HomePick of the DayTotally authentic 1964 Shelby Cobra 289

Totally authentic 1964 Shelby Cobra 289

-

As the annual Arizona collector car auction week gets under way shortly, here’s something truly special that could be presented at any of the high-end sales, and should make any gearhead’s eyes tear with longing and desire.

The Pick of the Day is what appears to be an exceptionally nice and totally authentic 1964 Shelby Cobra, with rack-and-pinion-steering and 289 V8, and with noted-enthusiast ownership provenance. As they would say on the auction block, it doesn’t get much better than this.

The aluminum-bodied roadster is powered by a 270-horsepower V8

Here, according to the dealer advertising the Cobra on ClassicCars.com, is the small cast of owners who have cherished this beauty over the years:

“Originally delivered new to Will Stuckey Ford in Pennsylvania, CSX2306 was purchased by first owner, Lowell Martin, in June of 1964. Color was Princess Blue with red leather, wire wheels and full road equipment.

“Eventually selling to Gerald Farris in Mississippi, who was partner in a race team with William Jeanes, the future publisher of Road and Track and Car and Driver magazines.

“Eventually ending up with SAAC Cobra historian Ned Scudder, who owned the car twice for a total of 25 years. Selling it in 2010 to the present owner who had the car comprehensively restored to as-delivered condition.”

The red interior is as original

The lovely Cobra has never been in a crash, the dealer says, and is a “very original example that has been completely restored in its original colors of Princess Blue with red leather.” An album of photos and receipts documenting the restoration is available the seller adds. There’s also a photo of the car being built on the AC assembly line in the U.K. more than a half-century ago.

The authenticity of the car is verified with various chassis number stampings and the original Shelby tag. The Cobra has won multiple awards and has appeared in books and publications. It comes with an extra set of correct wire wheels and its original carburetor, manifold and air cleaner.

The engine has a custom carb setup, but the original comes with it

Needless to say, but I’ll say it anyway, this Cobra is not only a fabulous sports car in every way, it is a historic artifact that could be in a museum. Better yet would be to park it in your garage and drive it with gusto on sunny days.

As for the price tag, you’ll have to contact the seller to hear the huge-number asking price. This Cobra is easily a seven-figure car, so as the saying goes, “if you have to ask…”

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day

Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recent Posts

spot_img