The First Ever Shelby Cobra Sold At Auction

Let’s be honest here, Carroll Shelby was an absolute legend. The American automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur created some of the most iconic cars ever made. Among his best works of art is the Shelby AC Cobra. In 2016, Shelby’s greatest experiment headed to auction at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale. The car, pictured here, chassis CSX 2000, sold for a whopping $13.75 million. Sure, that’s a hefty price tag but honestly, we’re surprised it didn’t go for $20 million or more.

The car arrived in the U.S in February of 1962, sans engine. Shelby installed a 260 cubic inch Ford V8. The Cobra was extremely low-weight with a surprising amount of power. Road tests pegged a 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds, and quarter mile figure of 13.8 seconds. Oh, and the top speed? 153 mph. Pretty impressive numbers even now, never mind in 1962. We’ll be sure to let you know if it ever comes up for sale again. Until then, enjoy these photos and try not to drool.

Source: MotorTrend, Jalaponik, Road and Track, AutoEvolution , Classic Car Auctions