking out over anything over 3's anymore a civic SI with a tune can do it in 5. its not like super edge pushing anymore
John Ryan its like apple. the cobra wasnt popular because of the cobra it became iconic because the man behind it was a genius saleman. they even say in the video that other vehicals at the time did it just unsafely. anyone could of built it. only a few could have made it worth millions.
"fuel n air mixture 9 times atmospheric pressure." Nine to one compression ratio? I'm pretty sure those engines were 10:1 or higher. Being NA that's how they made the horsepower - yes among other things.
The Hyundai Pony had its purpose: "Here you go son. I bought you a brand new car as your first car...now all the girls at school will be after you." What the father is actually thinking: "Now I don't have to worry about my son getting a girl pregnant...no girl would want to bee seen in that car"
We've lost a lot since then. Cars were built for skilled professionals. They really did earn a mountain of respect. Today people spout out nutso unbelievable numbers believing it makes them king yet a computer does the work of actually controlling the car. It takes many years to perfect the subtle instinctive gestures used by true race drivers.
Eyup, just a ludicriously powerfull engine on frame that weight pretty much nothing that's all you need, but you'd better be the best damn pilote in the country to handle it because it will scares the shit out of you otherwise
One statement really saddens me, that is "... he will have to see if his investment pays off...". I have lived the muscle car era but it is now pathetic that a lot of hobbyists, the true car lovers, have been replaced by investors and speculators. At many car shows, we would try each others' cars, explain the mods, repairs, etc. we did on our cars. We would be supportive of one another. As years went by (40+ years that is!), I would go to car shows, see signs, "Look but don't touch!", ask questions to owners who had no clue how the car was built, restored, only to be told "you want to buy it", "I bought it for the investment", etc... It is all about money now... I am scared of getting my own vintage car out, for it to be stolen. Ciao, L
+lancelot1953 Totally agree with this. Seriously he paid 5.5million for it? You could easily build an amazing Cobra replica with 800HP for maybe $70-100k and if you used a modern crate motor, suspension and brakes it would be far more reliable and drive a whole lot better. Yes it would still be a replica but you could actually drive it instead of being too scared about what you might accidentally do to a $6 million+ car.
+lancelot1953 You're right. Thankfully for those of who love these cars and aren't millionaires, as Neilcoo says, there's a replica market that offer the benefits of modern engineering in a classic package. When I was growing up in the eighties a road car with 400 horsepower was a big deal. Now it's pretty easy to put down 8 or 900 in a street legal package, and over 1000 isn't out of the question.
+lancelot1953 And that's why the "car hobby" is dying and will die.It isn't enthusiasts trying to share and pass on knowledge and history: it's a money grab. My favorite: saw a really rare car, a Ghia 450SS. Went to talk to the driver. When asked about the car, his exact words were "I don't know, but it's some kind of Dual Ghia". Save us, Lord.
caribman10 Hi Caribman10, I fully agree with you - I guess it is the "American Way" (I live in the US where "spotters" go around, looking for cars that they can get at a good price to turn around and sell at Barrett-Jackson, or others that buy all the critical model-specific parts of some muscle cars to make the prices go up and pocket a profit. The true hobbyists are a dying breed especially since some of the rich people are now looking in our hobby to make a buck. Take care, Ciao, L
I've often wondered why I can't be bothered to get into the classic car scene and I think this hits the nail right on the head. I grew up in the auto industry. My dad was in retail service for 30 years and I basically grew up in the service drive. My grandfather spent 50 years in the business. By all accounts I should be more of a car lover than I am. However, I can't stand going to car shows or meetups, primarily because of the people there. I really haven't met anyone with any real passion for cars. You're right; they're all about money, pedigree (don't touch!), or looks without any real knowledge or interest. My favorite car is the AC Cobra, and I hope to one day (soon) start putting together a replica. But I'll do it for the enjoyment of the car, not some investment or status symbol. I'll drive the wheels off of it. And if I find myself in the position of owning a real Cobra someday like the one in this video, I'll be the guy driving it everywhere, not keeping it a climate-controlled box wiping it down with a diaper every day.
from a proud Shelby GT500 owner and a member of Team Shelby this car is gorgeous. would love to have one like this. RIP Mr. Shelby and thanks for everything.
