Even after Shelbys personal 427 Cobra brought $5.94M in 2021, CSX 3015s 2015 result remains the third-highest in Cobra auction history. It failed to finish with the engine expiring due to damper failure. The survived CSX 3015 was sold in 2007 for 5 million dollars! Shelby says he's the victim of a business feud. Not that the twin-Paxton car, as it was originally known, was fooling around. Tony Maxey - who drove it off a cliff. CSX 3015 was shipped to Ford Advanced Vehicles in England as a P.R. The partnership between Carroll Shelby and Ford Motor Company was started by the Shelby Cobra and forever changed the automotive industry. It was the same unit used on the Jaguar E-Type. The 289 FIA "leaf spring" race version of the car is reproduced as CSX7000, and the original "slab side" leaf spring street car is the CSX8000 series. Ken Miles drove and raced the FE-powered Mark II at Sebring and pronounced the car virtually undrivable, naming it "The Turd". 2024 Corvette E-Ray First Ride: A Vette like no other, 2024 Corvette E-Ray Revealed: 655-hp, AWD hybrid is the quickest Vette ever, When L.A.s most notorious gangster built a bulletproof Cadillac, 5 affordable classics that ended 2022 on a high, This is the most powerful Aston Martin ever made, Our fighter pilots Lexus suffers the the taxi of shame, On this day in 1953, America met the Corvette, Inflation Beaters: Cars to Invest in Jason Cammisa presents the 2023 Hagerty Bull Market, All Rise for the Judge: $1.1M Ram Air IV is worlds most expensive GTO, 7 pristine Lotus Elans to lighten your moodand wallet. For the standard version the standing to 60mph time was just over 4 seconds and the standing quarter mile was accomplished in a neck straining 12.4 seconds, by which time the Cobra was doing 106 mph. A real sports car gets to your heart, and the Shelby Cobra is a car that tells your heart to abandon being sensible, to forget logic, reason, and practicality, and to choose the car thats going to be unforgettable every time you drive it. Few cars have the presence of the Shelby Cobra. Like many British manufacturers, AC Cars had been using the Bristol straight-6 engine in its small-volume production, including its AC Ace two-seater roadster. CSX3303 was totaled, and Maxey died of his injuries days later. $119.95. 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 (CSX 3162) en un color rojo que, en contraste con las llantas Halibrand en negro, le dan un aspecto espectacular. Shelby American sold Cosby's supercharged Cobra (CSX 3303) to S&C Ford in San Francisco, where it was purchased by Tony Maxey. In 1986, Autokraft (as a joint venture with Ford joining in 1987) purchased AC Cars, and produced the AC Mk IV Cobra, with a 186kW (250hp; 253PS) at 4,200rpm, 4,942-cubic-centimetre (301.6cuin) Ford V8, which provided a top speed of 134mph (215km/h) and 062mph (0100km/h) in 5.2seconds. car, a role that adds even more cachet to its resume. Shelby American sold it to S and C Motors in San Francisco, who then sold it to their customer, Tony Maxey. Despite the different names the two slalom cars were almost identical. Gradually as the vintage parts supply ran low, newly constructed frames and body panels were obtained from a variety of suppliers. and had the idea of these man-eating sports cars etched into their brains.. AC had already made most of the modifications needed for the small-block V8 when they installed the 2.553-litre (156cuin) inline 6 Ford Zephyr engine, including the extensive rework of the AC Ace's front end bodywork. A car that, as you start the engine, the sheer sound of it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as the adrenaline starts to pump. The cars independent rear suspension was still superior to the live axle arrangements that American cars were almost universally fitted with even with the brakes in the outboard position however. In 1999, a limited edition run of 25 289 FIA Cobras were planned. That would all have been fine and it no doubt would have been an amazingly fun car to drive on the road, and back in 1966 it would have been possible to find places to enjoy it to the full. 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake | Barrett-Jackson photo. Both had white exterior paint (with red racing strings) and red leather interiors. Unfortunately the story has a sad ending because one day whilst he was driving Tony Maxey had the throttle of the Super Snake jam resulting in him losing control and the car going over a cliff and into the Pacific Ocean. It was built and sold in Europe until late 1969. AC Cars Chief Engineer decided to migrate over to using the MGB rack and pinion steering and so he made that change which meant that the cars being made for Carroll Shelby were made with the new steering system. in. Underneath the car sat twoelectric fuel pumps to supplement the standard mechanical unit. Pete Brock said