All original – right down to this lovely green color – with less than 15,000 miles from new?

Fitted with a 427 Ford Police Interceptor V8 with extra torque and durability from new when built in 1966?

Yessir!

 

1967 Shelby 427 Cobra

RM Auctions   Sam Pack Collection

14 – 15 November 2014

Lot 188

1967 Shelby 427 Cobra

To be auctioned on Saturday, November 15, 2014

Without Reserve

$1,100,000 – $1,400,000

• Chassis no. CSX 3279

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425 bhp, 427 cu. in. Ford V-8 engine with a single four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, four-wheel coil-spring independent suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 90 in.

• Documented in the SAAC World Registry
• Believed to be just 12,000 miles from new
• Features original Sunburst wheels and Blue Dot tires

THE ULTIMATE ROAD GOING COBRA

If there was ever a car that truly embodied the phrase “there is no replacement for displacement,” the Shelby Cobra is it.

Fitting a 427 under the Cobra’s hood was an idea credited to Shelby American driver Ken Miles, as he believed it would help the Cobra stay competitive against Chevrolet’s big block Corvettes. The 289 Cobra proved to be an excellent and highly competitive racer, but the competition was slowly catching up, and Carroll Shelby needed something that would keep the Corvette in his rearview mirror. Ford’s 427-cubic inch engine was the perfect solution, and shoehorning that engine into the Cobra created a car with simply stupefying performance figures. With Ken Miles behind the wheel, a 427 Cobra completed a 0–100 mph sprint in an incredible 13.2 seconds, which was a performance car benchmark that would become the industry standard for years.

In order to keep the car somewhat civilized on normal roads, a host of modifications were made to better suit the car’s larger engine. A state-of-the-art chassis that utilized a coil-spring suspension rather than the earlier leaf springs was developed specifically for the 427 Cobra, while the existing 289 body was modified to fit on the new chassis and address the car’s wider tires and airflow needs with a wider mouth and scoop below the nose.

Further testing would reveal that the 427 produced a massive amount of heat, making the car almost unbearable in traffic, so additional ventilation was added for the engine and passenger compartments and the car’s cooling system was upgraded. Numerous other modifications were made during development, and some running changes were made during the production run, turning the 427 into a surprisingly excellent street car over time. Handling was responsive, and the interior also benefited from more room over the 289 Cobras.

Just over 260 road going examples of the 427 Cobra were produced by the end of 1966, making them some of the most desirable American automobiles ever produced, not only for their rarity but also for their impact on car culture and the sports car in general.

CHASSIS CSX 3279