Car collectors around the world are salivating at the thought that the first Shelby Cobra ever built will be sold by RM Sotheby’s at a Monterey, CA auction as part of the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance next month.
That’s right: The very first Cobra, chassis number CSX 2000, will go under the hammer!
The car, which had always belonged to Carroll Shelby until his death in 2012, could set a new auction record for an American automobile, surpassing the $11 million USD paid for a 1968 Ford GT40 four years ago.
The all-time world record at an auction is a mind-blowing $34.65 million USD for a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. It was set in 2014, also at Pebble Beach.
Carroll Shelby famously wrote a letter to AC in order to get a copy of their AC Bristol with no engine and no transmission. He later fitted a 260-horsepower Ford V8, a modified gearbox, and a new rear differential, giving birth to the Shelby Cobra.
In 1965, the Cobra 427 reached a top speed of 266 km/h and accelerated from 0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds, which was an incredible feat at the time.
How much do you think the first Shelby Cobra will sell for?