For Sale

By Edward Jones –  March 12, 2021

1965 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra "CSX 4428" For Sale

Presented by RM Sotheby's Private Sales - Carroll Shelby’s simple plan of fitting a Ford V-8 engine into the chassis of an AC Ace proved to be a brilliant idea: The Shelby Cobra, as it came to be called, quickly became one of the most iconic sports cars of its era. Making its way from a 260-cubic inch V-8 engine to a 289-cubic inch power plant, a new, stronger coil-suspended chassis was introduced in 1965 to fit the big-block 427-cubic inch V-8—which in race trim could produce in excess of 450 brake horsepower. Wider bodywork, extended wheel-arch flares, and a bigger radiator intake combined to create the legendarily aggressive 427 Cobra. In the early 1990s, Carroll Shelby took up where 427 Cobra production had left off, nearly 30 years prior, with the introduction of the 4000 Series. Built in Las Vegas, Nevada, these cars were intended to be “new” Cobras with the same style and appearance as their 1960s ancestors and were built using newly constructed frames and bodies. Sometimes referred to as continuation cars, the 4000 Series typically featured fiberglass bodywork in stock form, but buyers had the opportunity to order a more correct and authentic aluminum bodywork at a substantial additional cost. Learn More CHASSIS CSX 4428 This Shelby Cobra is completed with a unique Kirkham Motorsports-built polished aluminum body with contrasting brushed racing stripes. Since 1994, Provo, Utah-based Kirkham has offered exacting Cobra replicas in a range of configurations, including street and racing variants of the original 289 and the 427. Exterior features include a hood scoop, four-into-one side exit stainless steels exhausts, a driver’s side rollbar, clear wind wings, tinted sun visors, pop-up gas cap, as well as front and rear quick-jack racing bumpers. It rides on Goodyear Eagle “billboard” tires mounted on Halibrand-style knock-off wheels with a polished lip. The Cobra is powered by an aluminum-block “427 FE” V-8 from the Carroll Shelby Engine Company, which has been bored and stroked to 468 cubic inches of displacement. The engine produces a breathtaking 550 horsepower and 580 pound-feet of torque. It features Mahle 4032 alloy power pack pistons, custom-ground billet steel hydraulic roller cam, aluminum heads with Shelby finned aluminum valve covers, Moroso eight-quart road race oil pan, Melling high pressure oil pump, Carter fuel pump, aluminum high-flow water pump, MSD pro billet distributor, and an aluminum intake and Holley Hardcore 850HP Double Pumper carburetor. The engine is backed by a modern five-speed manual transmission, ensuring more comfortable travel at highway speeds. The battery is mounted in the trunk for weight distribution, and a kill switch has been installed behind the passenger seat providing an easy way to turn on or off the power. The interior is trimmed in black leather, covering the bucket seats and dash. Lap belts secure the driver and passenger, with the driver further benefitting from a roll bar-mounted shoulder harness for more spirited driving. Behind the three-spoke Cobra-branded wood-rimmed steering wheel is a full suite of Speedhut instrumentation. Black door cards and carpet complete the interior, with a bottle for the onboard fire-suppression system sitting below the dash. Living up to the Shelby performance name in every aspect, this CSX “4000 Series” 427 S/C Cobra is sure to impress. It is a subtly modified, modern interpretation of one of the most recognizable cars in the world. This Cobra, with its beautiful aluminum body polished to a “mirror-like-finish” begs the question: How could one cover such artwork with a coat of paint? This special Cobra is available for immediate acquisition via RM Sotheby’s Private Sales Division. View Listing

By Edward Jones –  March 10, 2021

1965 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra "CSX 4602" For Sale

Presented by RM Sotheby's Private Sales - In 1962, legendary race car driver Carroll Shelby had the wild idea to marry a small British roadster with a powerful American V-8 engine. Amazingly, AC Cars supplied Shelby with a modified, lightweight chassis ripe for shoehorning, and the Ford Motor Company further provided him with its new small-block V-8, giving birth to the Shelby Cobra. By 1965, the Cobra had been refined into what is perhaps its most iconic form: 427 cubic-inch Ford V-8-powered Mark III. In the early 1990s, Carroll Shelby took up where 427 Cobra production had left off, nearly 30 years prior, with the introduction of the 4000 Series. Built in Las Vegas, Nevada, these cars were intended to be “new” Cobras with the same style and appearance as their 1960s ancestors and were built using newly constructed frames and bodies in either fiberglass or aluminum. Those that wanted go a different route could commission the artisans at Kirkham Motorsports of Provo, Utah to build a very special Cobra body. Each Kirkham body is constructed with unequalled care—composed of seventeen hand-formed and joined panels, they are finished to such an exceeding quality that the seams are invisible to the naked eye, even when viewed from below. They are, quite simply, works of art, meeting the street naked; wearing not a drip of paint, they expose their sculptural bodywork for all to see. Bodies ordered through Kirkham are available in several materials, most commonly aluminum—finished to a highly polished or roughly-brushed sheen—but are also offered in bronze, and copper. Learn More CHASSIS CSX 4602 This exotic and alluring 1965 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra “4000 Series,” chassis number CSX 4602, is a rarified example provided by with a body executed by Kirkham in copper. A pair of brushed “Le Mans” stripes bisect its otherwise mirrorlike, highly polished skin, providing an eye-catching accent. Under the hood of CSX 4602 sits a hand-built 468-cubic inch “427 FE” V-8 engine from the Carroll Shelby Engine Company, featuring a stroker crankshaft, custom Mahle alloy power pack pistons, a custom-ground hydraulic roller cam, Shelby aluminum heads, and a Shelby aluminum intake topped by a Holley Hardcore 850HP Double Pumper carburetor. Factory-rated at 550 horsepower and 580 pound-feet torque, this formidable powerplant routes power to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission and is capable of pushing the 2,400-pound chassis to top speed at an astonishing pace. A set of lightweight 15-inch Halibrand-style knock-off alloy wheels are shod in Goodyear Eagle “billboard” tires. Each corner of this Cobra is underpinned by an independent suspension assembly to maximizing grip across all driving conditions, which works in tandem with the chassis’ formidable disc brakes. Step over the copper door sills, beneath which sit polished stainless steel side-exit exhaust pipes, and you will find a set of lap belts for the period-style buckets appointed in black leather. For more competitive outings, the driver’s seat is also equipped with a pair of shoulder harnesses. The leather-wrapped dash is filled with a set of gauges from Speedhut of Orem, Utah and fronted by a period-style wood-rimmed steering wheel. Where safety is concerned, a fire suppression system is mounted to the cabin firewall, and a prominent chromed roll bar is mounted just rear of the driver’s seat. Since the inception of the 427 Cobra in 1965, the design’s low weight and extreme power has scared even the most talented of drivers; if not piloted with precise focus, some say, a Cobra can certainly “bite you.” CSX 4602 can still bite, no doubt—but more importantly, it exhibits a stunning visage, masterfully executed in a rarified and difficult medium which is unlikely to ever become commonplace. CSX 4602 offers breathtaking performance and appearance in equal measure and, with its stunning copper bodywork, would look quite comfortable among even the most daring of contemporary sculptures. This special Cobra is available for immediate acquisition via RM Sotheby’s Private Sales Division. View Listing

