SAAC Forum

I know it's way below the real price for a real cat, but it' sad that even the Europeans, who are normally smug about which are real cars are now advertising replicas listed for example as  "1965 Cobra" when they might have been made as recently as 2022. I think it should be an international law that you can only title a car ad with the year it was constructed. But then you have the problem of year it was constructed vs, year first put on sale, I had two 300SL coupes made in '54 yet most reference sites say they were '55 to '57 models.

When they hid the plate you know it's not theirs to sell and no SN again , not even name of dealer. still when it's price ten times more than other Cobras  in Germany you wonder if it's real?
Price
144,000 EUR
Make
Ac
Model
Cobra
Mi
12,700 km
Year
1967
Fuel type
Petrol
Body type
Convertible
City
Heidelberg
Power
374 kW (509 HP)

messy website, no SN , no history of car
https://www.ooyyo.com/germany/c=CDA31D7114D2854F111BFE6FBA65355B0CB31D6617F286/8765627733610334454.html/

Sorry this is so fragmentary...

Lots of good pictures on the dealer's site. It's in Hong Kong

https://www.classicinsider.com/single-post/fordmustangfastback

I think new cars that arre  LHD are illegal to sell in Aussieland so even used LHD must be hard to sell...and this one's  left hooker
1963 Shelby Cobra MK I 289



View all photos at this website  https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGrbbzqxZgPWDvBlkCsxZnPFgbc


Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this fabulous 1963 Shelby Cobra MK I 289.

According to the World Registry of Cobras & GT40s, this particular car was the 105th of 126 Mk I Cobras built and one of only 51 Mk I Cobras fitted with the 289 engine. It was originally finished in blue with a black interior. The car was delivered new on the 4th January 1963 to Shelby America and then shipped to New York on the 4th April 1963 on board the 'SS Vlist". It was invoiced to Coventry Motors, Walnut Creek, California on the 6th May 1963.

The earliest known owner, Mr. William Nicholas from Mill Valley, California, acquired the car in the late 1960's or early 1970's. The car is documented as carrying the yellow on black California licence plate CCZ907 in August 1976. In circa 1978 the car was acquired by Ed Breith from San Remo, California. During Breith's ownership the car was refurbished, which included a repaint in guardsman blue with the addition of the white stripes, fresh chrome, a retrim in black leather and an engine rebuild. The car changed hands a few more times throughout the 1990's in the USA before being acquired by Oldtimer Australia and imported into Brisbane in 2003. The current owner, who is a well-known Shelby enthusiast and collector, acquired this Cobra in 2010.

The Mk I Cobras were all fitted with worm and sector type steering. Many of these early cars had their steering upgraded to a rack and pinion type steering, which was standard on the Mk II Cobras. This particular example has had the steering rack upgrade at some stage.

This Shelby Cobra MK I 289 is no trailer queen and it has been used as Carroll Shelby intended – to be driven! That said, today this car presents exceptionally well. The blue paintwork looks fresh and it carries a high gloss with a strong depth of colour. On closer inspection you will notice a few minor blemishes and stone chips. The external trim, including the chrome, lights/lenses also present well. The only exception is the front 'Shelby' badge and 'Powered by Ford' badges which show some wear. The chrome wire wheels and AC wheel spinners are in excellent condition and a real feature on this car. The wheels are shod with Michelin XWX tyres all round.

The interior of the car presents well with just the right amount patina. The upholstery has aged beautifully and is all in good condition with no rips or tears. The quick release seat belts suit the car perfectly. The dashboard may well be original and whilst the top is in good condition the fascia shows light wear with minor damage in places. The instruments and controls are similarly presented and look to be in working order.

The engine bay looks clean and after opening the bonnet you immediately note that the original Holley 715 carburettor has been replaced with a downdraft Weber set up.

Accompanying the car is a full tonneau cover, which is in excellent condition and a soft top which probably hasn't seen the light of day in many, many years. It would be for emergency purposes only, but it looks to be in good condition.

It was with great anticipation and excitement that we got behind the wheel of this car for a test drive and it did not disappoint. In fact, it probably exceeded expectations! The weather gods smiled upon us and allowed the beast to be unleashed under a cloudless blue sky. The thumping Ford V8 started easily at the first turn of the key. We expected that the Weber carburettor set up would have made the car a little temperamental, but it didn't. There's no doubt it preferred the open road, but it behaved surprisingly well in traffic. The engine sounds fabulous and has more power than you will ever need. The gearbox is smooth and with a short throw it is easy to shift up and down the box. The steering is light, yet direct and the car handles well. The brakes were more than adequate to pull the car up.  That said you'd really want to get the car on the track to experience its true potential. The car felt tight on the road, though to be honest you would not hear any rattles or squeaks over the roar of the engine!

Highlights:

Documented in the World Registry of Cobras & GT40s
The 105th of 126 Mk I Cobras built and one of only 51 Mk I Cobras with the 289 engine.
Delivered new on the 4th January 1963 to Shelby America.
Invoiced to Coventry Motors, Walnut Creek, California on the 6th May 1963.
Originally finished in blue with a black interior.
Upgraded to later rack and pinion steering at some stage.
Purchased by Oldtimer Australia and imported into Brisbane in 2003.
Acquired by the current owner in 2010.
The Shelby Cobra is one of the most desirable and sought-after world market collector cars. Currently there are only a handful of these amazing cars in Australia. Given the current taxes you would have to pay to import one, it is not very likely that that number will increase. As such, here is a unique opportunity to acquire a rare 1963 Shelby Cobra MK I 289.