I live in rural MONTANA every year a pack of REGISTERED cobras come flying thru our little town and stop at a parts store -gas station and it is indescribable.......real monsters roam these mountains you ban hear them coming for miles!
Seeing a "real" original cobra on the road is almost unheard of these days. Investors don't want to put a single extra mile on them. I have seen dozens of replicas and only one that I knew was original on the road outside of a car show. The originals I did see at car shows were always brought on trailers.
alaskanasassin1 being hard of hearing saw one in 1966 at lime rock in conn.most awesome sound as a 7yo still love it today.also saw a GT.40 most beautiful car and motor.
The first time I saw one in the flesh was when I was rowing in a regatta back in the 60s. A beatiful young girl driving a Cobra pulled up nearby and stepped out. My jaw dropped and my eyes just didnt know whether to look at her or the Cobra. One of the most memorable moments of my life.
Worlds scariest, not by a long shot. I had a 1971 VW bus with a rusted out motor mount, worn out brake master cylinder, and a wicked misalignment speed wobble at 50mph. So scary in fact, I couldn't even sell it.
@Ethan Stam - Those old VW busses were horrible vehicles from several points. The center of gravity is too high, the engine barely had enough power to get out of its own way, it was terrible in any kind of a cross wind, particularly on a highway at speed. Add that to a very narrow track and you have the ingredients for a roll over! Unless you opted for the optional (and expensive) gas heater, anyone in the passenger area would freeze to death in cold weather. My Brother in Law drove his to Vermont from Connecticut with a fair amount of cross winds all the way there. The next day it took him a bit to realize his aching arms and shoulders were from fighting the steering wheel the whole trip! Then there are those puny little tires and rims! I know they were legendary transporters in their time, especially with the Hippie culture, bit I wouldn't give you 5 cents for one! Not one of the better German engineered vehicles!
About 10 years ago sitting at a red light I saw a Cobra stop and turn right onto the road ahead of me. The female driver hit the gas hard enough that the rear tires of the car skipped left to right as they temporarily lost contact with the blacktop. Not the kind of car you would ever let your teenager, wife, neighbor, minister, fireman, police officer, insurance agent, father, mother, politician or gynecologist ever drive. But I'd be willing to give it a try.
Carroll Shelby said in an interview himself that his daily driver was a Cobra with the 289 in it. He preferred the power to weight ratio of the small block to the 427.
saw it up close... then carroll almost ran me over with a golf cart....twice, "while yelling ill get ya!" I said: "it would my honor Mr Shelby" (true story). Also remember a rich guy sending his lil grand son with pen & paper for him to sign...Carroll said "tell grand dad hes gonna have to cough up $25 for my charity so i can sign it" Carroll was hardcore for his charity as he should have been, any real fan would know that. RIP
I had heard stories of the Super Snake and there only being 2. But I hadn't heard the one Cosby got was wrecked. I knew Shelby had his personal one, and I heard he drove it daily too. The guy was a racing legend, tuned Mustangs into relevance, and for the heck of it made himself a 800 horsepower Shelby Cobra to drive around. That's tall tale stuff right there. But this guy lived it for real. God rest his soul.
Master song writer Jimmy Webb owned #2 (purchased from Cosby maybe?). Webb wrote the song "Too Young To Die" about the car. One of the verses goes "They say a man can't love a material thing. With aluminum skin and a cast iron soul. Well, they never heard your engine sing. There is peace in losing control, oh yes there is." The car was seized by the IRS in settlement of unpaid taxes. Perhaps it was the next owner who crashed and was killed?
Cosby's was returned to Shelby. They then sold it to a dealer in California. The feller that bought it killed himself and totaled it shortly after he bought it.
@@harryrenner4016 The Daytona coupe was another car Carroll Shelby built. Peter Brock designed it and he also designed the Stingray corvette before Ford persuaded him to leave chevy and help design the Daytona coupe. It was as fast as the GT40 but never got the recognization it deserved cause the LaMons track is where he had to go to beat Enzo Ferrari on the track Ferrari had dominated.The Daytona coupe had one Daytona several times so his concentration was on the GT40 only.
