1966 Shelby Cobra 427
HIGHLIGHTS
Desirable Early 427 Cobra, One of Only 260 Produced
Exacting Restoration By Noted Marque Expert Dave Wagner
Original Sales and Delivery Documentation
Retains Original Drivetrain
All Five Original Magnesium Halibrand Wheels
Known History From New, With Low Mileage
SPECIFICATIONS
Chassis Number - CSX3107
Engine – 427ci, Eight Cylinder, Two Carburetors
Gearbox – 4 Speed Manual
Drivetrain - Front-Engine, RWD
Price - SOLD
OVERVIEW
SHELBY - A name that that is cemented in our car culture. No matter your interest level or background, there is a part of the Shelby history that will resonate with you. From humble roots as a bunch of hot rodders putting bigger motors in a lighter chassis, to a string of victories at the 24 Hours of LeMans, Carroll Shelby and team were going like hell in the 1960s.
Carroll Shelby formed Shelby American in 1962 to focus on the modification of cars, and was located at the epicenter of the car world at this time, Southern California. Shelby was a master at marketing and had a long history with Ford Motor Company during this decade. Shelby American was involved with the Shelby Daytona Coupe (penned by Peter Brock), Ford GT40 program, the Mustang based Shelby GT350, and the AC Cobra.
Arguably the most iconic of Shelby’s creations is the AC Cobra, more commonly known as the Shelby Cobra. The Cobra was the car that truly put Shelby on the map in racing, as the Cobras went up against the successful Corvettes, Ferraris, and other sports cars of the era. And they won. Over and over. SCCA Production Series, United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC), FIA, Daytona, Sebring, etc. Shelby American with Ford went on to win the World Manufacturer’s GT Championship – the first (and still only) American Manufacturer to win that coveted title.
The Cobra started with a 260ci engine, for the first street cars, and was soon upgraded to a 289ci unit. Well over 600 small block Cobras were built for street/competition use and achieved a high degree of success and notoriety during that production run. But why stop at a small block if you have a bigger shoehorn to get a big block in there…Ford was happy to oblige with more motors to help the next step of the evolution.
Just 260 street 427 Cobras were produced. The early cars, like CSX3107 here, had the correct 427 side-oiler big block Ford motors, while later cars were fitted with 428 motors as a cost cutting initiative. The 428 motor was a long stroke design with a smaller bore, that Ford produced at lower cost, intended for road use rather than racing.
According to the original paperwork, CSX3107 was first produced by AC Cars in England in May of 1965 and shipped to Shelby American for the drivetrain work. Consistent with the early 427 build date, the car has early features such as square taillights, side oiler 427 engine, dual Holley carburetors, oil cooler intake, and magnesium Halibrand wheels.
First sold in September of 1965, CSX3107 was delivered to Tasca Ford in Providence, Rhode Island. Delivered via truck from Los Angeles to Rhode Island, the first owner was a Ms. Beatrice McCracken (via Portland Motor Sales in Portland, Maine), who apparently purchased the car for her then 15 ½ year old son as his first car. The story continues that his mother grew tired of the young McCracken’s propensity to make rear tires go bald and had him sell the car in early 1966.
Upon sale in 1966, the car was involved in an accident damaging the front and driver’s side. It fell into a period of very limited use for the next 20 years after being acquired by Mr. Vaugh Wright (still in Maine), who fixed the car enough to drive, but did not complete the cosmetic work.
Discovered in 1988 by a Mr. Jay Cushman in Maine, there are included photos of the condition of the car at that time. Appearing to be stripped to bare aluminum, on period 1960s Goodyear tires, the car looks to be complete and in running condition. Cushman purchased the car in 1989 and sold it to Mr. David Livingston, a collector in the Seattle, WA area.
Mr. Livingston sent the car to Tom Kirkham at TKO in Provo, Utah for a full restoration. The team at TKO brought the car back to correct running condition with a full repaint in the original shade of Rangoon Red, as well as undertaking some upgrades to the car to Semi-Competition (S/C) features. These changes were very popular in the early 1990s, and included a driver’s side roll bar, side pipes, recessed fuel filler, hood scoop, and quick jacks.
Upon completion of the restoration in 1992, the car was sold to David Keyes of Bellevue, WA, who showed the car at least twice that are documented. The car achieved a 1st place award at SAAC-17 in Portland, Oregon in July of 1992, and another 1st place award at SAAC-30 in Fontana, California in July of 2005.
The current owner acquired the car from Mr. Keyes in 2007, and enjoyed using the car on numerous tours and rallies with other Cobra owners and friends throughout the country. After a decade of use and enjoyment, the car was sent to Cobra specialist Dave Wagner in 2017 for a correct and comprehensive restoration to original specifications that was completed in May of 2018. That restoration process was documented in over 225 photos that accompany the car. The car was carefully disassembled, correct changes made, and restored to a top level both cosmetically and mechanically where needed.
Uniquely offered with a treasure trove of original details – original Shelby chassis plate, original keys, chassis stampings, original drivetrain, original magnesium Halibrand wheels, and original green FoMoCo tags on the dual quad Holley carburetors. Additionally, it is offered with a soft top and header bows, two tonneau covers (original and reproduction), jack, grease gun, photo documentation of the recent restoration, and original AC/Shelby delivery documentation.
CSX3107 is a highly desirable big block Cobra 427 to add to your collection today. Having covered less than 100 miles since the complete concours restoration in 2018, it is ready for any worldwide event from a judged concours to 1000-mile rallies. The Shelby Cobra has proven to be one of the worldwide blue-chip automotive collectibles, with a motorsports pedigree in the Shelby name that is unmatched.
Please contact Jason Harris at +1-206-355-7727 for more information on this 1966 Shelby Cobra 427.