in a Hot Rod magazine interview "Like the Kirkhams, even when they were supplying most of Shelbys Cobra parts. Only 56 of the 100 planned cars were produced. Shelby didnt fulfill the 100-car homologation quota, but it didnt stop him from promoting his cars off-track. In addition to the 427 cu. Unfortunately Maxey was critically injured, and later died, after driving the Cobra off of a cliff and into the Pacific Ocean. Unlike Cosby, Maxey seemed to be alright with the estimated 800-horsepower, twin-supercharged Super Snake. The most important modification was the fitting of a stronger rear differential to handle the increased engine power. The names Barrett-Jackson, Barrett-Jackson.com, Fantasy Bid, The World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions, and all associated graphics, logos, page headers, button icons, scripts, and service names are trademarks, registered trademarks or trade dress of Barrett-Jackson or its affiliates. Youre probably less familiar with the less-formal Shelby versus Ferrari competition that played out on the U.S. highways surrounding Lake Tahoestarring not a GT40 and a P3, but a 427 Cobra and a 275 GTB. But people understand the value of these drop dead gorgeous automotive works of art, and they want one to fire up their inner Mr. Hyde. It represents the highest price ever paid for an American automobile at a public auction. Carroll Shelby approached GM with a view to using Chevrolet V8 engines: but they were not willing. CSX 3303 was returned by Cosby and sold to Tony Maxey, who tragically lost his life after losing control of the Super Snake and . thin wall small block V8 engines to see what he and AC could come up with. This had a hand-built body with a steel tube frame, and aluminium body panels that were made using English wheeling machines. The fastest thing hes ever driven was a Bolwell Nagari, the slowest was a Caterpillar D9, and the most challenging was a 1950s MAN semi-trailer with unexpected brake failure. As we said in the beginning, this is a car that pushes out quiet and conservative Dr. Jekyl and instead ignites your inner Mr. Hyde. Originally built as one of 23 Shelby Cobra Competition Cars, the Super Snake went from the UK to America where it was updated so it could be declared street legal. Today, the Shelby Cobra Super Snake is an iconic classic car. S&C Ford then sold it to customer Tony Maxey. A prototype (CSX 3027) was to become 427 Coupe, but since the focus was shifted towards the GT program, this project received little attention. Only two models were produced, a FIA 289 (COX 2610), and a 427 Cobra (COX 3361). (7.0 liter) side oiler Ford FE V8. After he returned it to Shelby, the car resided at S&C Ford in San Francisco. You may have seen them at county fairs the vertical velodromes were originally built from old grain silos, leading to the name "silo-drome.". There's little between the Shelby Cobra 289 and Mazda MX-5 Miata SkyActiv-G 2.0 in terms of curb weight, but there's also a significant difference in terms of suck-squeeze-bang-blow. CSX 3015 was only dethroned in 2016 by the sale of the first-ever Cobra, which sold at RM Sothebys Monterey auction for $13,750,000. Shelby went to Chevrolet to see if they would provide him with engines, but not wanting to add competition to the Corvette, Chevrolet declined. This was not to last as an act of sabotage (newspaper in the fuel tank) began to block the fuel filter. The car was able to match the Shelby Daytona's speed despite running a higher differential ratio (2.88 instead of 3.07) and a lower state of engine tune for reliability (265kW[355hp; 360PS] instead of the Daytona's 287kW[385hp; 390PS]). D. AC Cobra Shelby Cobra. The other was driven over a cliff by its owner, Tony Maxey, tragically killing him and destroying the vehicle. Photos courtesy Barrett-Jackson. To build a car that sports car people will really want to own above all others you have to create something that appeals to the heart, not just the mind. In 1966, CSX 3015 S/C was selected and converted into a special model called the Supersnake the "Cobra to End All Cobras." Maxey, suffering the same issues as Cosby did with the car, lost control and drove it off of a cliff, landing in the Pacific Ocean waters. Cobra Make, Engine: . His first effort was to install a 390 cu. Maxey, suffering the same issues as Cosby did with the car, lost control and drove it off a cliff, landing in the Pacific Ocean waters. The more powerful tune of 362kW (485hp; 492PS) with a top speed of 298km/h (185mph) in the semi-competition (S/C) model. Individual Car Forums 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 'Super Snake . The first unpainted car sans engine and gearbox was shipped from AC Cars in Britain in October 1964, enabling Carroll Shelbys team to get to work on the car in January 1965. In 2014, Shelby American announced a limited