@@harryrenner4016 Shelby got involved with the GT40 well into the project when Ford had reliability and handling issues. They had to get someone competent to show them how to fix it
Its not the scariest car in the world! A prius with a vaping texting ingraming facebooking vlogging millenial behind the wheel is the scariest car in the world!
NightKawata, fair play. Although studies have shown that the younger generation are actually less likely to drink and drive and are more likely to be compliant with the law - in Australia at least. Unfortunately my generation (30 somethings) is the most likely to drink and drive, and to think they're above the law...
@@falconpowerful2362 seems like Australia's doing it right, where I'm from I mean flat out drunk drivers are getting more rare but NOBODY follows any kind of traffic law. mostly because nobody cares here. people just drive mindlessly because they "have to," not because they like it, without understanding that driving is a privilege, not a right they get complacent, and they get bad. the minute you think you're the best driver, you're no longer. but hey, super super easy to get a license here! just turn the wheel for 5 minutes and BAM GET ON THE ROAD
NightKawata, oh shit! That's not cool! People need to understand that cars can be lethal, and that they're not just a tool to get from A to B. We have a VERY long way to go in Australia, and our laws are frankly shit, but it is encouraging to see that the younger generation (the one that is usually blamed for a higher road toll) is actually taking heed, and being safer! I personally believe that that biggest problem on ANY road is complacency, fatigue and lack of education... with higher levels of education, I cannot see why higher speed limits (on open roads) should not be permissible... especially with modern safety technology ;-) . Yes, I'm a petrolhead, but being a petrolhead means I respect the laws of physics more ;-) . Education is PARAMOUNT!!!
When I was in elementary school my my friends father,who was a Ford engineer,took us for a ride in a AC Cobra.We went down Old Orchard Trail (outside of Detroit), I was sitting on my friend lap and I saw the speedo hit 130+ ! Almost 50years later and that ride is still etched in my mind! Looking at that road now it doesn't seem possible but the road was much smoother then. I think it was new pavement.
My Grandad had a cobra (Not sure if it was an original AC or Shelby), and he described at as "the most ridiculous car you could ever own" put your foot down and you're suddenly facing back the way you just came.
A friend got himself killed in a 427 Cobra back in the late 1960s. He bought the car cheap from the original owner, who had campaigned it in Florida, I believe. Never racked it up, but wore out the engine. He replaced the engine with an aluminum Chevy L-88 engine. It looked like it came from the factory with that engine in it except the oil pan had a hole thru it for the drag link. I drove it once. It was a handful. A 10 second car when that was really really quick. A couple weeks later, on a rainy afternoon Dennis wrapped that Cobra around the front end of a new Pontiac station wagon - driver’s side against the Pontiac’s front bumper. He spent the next year in the hospital before dying. Never regained consciousness.
The funny thing is that Ron Pratt paid $5 million for it but the previous owner who bought it at a IRS auction only paid $275,000. And as far as the rarest cobra......the very first one is being auctioned the August by RM Auctions.
Even more crazy is that Jerry Seinfeld says he has a Porsche worth 12 million. He thinks it it that valuable because if you buy it.... you can say it was previously owned by Jerry Seinfeld. Seriously!
@@jorgensenmj - Famous named owners provenance does add significant value to vehicles. Look at the cars Steve McQueen owned and what they commanded at auction!
@mattgonzalez4457 - More likely a repro as the few 427s made are very valuable collector cars and are not casually driven on the street! The Shelby Cobra is by far the most replicated car on the planet, and many don't know if they are looking at an original from the 1960s or one of the many replicas.
I had the chance to drive a replica cobra with a Ford 460 that had been built up including a hefty roller camshaft. It was an experience I won't soon forget. It showed me the meaning of true brute Force.
@@dancarlos1216 I'm sure he meant a roller camshaft ... ie: a camshaft made to use lifters with rollers that rode on the cam. Rollers enabled radically steeper ramping of the cam profiles making for significant improvement in flow as the valve could be opened much faster and held open for longer duration compared to a flat bottomed lifter
I read a story about a writer that wanted to do a story on the car. He said the side-pipes starting melting his tennis shoes while they rested on the floor boards when he went for a ride in it. He also said it had neck snapping acceleration and a deafening exhaust note. A real Cobra has an aluminum body and a 427 Ford race car engine. The only other scary to drive car is the 1968 Dodge Hemi Dart built for drag racing. The engine can put a permanent twist in the chassis if opened up too much. Only the good old days could have such beautiful as well as ferocious cars.
