1965 Shelby 427 Cobra
- Engine
- 428 cu in (6.9L) V8, ~385 bhp, dual four-barrel carburetors
- Colour
- Bright red
CSX 3178 is a 1965/66 Shelby 427 Cobra equipped with a 428 cubic-inch V-8 and automatic transmission, delivered in grey primer to Shelby American in Los Angeles before billing to Horn-Williams Ford in Texas. Uniquely, the sole documented owner throughout the car's life was Carroll Shelby himself, who retained it until his death. The car underwent a specialist restoration in 1972 and a further in-house refresh by the Shelby team in the early 2000s, after which it was displayed at Shelby's Las Vegas headquarters.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$1,375,000
- 1965 →Acquisition unknownCarroll Shelbyfull documentation
Sole confirmed owner throughout his lifetime; kept the car alongside CSX 2000 and had it restored twice, most recently by the in-house Shelby team in the early 2000s, after which it was displayed at Shelby headquarters primarily in Las Vegas.
- Date unknownFactory deliveryHorn-Williams Fordpartial documentation
Texas dealership to which the car was originally billed by Shelby American, though it appears the transaction may not have resulted in actual transfer of possession.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1972RestorationMike McCluskey
Full restoration carried out under Carroll Shelby's direction, resulting in a Guardsman Blue finish with a gold nose stripe; a custom roll bar was fitted at this time and has remained on the car since.
McCluskey was regarded as a leading authority on Cobras at the time.
- —RestorationShelby American
In-house refurbishment undertaken by the Shelby team in the early 2000s, led by production supervisor Tom Di'Antonio. Work included substantial engine attention, transmission rebuild, interior re-trim, and a repaint in bright red; carburetion was changed to a single four-barrel unit. Original components were retained wherever possible, including the roll bar and Kelsey-Hayes Sunburst wheels.
Confirmed by Gary Patterson, Vice President at Shelby; Di'Antonio has since retired.
- —ServiceShelby American
Ongoing maintenance by Shelby factory staff following the early-2000s restoration, while the car was on display primarily at the Las Vegas headquarters.
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