Carroll Shelby International and DenBeste Motorsports have announced that production of the highly anticipated 427 Shelby Cobra Competition racecar is continuing, with three cars finished and four more in process. These turnkey racecars represent the final offering from the original Competition big block Cobra series that started in 1965, and are identical to the handful of original roadsters manufactured in the 1960s.
“When Carroll Shelby and Ford designed the big block Cobra, they planned to race the car,” said Bill DenBeste, CEO of DenBeste Motorsports. “However, Ford asked Shelby American to shift direction and take over the struggling Ford GT program. Only a handful of the ultimate big block Shelby Cobras were built. We’re finishing that run of Competition cars with a Shelby 427 Cobra so perfect that each gets an original CSX3000 series serial number. This is a rare opportunity to own a new, original Competition Shelby Cobra.”
In 1964, Shelby American and Ford developed a new evolution of the existing small block Cobra featuring an entirely new suspension and a stronger frame to accommodate the increased power from Ford’s 427-cid NASCAR V8. The Cobras were so different they were assigned a new VIN series, beginning with CSX3000. In 2014, the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust and DenBeste Motorsports agreed to finish the remainder of the series as pure racecars built to the FIA GT class specs.
Each competition chassis Cobra features a hand-rolled aluminum body prepared by Cobra restorer Drew Serb, and an original style interior. The engine is a period correct cast-iron Ford side oiler 427 with medium riser cylinder heads connected to a correct 4-speed gearbox. The car’s Girling brakes and other original parts have been sourced with the guidance of Cobra expert Mike McCluskey.
Further information is available at http://www.denbestemotorsports.com/build-cobra/shelby-427-competition-cobra.