I guess for those who think everything made by Shelby is an original Cobra might want to read some of the history. Original Cobras were built in England and shipped to Shelby to add motors and trans and paint. Of these, there were less than 1000 made. You can also check with the Cobra Registry and see what they consider original. The "Cobra" name as it applies in this case has also changed hands over the years. Not all Cobra replicas are made in California. There are several in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, also South Africa and up until last year, Sri Lanka. Florida also had its own along with several other states.
Pat Rafferty, sounds like that is all you should do is dream about this car. On the other hand a real car owner would know it "demands respect" when driven. Respect it and you can drive it anywhere you want with no problem.
Shelby was an incredibly gifted man. His engines were pretty much off the shelf Ford parts put together the right way, his cars were able to do what no one else could do, dominate the competition, be it Chevrolet or Ferrari, or anyone else, sure they had growing pains, but his team always produced a winner. He may be gone, and may he rest in peace, but he will never be forgotten!
@V8 Berenguer - A guy in my town bought a new 427 street Cobra I believe, in 1967. I said to him once, "You must have a lot of Corvettes want to challenge you at stop lights/signs." He replied, "Nope, not really. My guess is they know better than to challenge the real King of the road." He paid just under $8,000 for it when you could get a Corvette for $4,300! He acknowledged that he was NEVER beaten by the few clowns that thought they could!
@@Loulovesspeed well being that that car barely tickles 2200 lbs and the Corvettes of the day were 3400-3500 no kidding. Let me have one of those little English aluminum cans with an L88 or a ZL1 stuffed in it and I promise you I'll have no problem keeping up with if not outright beating ur Fe.
@@johnasbach577 - Sorry, but the thought of putting a Bow -Tie engine in a Cobra is completely disgusting and disrespectful to the original Shelby Cobra. GM had a chance to put their engines in the car when Shelby first approached Ed Cole, and they passed on it for fear it would upstage the Corvette, which it did for sure, but with Ford power doing the work!
@@Loulovesspeed why is it disrespectful and disgusting? It's not Ford's car anyways. And yes it's true that Shelby approached Chevrolet first and they said no because of the Corvette. If you were in Ed Cole's shoes and had millions invested in a an established car line would you have went to the GM brass and said, hey we've got a chance to put our Corvette drivetrain in this little English soda can car that is half the weight and will be lightning fast although it will kill our Corvette sales a bit. He would've been laughed right out of the building. GM was, and still is about production and volume not niche cars. They are still selling Corvettes, how many cobras did Ford sell and how many are the selling today? None, and haven't for decades as far as that layout is concerned.
@@johnasbach577 The Vette is built by GM - the Cobra was built by an individual and his team in Carroll Shelby's garage. The Cobra is the most copied vehicle in automotive history with around 20 manufacturers world wide. I wasn't faulting GM's decision to pass on providing engines, just simply stating facts. It's obvious why GM turned him down. If you have to ask why it would be heresy to put a GM engine in a Cobra, then you just don't understand or appreciate the full legacy of this iconic car. The "Corvette beater" performed just as Shelby said it would. After obliterating the Vettes on the American racing scene, the Cobra went to Europe and hammered the Ferraris. A one time niche machine with a mission - one it achieved incredibly well! The Corvette, on the other hand, is simply another mass production vehicle. The Cobra was designed to win races first, then be available as a street machine second. The Corvette was designed to be a street machine first, then they ultimately began racing it. Two entirely different vehicles made for very different reasons. The Cobra achieved its mission, the Corvette is still working on its mission. The Daytona Coupe is the only American built machine to win the Manufacturer's World Championship for Shelby American and Ford. Think you'll ever see the Vette accomplish that? Don't hold your breath man, because it's never going to happen!
One of my favorite records......”take these keys and this car and give it to George Wallace,”. Now that shit was funny. Keep in context folks, I’m just respecting good comedy, not the man later.
@Morbian13 - It did hold the record for 0-100-0 for over 20 years, broken by a Turbo Porsche. Interestingly, though, the Cobra was still faster than the Porsche to 100. It lost out on the braking portion, as the brakes were prehistoric compared to modern systems.