edition production of 50 cars for the 50th anniversary of the original 427 Shelby Cobra. $274.95. (The year before, Car and Driverrecorded a 14.5-second run for its 275 GTB tester.). in. Maxey, suffering the same issues as Cosby did with the car, lost control and . engine cars. The new car was designed in cooperation with Ford in Detroit. Sadly, Mr. Maxey drove CSX 3303 off a cliff and into the Pacific Ocean. The last remaining Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake. This car is insane, even by todays standards, says Greg Ingold, associate editor of the Hagerty Price Guide. Original 427 Shelby Cobra 2500 lbs vs 2011 2 TON TUNA BOAT 4000 lbs Shelby Super Snake. [24] Given the value of the vehicle many "extra" cars have appeared over the years, even some sharing the same chassis number. . However, Cosby took the car for a drive and decided it was too much for him. Resource Quick View. The cars fitted with this new steering box were designated as the Mark II and entered production in 1963. Tony Maxey destroyed the car by launching it over a cliff at Half Moon Bay almost forty years ago. Lot #7119. . . The Super Snake became the subject of his 200 MPH sketch although the way he recounts the tale in his interview with Jay Leno is perhaps even funnier. Shelby / Mustang / Cobra Genuine Wood Steering Wheel. With the work completed AC removed the engine and gearbox unit from the car and shipped it back to Carroll Shelbys team at Dean Moons workshop in Santa Fe Springs, California: the work was so thoughtfully done that a new engine and gearbox was able to be fitted and the car made ready for road testing in about eight hours. However, Cosby took the car for a drive and decided it was too much for him. About 528 Mark II Cobras were produced from 1963 to the summer of 1965 (the last US-bound Mark II was produced in November 1964).[11]. Believe it or not, the 427-equipped roadster could hit 60 mph in just over 4.0 seconds, just about as fast as a new Audi S4. Shelby American internal production records show that the car was shipped to Shelby American for Evaluation and review. Just one other Cobra Super Snake was built by Shelby American, but the car and its owner, Tony Maxey, perished decades ago when it was driven off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean. A letter from AC Cars confirmed the fact that the chassis numbers for which Shelby had obtained titles were never manufactured, at least not by AC Cars. To supply cars to the European market, AC began to market and sell the Cobra in Europe. The Super Snake was built to gain publicity and was touted as The Cobra to End All Cobras. The Cosby Super Snake's second owner, Tony Maxey, lost his life when he lost control of the car, went off a cliff and ended up in the Pacific Ocean. . Cosby's record album titled '200 MPH' attests to the fact of why he only drove it once before returning it to Shelby American. But Maxey could not drive it safely either, and he lost control and drove it off of a cliff, landing in the Pacific Ocean. The Daytona Coupe is reproduced as the CSX 9000 series. It eventually ended up in the hands of Tony Maxey, who managed to launch it and himself off the Pacific Coast Highway and . The Super Snake started out in 1966 with the modest aim of making a racing Cobra street legal. (4.7 L) V8 engine. 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake Specifications Model: 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake Horsepower: 800 Torque: 462 @ 2800 Transmission: 4-Speed Manual Pros Cons Shelby Cobra 427 Super. He approached AC in September 1961 and they could see the potential to both make money and build the AC name in the States, so they said yes, if he could find a suitable V8, and the Cobra was born, although it was not yet called a Cobra. The body design work was entrusted to Pete Brock whilst the chassis re-design work was given to Bob Negstad. April 15, 1993 PAUL DEAN TIMES STAFF WRITER", "The Workshop Behind The Continuation Shelby Cobras", "Bringing back the beast: Shelby American to build 427 Cobra", Shelby Automobiles Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada, AC Cobra 427 (1969) Exterior and Interior in 3D 4K UHD, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AC_Cobra&oldid=1128051878. Shelby paid that way for two years and then finally [Kirkhams] got a great big order and Shelby's truck driver said he forgot to bring the check. AC were being given the opportunity to create a car that could rival the E-Type, and in their design work ACs engineers installed the same Salisbury 4HU differential and in-board rear disc brake system as used on the Jaguar. [2][25], During the continuation period, Kirkham Motorsports were contracted by Shelby to produce rolling Cobra body/chassis units but this did not end amicably. Taken from this cobrastory: The auction: This resulted