The Ford Shelby Cobra Concept was a continuation of Ford’s effort to bring back the retro sports cars that had been successful in the 1960s, including the Ford GT40 and the fifth generation Ford Mustang.

Was the original Shelby Cobra a Ford?

With some help from Ford Motor Company and a small team of mechanics, the first Shelby Cobra was introduced in 1962. It was powered by Ford’s 260 engine, and later with a venerable 289 V8, and it pretty soon took the sports car world by a storm.

Is the Shelby Cobra a Mustang?

1967 Shelby GT500 1968 Shelby Cobra GT500Successor1968 GT500KR 2008–2009 Ford Shelby GT500KR

Did Shelby design the Cobra?

Carroll Shelby developed the Cobra along with AC of England, and this great looking automobile was also “Powered by Ford” as indicated on the fender badge. The Cobra models were built by Shelby-American in Los Angeles with small block engines during the years 1961-1965, and big block engines were used from 1965-1967.

How many Shelby AC Cobras were made?

Besides the 31 early 427 S/C models and 19 competition cars, 260 427 Cobras were built as street models, powered by either a 425-hp 427 V8 or a 360-hp 428 Police Interceptor unit.

Did Ford make a 427 Cobra Jet?

The car automatically became a Super Cobra Jet. The package included special capscrew-type connecting rods borrowed from the Ford GT Mark IV 427 Le Mans engine. A different crankshaft and forged-aluminum pistons were also included. Even an external oil cooler was part of the deal–not bad for $6.53.

Who built the Cobra car?

American racing driver Carroll Shelby developed the Cobra from the AC Ace in 1962. They were built by AC in Thames Ditton and shipped to Shelby’s works in California for the installation of the Ford V8 engine. Initially, these were 4,260cc but soon enlarged to 4,736cc (289 cubic inches).

What pills did Carroll Shelby take?

Suffering from dysentery and popping nitroglycerin pills for his heart, Mr. Shelby passed a Ferrari near the end of the race as he sped to the checkered flag.

Does Jay Leno own a Shelby Cobra?

Even though there are plenty of top-notch continuation and replica Cobras out there—in fact, Leno has even built his own—nothing can compare to the original. … They all feel different,” said Leno. “This feels original. It feels exactly what Carroll Shelby intended it to be.”

What is a Sunbeam Tiger?

The Sunbeam Tiger is a high-performance V8 version of the British Rootes Group’s Sunbeam Alpine roadster, designed in part by American car designer and racing driver Carroll Shelby and produced from 1964 until 1967.

Article first time published on

How many Shelby Cobra 427 are left?

There is only one genuine, original 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake left in the world, and it just sold for $5.1 million.

What does GT stand for?

GT stands for gran turismo, or “grand touring.” Although the Italian who originally thought up the term gran turismo, or GT, has been lost to history along with their reasoning, the definition was clear: A GT car fit between a sports car and a luxury car.

How many SVT Cobras were made?

Ford SVT Mustang CobraProduction1993–2004 model years 79,958 producedBody and chassisClassMuscle car Pony carBody style1993: 3-door hatchback 1994–2004: 2-door coupe 2-door convertible

How many 427 cobras are there?

In 2003, the Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC) Registry looked into how many original Shelby Cobras were built versus how many remained: 260–289 Cobras: 655 built; 581 remained. 427 Cobras: 348 built; 309 remained.

Were Shelby Cobras fiberglass?

All were aluminum. New Shelby Cobras can be ordered with fiberglass bodies, however, and it wasn’t unheard of for an original Shelby Cobra to be running around with an aftermarket fiberglass body.

How fast is a 427 Cobra?

Engine7.0-liter OHV, FE Series, solid-lifter, naturally aspirated V-8BrakesDiscs all around0-60 mph4.1 seconds0-100 mph10.3 secondsTop speed155 mph (with longer gearing)

How many Shelby Mustangs were made?

Only 10,825 Shelby-modified Mustangs were made from 1967-69, when Ford sold hundreds of thousands of regular Mustangs. Shelby was a top sports car racer in the 1960s, even winning the famous 1959 24-hour race at LeMans, France for Aston Martin.

Who built Shelby Cobra?

Dallas, Texas, U.S. Carroll Hall Shelby (January 11, 1923 – May 10, 2012) was an American automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur. Shelby is best known for his involvement with the AC Cobra and Mustang for Ford Motor Company, which he modified during the late 1960s and early 2000s.

Who owns the original Shelby Cobra?

It was purchased from Shelby by singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb in 1970. After two decades, the IRS seized the car and sold it at auction to Chris Cox, who sold it to Richard Scaife in 1998, but then re-acquired it in 2006.

Is a 390 Ford a big block?

The Ford 390 was a 6.4-liter (390.04ci) gasoline big block V8 engine that was produced between 1961 and 1976. The 390 was part of the Ford-Edsel (FE) engine family, which was produced from 1958 to 1976. The 390 is a torquey motor that’s still popular with performance engine builders.

What cars came with a 427 big block?

Tall-deck version of the famed big-block were used in heavy-duty trucks, but we’re sure the 427 is mostly known for its use in Novas, Chevelles, Camaros, and Corvettes, where L72, L88, and ZL1 engines made them tough to beat on the dragstrip.

How much horsepower does a 429 Cobra Jet engine have?

The 429 Cobra Jet was advertised as having 370 horsepower at 5400 RPM and 450 lbs-ft of torque at 3400 RPM.

What is a real 427 Cobra worth?

Today, an unrestored original Shelby 427 Cobra for sale will start at over one million dollars.

What is a Cobra replica?

Replicas is known in replica circles as being very authentic reproductions of the original British-American Shelby Cobras. E.R.A. replicas pay accurate homage to the race cars they emulate. The 289FIA (left) kit and the Ford GT40 Spyder (right) replica are extremely close to the originals.

How many Cobra replicas are there?

This popularity is largely owed to the fact that since the early 70s, a lot of small companies have been producing Cobra 427 replicas. It is estimated that over the years, over 60,000 replicas have been produced.

How much did the first Cobra sell for?

The very first Cobra built by Carroll Shelby, which was used as his personal car and development prototype, sold for $17.69-million ($13.75-million U.S.) including auction fees at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale over the weekend.

How much is a 1965 Shelby Cobra?

Pricing. The price of the Shelby Cobra 427 brand new in 1965 was around $7,500 USD.

How much does a Shelby Cobra kit car cost?

$33,000 – Factory Five Shelby Cobra Replica The Shelby Cobra is one of the most frequently replicated kit cars. The kit needed to build a Factory Five Cobra replica can go for $12,990.

Was Shelby an engineer?

Carroll Shelby wasn’t an engineer, never went to college, and, if he’d had it his way, likely would have made a living racing high-performance cars instead of designing and building them. … Carroll Hall Shelby was born January 11, 1923, in tiny, unincorporated Leesburg, Texas, near Texarkana.

Was Carroll Shelby a good race car driver?

First a pilot and then an iconic race car driver, Caroll Shelby is now known as the man behind some of America’s greatest sports cars. For someone who had a heart valve problem since he was seven, Carroll Shelby not only had an exceptional racing career but also an extremely accomplished automotive visionary.

What disease did Carroll Shelby have?

In 1960, Shelby was preparing to race a Maserati 250F, but everything changed a month later when he experienced chest pains, and a doctor confirmed he had angina pectoris, a heart condition.