Morbian13 um I call bullshit on your statement. Number one not all cobras were built like this one. Also most were only marginally faster than other so called muscle cars from the fabled 60s. Many cobras had a 427 but were naturally aspirated so nowhere near as powerful. Mr Shelby even let a pro driver attempt a 0 to 100 to 0 in this very cobra and DID NOT perform to what had been published for years. In fact it was somewhere in the low 20 second range. The brakes from the time this car was built even race car brakes suck ass compared to what we have now. So I say people need to do a bit of comparative reading and not believe the bullshit that is here on you tube. Some is correct but a large majority is only partly correct and doesn’t always tell all the facts.
Loulovesspeed . Lol , the damn Porsche has a 6 cylinder and a ancient turbo compared to the last 20 years. The Porsche was also way heavier. The test your talking about was late 80s or early 90s.
@@eac1235 - Somewhere in the low 20 second range??? That must be from a GM publication. It is documented that Ken Miles drove a 427 Cobra, with street tires no less, 0-100-0 in 13.8 seconds! The rest of your comment that it was only "marginally" faster than muscle cars of the 60s is bullshit I'll throw back at you! It's validated test run of 0-60 in 4.2 seconds is farrrrr quicker than any muscle car made in the 60s.....not even close to "marginally." A simple power to weight ratio comparison will tell you that! The 427 Cobra weighed in at 2,355 lbs. and produced up to 500 hp. The muscle cars of the era weighed well over 3,200 lbs and had less hp.
There will never be another car that will be able to meet the performance of these vehicles, for pure enjoyment of driving. And this model was the best and top of the heap!
I drove a MK 3 super snake,obviously not an original one but was still a twin supercharged 427 Cobra. ‘‘Twas a very white knuckle experience. 8-900 hp is way too much power for such a short wheelbase car, not to mention the power to weight.Plus, your feet veer off to the right making things even more difficult. Still, glad I’m one of the few to drive one! The car was just sold at Scottsdale. Wonder who bought that incredible machine??
@ Hot Springs Auto Spa - Sorry but it wasn't the Viper that beat it, it was a turbo Porsche. Even then, the Cobra beat it to 100 mph and only lost the back to zero portion as the brakes were not as good as today's stoppers. The Viper? Ya, I remember when they made those - couldn't give the last ones away! The Viper was nothing more than a disappointing attempt at continuing the Cobra Legend...……….didn't happen!
You need to qualify your statements. Quote times for a car which can be licensed and driven legally on the street. Any number of pukka race cars will beat _any_ Cobra, production Porsche, or Viper 0-100-0 mph.
Lol, in Germany we have Weineck Cobras. Same chassis, same suspension technology, but well beyond 1200 or 1400 hp, with engines as large as 14l of displacement.
@Arthur Morgan - Please, keep them in Germany. With due respect for the German nationality, they have always seemed to think that bigger was better. Look at the Bismarck, the Tiger tank and the giant railway gun "Dora". Their giant size created more problems than it resolved!
Bro anyone can slap on some mods on a cobra regardless of whether it's original or kit car and go about boasting about the power it makes , but mind you we talking about a 'weinek' cobra and a 'shelby' cobra, even if that german built replica had 10,000hp my money will still be on the original, simply because of all the history associated with it and because of what an original cobra meant !!! Besides the weinek cobra looks silly with its thin tires and shorter rear end.
I have an original 427 Cobra I purchased in 1968 for $4,995. It's a 1966 street version and had 9,000 miles on it. I also have a 2014 P85 DL Model S Tesla. The Tesla is much quicker. Best my Cobra did was 12.4 in the quarter. The Tesla did 11.3. The main difference is traction. I drove the Cobra as my every day car for the first 4 years and added about 50,000 miles during that time. Since then I have only added another 20,000+ miles. The car was more fun to drive when I was younger. The problem is the car gets extremely hot. When I and my wife were younger we didn't mind so much. We drove the car from LA to Lake Tahoe on our honeymoon. I drag raced and slalomed the car. Me and my wife did lots of trips and some 12 hour rallies. I also did a couple of brail rallies where the navigator is a blind kid. The last long trip in the car we drove about 370 miles down the coast of California on Hwy one and back on Hwy 5. The trip down was fine but on the way back it was about 95 degrees and by the time we got home my wife was in heat distress. She told me that was the last long drive for her in the Cobra.