in the cars being about 20% more expensive than an Aston Martin. The fuel tank filler was relocated from the fender to the center of the trunk. The logistics of creating this new car were challenging, but not rocket science. During his ownership, CSX 3015 graced the cover of Susan Webbs album Bye-Bye Pretty Baby. So it should not surprise us that the small number of prototype luxury Cobras never made it into production. Only 14 CSX1000, and 2 CSX 7500 cars were built by 2007. This page was last edited on 18 December 2022, at 03:37. Nov 21, 2006. As a result, Maxey could not slow the car and drove it off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean. The FE engine would also go on in 427 cu. The subsequent owner, Tony Maxey, drove the Cobra off a cliff straight into the ocean. The only modification of the front end of the first Cobra from that of the "AC Ace 2.6" was the steering box, which had to be moved outward to clear the wider V8 engine. More recently Acedes Holdings have arranged production of an AC Mark II Classic (in 2012), the AC Mark1 260 Legacy Edition (in 2017), and the AC 378. V8 versions was of course not going to win an economy competition. Buy, Sell, and Trade your Firearms and Gear. AC Cars also produced a Le Mans coup. In January 1962 mechanics at AC Cars in Thames Ditton, Surrey designed the "AC Ace 3.6" prototype with chassis number CSX2000. A small number of cars were also completed on the East Coast of the US by Ed Hugus in Pennsylvania, including the first production car; CSX2001. : Autos: Questions have been raised over Carroll Shelby's claim he's building 43 of his classic Cobras using original chassis. Prices of original Shelby Cobras at auction have become so astronomical that a potential buyer might just need to slip a nitro-glycerin capsule under their tongue to guard against heart failure. The company also set up to produce cars in Malta. In all 480 of the various versions of these cars were produced. Dubbed the Willment Cobra Coupe, this car was fully built by the JWA racing team and numbered 2131 on the frame. Shelby's personal Super Snake was sold at. Shelby authorized continuations of the original AC-built Cobra series. [Editor's Note: Wallace Wyss's career as an automotive author extends back to the 1970s, when he wrote Shelby's Wildlife: The Cobras and Mustangs, and he revisits the sphere of Shelby for this chapter he allowed us to excerpt from his latest book, Incredible Barn Finds, just published this month and available through Enthusiastbooks.com .] Of these models 14 of the CSX1000 series Cobras were made and two of the CSX 7500 up to 2007. The last remaining Super SnakeCSX 3015, powered by a side-oiler 427, to which Shelby strapped not one but two Paxton superchargershas now returned to the auction block and will appear at Barrett-Jacksons March Scottsdale sale. R&T found the arrangement quite logical, since the gentlest driving nets just about 9 mpg. The magazine dubbed it the Cobra to end all Cobras, and it logged 11-second quarter-mile times. Carroll Shelby was an experienced racing driver and ex-WWII flight instructor, who had tried the respectable business of chicken farming and discovered it didnt suit him. Both cars were numbered following where the original ledger entries left off during the 1960s. in. Designed for auto-cross events, only two examples were produced, the CSX2522 "Slalom Special", and the CSX2537 "Slalom Snake". So the idea of helping Carroll Shelby create a challenger to the Corvette based on a British chassis with a V8 engine was just not something that GM was going to support. Cobras were also prepared by customers using the drag package. How do I know what Diamondback bike I have? Maxey, suffering the same issues as Cosby did with the car, had his throttle stick while leaving a traffic stop, lost control and drove it off a cliff, landing in the Pacific Ocean waters. They set about putting a continuation Shelby Cobra in production which they called the Autokraft Mk IV. Shelby offered a drag package, known as the Dragon Snake, which won several NHRA National events with Bruce Larson or Ed Hedrick at the wheel of CSX2093.