This fabulous car is ready for its next custodian to enjoy, show, ta

It's a repaint from original color but looks good to me

https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0123-545393/1965-shelby-289-cobra-roadster/

LIGHTS
CSX2516
HiPo 289 V-8 engine
4-speed manual transmission
Chrome knock-off wire wheels
Delivered new with Class A accessories
Billed to Shelby American on July 21, 1964 and shipped to Los Angeles aboard the SS Dongedyk
Invoiced on October 19, 1964 to Harr Ford in Worcester, Massachusetts
The car was delivered to Massachusetts by Shelby truck
Known ownership includes Biff Bering and David Greene of Houston, Texas in the early 1970s
Acquired in 1975 by Virgil Nelson of Iowa, who retained ownership for 31 years
Nelson sold it in 2006 to Richard Cohen of Del Ray, Florida
Purchased later in 2006 from Cohen by Rick Grant of Dayton, Ohio
Part of the Rick Grant Collection since 2006
Grant commissioned a restoration and had it finished in Red with a Black interior
Displayed at the 2011 Dayton Concours d'Elegance
Copy of Nelson's Iowa title from 1979
History listed in the Shelby Registry

https://www.rcnmag.com/blog/three-must-own-books-about-the-worlds-most-famous-snake

A giant engine with over 600 hp. But how many times has Lublinsky walked back out onto the Cobra stage?

https://www.motor1.com/news/627564/ac-cobra-gt-roadster-teaser/

The misprint sound like $140,000 or so but they corrected it The discussu9in goes into how one guy (not on this car) could fake a 427 side oiler engine, like to hear comments on those comments

https://barnfinds.com/real-cobra-427-on-craigslist/

You can leave a message on his site, which also has feature stories, but the message box isn't big enough and no way to send pictures.

from the auction listing

Chassis no. CM/5/64
Originally built by John Cooper and race prepared by Carroll Shelby with engine transplant
Raced in-period by Bob Bondurant in 1964 and Roy Salvadori in 1965
Comprehensive 5-year ground-up restoration by Dave Handy and Jeff Horne completed in 2020
Restoration overseen by Chuck Brandt, SAAC Registrar for the Cooper cars
New, correct 1964 aluminum bodywork made on a custom Peter Brock made buck
Rollout and shakedown was done in June 2020 at Virginia International Raceway
In storage since the shakedown run
Date-coded 289 CI V-8 engine
Correct and rare Colotti 5-speed manual transmission

-------------------------------------------------------Now for theory: Is the reason Ford didn't go to Cooper and buy the Cooper-Monaco to develop as their endurance racer because  it would have looked like Ford went hat in hand to buy an idea already found by Chevy but in going for the Lola, only one of the three made was out there with a Chevy (bought by John Mecom, Texas millionaire) So going for Lola would look more like Ford was involved with the car from the get-go--particularly when it was introduced it had a Ford V8?

Shelby already had running, driving and racing Cooper Monaco -based Ford 289 cu. in. powered "King Cobras "
in '64, why did Ford ignore those and pour money into the Lola Mk.VI -inspired design? Or was the top end of the open Cooper-Monaco based King Cobra with Ford power still not much better than a Daytona coupe?  (They needed 200 mph plus to beat the Ferraris) Or was it regarded too fragile to carry a coupe body? Seems like they could have gotten ahead faster by funding that car rather than the Lola-inspired one. Maybe it could be reduced to politics--Ford wanted a car engineered at Ford Dearborn and didn't want to run a race car first put together by hot-rodders from a mail order  chassis?  Incidentally lots of good pictures of a King Cobra coming up for auction in Jan. at Kissimmee here:

https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0123-546329/1964-shelby-cooper-monaco-king-cobra/

https://mycarquest.com/2022/12/a-new-ac-cobra-is-coming-in-2023.html

I have seen pictures of the stock white DeTomaso Mangusta once shown at Ford's Design Center wearing a metal SHELBY badge in the grille. i was wondering if anybody ever heard which Ford official was promoting the idea that Ford import the Mangusta and that it be sold as a Shelby. As I understand it,  Ford turned down the Mangusta because of build problems (too much hand labor) but as usual "success has many fathers and failures none" so it's had to find out now who was pushing the Mangusta, which ended up being imported by Kjell Qvale, a SF car importer.

Sorry if i bring up old stories but isn't that what this website is all about--old cars>  A few years ago at the LaJolla concours, a magnificent shoe by the ocean, i saw a red GT40 roadster. Then later I saw it at Laguna Seca at a vintage race. i told the owner that I was told by Steele Therkelson, a Shelby mechanic, that Ford ordered the car destroyed. Carroll Smith told me the same thing--it was coming apart and unsafe to drive. Steele saw a hole dug and the car rolled in and dirt put in top.  But I never read of the re-discovery of the car. I have nothing against tribute cars but would like things properly labeled as such. I wrote the LaJolla concours but they said they can't check out every car.