On Bill Cosby's album "200 MPH," he noted that the car came with a fire extinguisher and in just turning the car on, the fire extinguisher and [his bladder] emptied themselves all over him. XD
@@poncoolride The light coming out of my flashlight accelerates from zero to 186 thousand miles per second in well under a pico-second. However, just like your motorcycle example it is not an appropriate comparison to a cars performance.
Its alot of horse power no doubt but there are some of these tuners out there with 1,500 hp on the streets I know some of them and their cars are scary also that's why I'm building my chevelle with 2,500 horsepower to beat these lil tuners but I need to have my rear end built by currie to handle the horsepower so it has to be a Ford 9 inch nothing handles power like a Ford 9 inch. NOTHING!!!!!
I would still say that that cobra is scarier then anything nowdays. No computers, no new tech. That car is one of one and is 2000 pounds with eight hundred horses, and nothing safety wise. For shear terror, it wins
Here Chevy Chevy Chevy. FORD POWER BABY. First and only American car in history to go from 0 to 100 and back to 0 in under 12 secs. And that was with 1964 technology.
the first few cobras were FORD powered however carol needed a dependable power plant so they used chevrolet 427 and history was made.....got to love history.....question should be why didn't he use a 426 hemi..........wait for it.........that brand was already locked in by the petty gang. ford was big in racing and chevy did not want to do anything racing back then.....you cant make this shit up!
CAM Cubic inches was probably the main reason he went to chevrolet first. The first Cobras were small blocks, the biggest small block Ford had in 1962 was a 260, while the bowtie boys had a 327. Quite a difference there. So call me a brand whore, but you don't have to be in love with every brand to be a true car enthusiast.
I've heard that a Cobra and an E-type Jag were apparently compared in a race from 0 to 100MPH and back to 0. The Cobra had hit 100, came to a stop and got back up to 60MPH before the jag had hit 100.
Understandable, I've got an xjs, which is similar in performance, it's not a super fast car just a perky and fun one really. Where as the Shelby Cobra is an absolute monster of performance
MR FALCON. TRY AND UNDERSTAND THIS IF YOU WOULD PLEASE. A FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT COBRA ONLY WEIGHTS 1500 LBS, MOST ALL OTHER CARS ARE 3200 TO 4000 LBS. DO YOU UNDERSTAND SIR. IF YOU ADDED 1600 LBS TO THE SHIT CARS IT COULDN'T BEAT MY MOTHER'S PLYMOUTH STATION WAGON..DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW SIR. GIVE IT UP WITH THIS STUPID COBRE SHIT.
@@19Graywulf MR SHITWULF. I THINK YOU SHOULD GO AND FUCK YOURSELF. MY ORIGINAL COMMENT STAYS AS STATED... AND I NEVER SAID A WORD ABOUT WHAT AN UNSAFE PIECE OF SHIT THIS CAR IS. IT'S LIKE SITTING IN A TIN CAN. ALMOST EVERY SINGLE ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENS WITH THIS SHIT CAR WINDS UP DECAPITATING IT'S DRIVER AND PASSENGER. IT'S THE MOST UNSTABLE VEHICLE EVER MADE. AND TO PUT 800 HP IN A TIN CAN THAT ONLY WEIGHTS 1600 LBS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL FOR THE PUBLIC HIGHWAY SYSTEMS. AND I STICK EVEN HARDER TO MY STATEMENT THAT IF YOU ADD 2000 LBS TO THIS CAR IT COULDN'T BEAT MY MOTHER'S PLYMOUTH STATION WAGON. AND TO THINK SOME STUPID RICH ASSHOLE WITH MORE MONEY THAN BRAINS BOUGHT THIS SHIT CAR FOR 5 MILLION DOLLARS WHEN IT DIDN'T COST 10.000 THOUSAND TO BUILD. THE OTHER JOKE IS I HAVE RUN 2 ORIGINAL COBRAS WITH MY GTR AND BEAT THE FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT BY 20 CARS. SO IF YOU OWN ONE OF THESE CRAM IT UP YOUR LARGE ADS JERKOFF!!!
caribman10 - You have to be joking. It's a British Car, hot-rodded in the US. Manufacturers build their cars under licence all around the world these days. Does that make a VW Mexican or Brazilian? Can you explain why the Cobra sold in Britain, was made in Britain and called an AC, and was essentially the same car with different chassis numbers and rhd? Can you explain why when manufactureres pool resources such as engines (i.e. Ford utilising Mazda engines), the Ford vehicle is still a Ford?