[14]. . However, only 3 right-hand drive and 2 left-hand drive carbon-fibre AC Mk Vs powered by 254kW (340hp; 345PS) 5-litre (305cuin) Ford V8 engines were built before the Maltese operation closed. When the Cobras throttle jammed, Maxey lost control of the car and plunged into the Pacific Ocean. CSX 3303 had been crashed heavily by owner Tony Maxey, who later succumbed to injuries received in the accident. "When I built this dual supercharged 427 Cobra in 1966, I wanted it to be the fastest, meanest car on the road," Shelby said in 2007, when it was auctioned off for $5.5 million. Both standard and competition versions were capable of sucking fuel through the Holley four-barrel, 780 cfm carburetor freely enough to bring fuel consumption down into single digits, and driven hard into the low single digits. Unfortunately, the car was not able to receive the development it needed, as resources were aimed at taking the crown from Ferrari in the GT class. . I do not know the name of the owner to share with you guys at this time (sorry). In 2017, the AC Mrk1 260 Legacy edition was released in a limited production of nine cars. Shelby American sold Cosbys supercharged Cobra (CSX 3303) to S&C Ford in San Francisco, where it was purchased by Tony Maxey. AC Car Group introduced two new models for 1997; the Carbon Road Series, a carbon fiber bodied car powered by a 225 bhp Ford V8 engine, and the Superblower which featured a more expensive aluminum body and was powered by a supercharged 4,942cc Ford V8 developing a robust 320 bhp. in. The wreck occured in the US. In 2012, the AC Mrk II Classic was released. Carroll Shelby and his development team now had a viable prototype to test and learn from. That car was later sold to a San Francisco car dealer, which sold it to Tony Maxey, who drove it off a cliff, totaled the car and died in the horrific accident. Two further chassis were ordered number CSX 3054 and CSX 3055. Carroll Shelby retained it for a time, but in late 1968 he put it up for sale. Available in either aluminum or fiberglass bodies. The Cougar II concept car was essentially a Corvette likecoup based on a Mark I Shelby Cobra chassis number CSX2004 and was made in 1963. The result was that some damage was likely to occur in transit which needed to be rectified once the car arrived at Carroll Shelbys workshop in the States. The only other twin-supercharged Super Snake, CSX3015, was recently sold at Barrett-Jackson for 5.5 million dollars. The 3 inch tubing main chassis frame was upgraded to 4 inch diameter tubing. Shelby Cobra GT500 Crash - Full Version 561,595 views Dec 5, 2015 625 Dislike Share Save Julian Groves 2.88K subscribers This version contains the 1st run with traction control on and 2nd run. This AC Cobra was built by Hot Rods by Boyd in the late '80s. In 2009, AC licensed Gullwing GmbH in Germany, dba AC-Automotive, to produce the AC MK VI, with an aluminium coated composite body and powered by a 6.2-litre (380cuin) 328-kilowatt (440hp; 446PS) LS3 Chevrolet engine, or a 410kW (550hp; 558PS) supercharged version. While he still owned his car, after running into comedian Bill Cosby at a supermarket in Playa del Rey, California, near his condominium, Shelby chided Cosby for preferring Ferraris. Bill Cosby would have loved this one. Carroll ShelbyGT40 . He went back with a bunch of cars on the transporter and Shelby told them he wasn't going to pay themthat they owed it to him. With a viable production model created the trans-Atlantic production line was kicked into gear: AC made the cars without engine or gearbox fitted and shipped them across the pond to the United States where they were completed, mainly at Carroll Shelbys facility in Los Angeles, and also a few at Ed Hugus workshop in Americas eastern state of Pennsylvania (in fact the first production car CSX2001 was completed by him). Not only did the body need to be able to help the car slip through the air but it also needed to remain stable at those speeds. One day, when Maxey was driving his Super Snake, the throttle jammed open. It is to be noted that Maxey's accident was largely speculated as suicide. stand-up comedy album in honor of the no-nonsense roadster that scared him to death. The Slalom Special and Slalom Snake package was designed to prepare cars for auto-cross type competition. ACs engineers were going to be able to make a lighter car with just as much power, and it was going to make the gorgeous V8 exhaust noise that we all just love. Two new 'Cobra' style cars were launched in 1997, the 'Superblower', an aluminium-bodied car with a supercharged 4,942-cubic-centimetre (301.6cuin) Ford V8 providing 239kW (320hp; 324PS) and the cheaper 'Carbon Road Series' (CRS) with a carbonfibre body and a 168kW (225hp; 228PS) version of the Ford V8 engine. "[16] CSX3015 was auctioned on 22 January 2007, at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event in Scottsdale, Arizona, for $5 million plus commission (2.8 million), a record for a vehicle made in the U.S.[17]. Its an uncommon car whose history and cultural significance are as eye-popping as its performance, and this twin-Paxton Cobra certainly qualifies as such. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Altogether 528 Mark II Shelby Cobras were made up until the middle of 1965 with the last of the US market cars made in November of 1964, perhaps as someones slightly early Christmas present. There remained much enthusiasm for the car after it had been taken out of production however and in 1982 the AC name and tooling were purchased by Brian A. Angliss AutoKraft company.