Widely accepted as the most important American sports car ever, the CSX 2000 is often credited for revolutionising the automotive world with blistering pace that would be impressive for a brand new car hitting showrooms today.
Born when Carroll Shelby crammed a lightweight Ford V8 engine into a modified AC Ace chassis, the original Shelby Cobra signalled the start of the manufacturer’s humongous automotive legacy which includes the AC Cobra and the Shelby Mustang, a performance-focussed twist on Ford’s famous muscle car.
But just how fast was the Shelby Cobra? Well, when Road & Track magazine tested it in 1962, they recorded a 0-60mph sprint of 4.2 seconds, a standing quarter-mile run in 13.8 seconds at 112 mph, and a top speed of 153 mph.
That kind of pace makes it about as quick as a Lamborghini Gallardo, so imagine how many minds it blew back in the ‘60s.
The original Cobra never left Carroll Shelby’s ownership right up until the day he died due to heart problems in 2012, aged 89.
To drum up interest in the fledgling company, it was painted different colours to trick the public into thinking there was more than one Cobra and that orders were rolling in for the car. In reality, it was the only Cobra in existence for seven months until production finally got into full swing.
We can only guess how much it will go for when it is auctioned at by RM Sotheby’s in California on August 19th, but we’d expect it to fetch seven figures easy.
“When it comes to American sports cars, CSX 2000 is without peers,” said Shelby Myers, car specialist at RM Sotheby’s.
“Its historical significance and impact on the global sports car scene cannot be overstated. In the automotive world, CSX 2000 was the shot heard ‘round the world; it revolutionised not only American racing, but the greater auto industry as a whole.”
Mr Myers added that without the original Shelby Cobra, “the automotive landscape and sports cars as we know them would be very different”.
For more articles like this, receive our weekly e-newsletter, including partner deals and all things motoring, register your email below.
Please note: You cannot subscribe to Smart-Motoring unless you put a tick in the checkbox below to indicate have read and agreed to our privacy policy.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.