1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra
- Engine
- 7.0L (427 cu in) cast-iron V8, ~500 bhp, dual four-barrel carburetors
- Colour
- Guardsman Blue with white stripes (subsequently repainted; restored to original specification)
CSX 3011 is a 1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra, one of only 23 examples completed in full race trim from a total of 53 competition chassis. Uniquely, it was retained by Shelby American as a press and publicity vehicle rather than sold directly to a racing team, serving as the cover car for Sports Car Graphic, touring twelve US cities on the Cobra Caravan, and acting as the hero car in the 1966 Elvis Presley film Spinout. It subsequently passed to Mexican Formula One driver Moisés Solana, who raced it in Mexico and the United States. Following a full restoration in Georgia in the early 1980s, the car was later subject to a second, concours-level restoration by Cobra Automotive of Connecticut, completed around 2011 and earning Gold Award honours at SAAC 36.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$3,000,000 – US$3,600,000
- 1965-01-11 → 1966-10-11Factory deliveryShelby Americanfull documentation
Retained as a press and publicity vehicle rather than sold to a privateer; used for magazine testing, a nationwide promotional tour, and loaned to a film studio before eventual sale.
- 1966-10-15 → 1969-07-27Private saleMoisés Solana Arciniegafull documentation
Purchased via Ford of Mexico and delivered to Laredo, Texas; owner specified several custom mechanical upgrades and raced the car in Mexico and the United States until his death in a separate motorsport accident.
- 1969 → 1980InheritanceJuan Carlos Bolanospartial documentation
Received the car from the prior owner's estate as a close friend; continued racing it for a number of years until the original bodywork sustained damage.
- 1978 → 1980-04-09Private saleJim Southardpartial documentation
A Cobra enthusiast from Marietta, Georgia who located the car in Mexico in 1978; his correspondence regarding the engine's originality is included with the car's documentation.
- 1980-04-09 → 1993Private saleConsignorfull documentation
A noted Shelby Cobra collector and vintage racer who commissioned a comprehensive restoration at Cobra Restorers in Kennesaw, Georgia, including new alloy bodywork and a rebuilt engine.
- 1993 → 2006Acquisition unknownIntermediate owner between 1993 and 2006none documentation
The consignor sold the car and subsequently regretted the decision, spending several years attempting to reacquire it.
- 2006 →Private saleConsignorfull documentation
Reacquired after years of effort; commissioned a second thorough restoration back to original factory specification at Cobra Automotive in Wallingford, Connecticut at a cost approaching $300,000.
Competition
- 19841984 Grand Bahamas Vintage Speed WeekDriver: Ron Caudle
The restored car served as the featured poster vehicle for this event, driven or represented by Ron Caudle.
- 2007SAAC 32
Exhibited at Miller Motorsports Park in Erda, Utah; this appearance preceded the car's second full restoration.
- 2011SAAC 36Gold Award class honors
First public appearance following the multi-year restoration by Cobra Automotive; held at Virginia International Raceway.
- —Race in Mexico or the United StatesDriver: Moisés Solana Arciniega
Solana raced the car on multiple occasions in Mexico and the US following delivery in late 1966; specific events are not individually named in the prose.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1966ModificationShelby American
Prior to delivery to its first private owner, the car was fitted with a dry-sump lubrication system, Koni shock absorbers, and shoulder harnesses at the buyer's specification.
- 1980RestorationCobra Restorers
Comprehensive bare-frame restoration using new aluminium bodywork sourced from Brian Angliss of Cobra Parts/Autokraft, along with a fresh interior, chromed roll bar, white side exhaust pipes, and a new coat of Rangoon Red paint.
Workshop located in Kennesaw, Georgia, operated by Chuck Gutke. Restoration commissioned by the consignor after acquiring the car from Jim Southard.
- 1980Engine rebuildCobra Restorers
The 427 racing engine found with the car in Mexico, believed to be original, was fully rebuilt with replacement cylinder heads and a twin-carburettor induction setup before being reinstalled.
Rebuilt as part of the broader 1980 restoration; engine has remained in the car since.
- 2008RestorationCobra Automotive
Extensive three-year concours restoration to original factory specification as presented during the 1965–1966 publicity period, undertaken with input from marque historians and SAAC concours judges. Total expenditure approached $300,000.
Workshop located in Wallingford, Connecticut. Restoration concluded around 2011 in time for the SAAC 36 debut.
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