By Edward Jones –  March 09, 2021

1965 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra "CSX 4600" For Sale

Presented by RM Sotheby's Private Sales - When he shoehorned an American V-8 into the shapely, British-built AC Ace, Carroll Shelby knew he was creating a sports car with potent performance both on-and off-track. But he could have scarcely imagined that the first 1962 Shelby Cobra would touch off a sensation that is still going strong today. By 1965, the Cobra had been developed into what is perhaps its most iconic form: 427-cubic-inch Ford V-8-powered Mark III, which featured a new chassis to make better use of its greatly increased output, and, above it, curvy bodywork with wide, flared fenders. Conceived with competition in mind, the 427 S/C, or “semi-competition,” model was also made available for those willing to contend with the Cobra’s raw power on the street. The enduring popularity of the Shelby Cobra is such that numerous companies supply chassis, bodies, and components, often with home construction in mind. The cost and quality of these products vary, with only the finest replica Cobras—including the “4000 Series” of continuation cars—each earning CSX chassis numbers, offered in either fiberglass or aluminum. But when it comes to building bodies for these special cars, Provo, Utah-based Kirkham Motorsports undoubtedly sits in the upper echelon of suppliers. Learn More Since 1994, Kirkham has offered exacting Cobra replicas in a range of configurations, including street and racing variants of the original 289 and the 427. From the very start, each has featured bodywork hand-crafted by a team of artisans in Poland—an unlikely transatlantic alliance said to have been forged when company founder David Kirkham was called to help repair the damaged nose cone of a recently imported jet fighter! CHASSIS CSX 4600 Kirkham Cobra bodies are typically rendered in lightweight aluminum, but for discriminating enthusiasts in search of something exceptional, it can also create distinctive bodywork in unexpected and challenging materials like copper and, in the case of chassis CSX 4600, bronze. In addition to the eye-catching, unexpected medium, these unpainted bodies reveal any underlying flaws, making them the ultimate demonstration of the quality of Kirkham’s offerings. CSX 4600’s gleaming bronze bodywork, hand-polished to a mirrorlike finish, is broken only by a pair of racing stripes—here cleverly brushed into the metal surface, rather than applied with paint. Stainless steel side exhaust pipes and a chromed roll bar add contrast, and the car is equipped with Halibrand-style pin-drive knock-off wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle “billboard” tires. The car’s cockpit is suitably minimalistic, featuring tinted sun visors, period-style black leather bucket seats, and a leather-covered dashboard equipped with a suite of Speedhut performance gauges, with the speedometer and tachometer bearing Carroll Shelby’s signature; the center emblem of the wood-rimmed steering wheel is also engraved with Shelby’s signature. The bottle for the onboard fire-suppression system sits below the dash. This Cobra’s spectacular appearance is matched by its mechanical specification. An impressive aluminum-block 427 FE V-8, built by the Carroll Shelby Engine Company and stroked and bored to 511 cubic inches of displacement, is to be found underneath the hood. Breathing through eight 58-milimeter Borla Induction throttle bodies, this fuel-injected engine produces over 650 horsepower and over 670 pound-feet of torque (as accompanying dynamometer data attests). It is mated to a five-speed manual transmission, which sends power to the rear wheels via a 3.54:1 differential. Nearly six decades after it first appeared, the Shelby Cobra still makes a powerful statement anywhere it goes—something that is doubly true of this spectacular Cobra 427 S/C “4000 Series.” Crafted in bronze by Kirkham Motorsports, CSX 4600’s dazzling hand-formed body and powerful fuel-injected 427 FE V-8 would make it a prized addition to any collection celebrating American sports car performance. This special Cobra is available for immediate acquisition via RM Sotheby’s Private Sales Division. View Listing