No, it is not. The 427 was a completely American car; the 289 was a remanufactured British car. Facts, son, facts. And the 427 was not built under license. Do you consider the Ford Mark IV to be a "British" car? The 427 wasn't an engine-swapped car, it was a whole new car - and AC had to get permission to have the 428 made, their version of the 427 - and a nice one it was. And we've spent enough time on this now, haven't we?
+Caribman10 - How you can you separate the two? We are talking semantics. Without the significant British input, would the Cobra exist? - no. You'd be left with the Sunbeam Tiger, or TVR Griffith - Oh there I go again. It was a hot-rod exercise, nothing more. The AC Ace from which the Cobra was derived was some 10 years old in the early sixties. I'm finding it hard to understand why a Country so well resourced, struggled to put together their own significant sports car in this period. Why couldn't the US just rely on their own guys to see the whole process through?
Comparing apples to oranges here: my 1999 honda CBR 900RR was factory rated at 3.2 seconds 0-60. I can't imagine doing that in a short wheel base car without traction control. That thing could snap on you in a heartbeat. A car enthusiast like bill cosby would not sell a car after on drive because it had too much power. Something happened that he has never said, but something happened to make him want to sell fast.
"Very few super cars reach 0 to 60 MPH in 3.2 seconds or less" -- yet 2 weeks ago CNN had a video on the new Tesla D going exactly 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. Says a lot...
Thete were less than a thousand original cobras made, not all for street use. Anything after the original runs by the original AC cars is not a Cobra in the pure sense. There are continuation cars and tons of replicas but they are not original Cobras.
Shelby has been making Cobras for years now. They ARE Cobras, MADE by Shelby. They are not 65s, but they are REAL Cobras. Just like a 2016 Mustang and a 1965 Mustang, are STILL mustangs. In your scenario, the second Cobra off the assembly line in the 60s is a continuation car, not an original. Can only be ONE original of anything. I'm sure I didn't convince you, you didn't convince me. That said, have a good day.
If there is only one left, I'm pretty sure it IS the rarest car unless you know of a half-destroyed car that is the only one left. 1=1, rarity doesn't care how much you personally like the thing.
Yeah, all this BS about "scary" is just BS. Let's be honest here: the Cobra 427 had the biggest rear tires of ANY American car of the era...L88 Corvettes had 7.50/15 tires to try to apply, what, 450 RWHP to the ground? Any "millennial" out there wanna try that? My Dad's 390hp 427 '66 was a handful under hard acceleration and hard cornering, because you really had to be up on the wheel and up on your skills back then with no nanny electronics or you'd end up against a wood barrier (not much ARMCO back then). But the BS level on "collector": cars apparently has no ceiling, so it just keeps piling up....
I have been to Shelby Motors in Las Vegas numerous times. While there, person giving tours stated that the AC Cobra had a top end of 165MPH, due to the aerodynamics of the car. It couldn't go faster. Now, the Daytona Coupe is capable of 205MPH. You aren't going to find many cars that will keep up with that.
Only two built by Shelby. His, which still exists, and Cosby's which he sold and the new owner totaled it and himself. Curious as to where you came up with that story?
Went back and listened to Bill Cosby’s 331/3 record from his early standup routine about his purchase and one time “ride” in the one of only two 800 hp Cobras built by Shelby specifically for him. He describes every moment including sound effects ending with how terrified he was at the speed. He never wanted to get in the car again, ending with and that was just starting it.
Iconic, set the bar for everyone. Still, today it holds it own. The steering wheel isn't air conditioning and there's not any Bluetooth but when the hammer gets dropped its not the cobra getting nailed
I saw that auction. I have never seen this car except on TV but I bet it will continue to increase in Value through the years. Especially since Mr. Shelby has passed on to the great Highway in the Sky. I hope it obtains the kind of value given only to rare Ferrari's.
