in. Subscribe for more videos! The car Shelby built for Cosby, with a reputed 900 bhp was downright scary. Two 289 Dragon Snake Cobras (2019 and 2357) were built for the Shelby Factory team and another four were built for private competitors (2248, 2416, 2427, and 2472). Carroll Shelby. AC accomplished this by creating a Mark III Cobra version fitted with a small block Ford 289 cu. This was not to last as an act of sabotage (newspaper in the fuel tank) began to block the fuel filter. It was built and sold in Europe until late 1969. And despite the fact that it is not likely to be a production car that makes enormous sums of money in company profit, it continues to have passionate people taking the commercial risk to continue making them. Shelby says he's the victim of a business feud. In 1986, Autokraft (as a joint venture with Ford joining in 1987) purchased AC Cars, and produced the AC Mk IV Cobra, with a 186kW (250hp; 253PS) at 4,200rpm, 4,942-cubic-centimetre (301.6cuin) Ford V8, which provided a top speed of 134mph (215km/h) and 062mph (0100km/h) in 5.2seconds. Shelby American internal production records show that the car was shipped to Shelby American for evaluation and review in early 1966. Cosby used it in a comedy sketch, "200 M.P.H.," and on a 1968 album of the same name, but soon returned it, perhaps after taking the wheel and sensing his mortality. We dont know how far Bill Cosby drove the car, perhaps around the block, but he gave the keys back to Carroll Shelby and politely suggested that hed just keep on driving his tame Ferrari. Well let Cosby tell the story himself in this hilarious segment from his album 200 M.P.H., but suffice it to say the Cobra terrified him. Perhaps the most famous of all the Shelby Cobras are the Mark III cars built to the Super Snake specification. Shelby admitted that the chassis had been manufactured in 1991 and 1992 by McCluskey Ltd, an engineering firm in Torrance, California, and were not original AC chassis, however Shelby denied having misled anyone and said he was a victim of a campaign by Brian Angliss, a British competitor, who owned AC at the time and was also building Cobras from the original tooling and wished to enhance his sales by smearing Shelby's car. CSX3303 was totaled, and Maxey died of his injuries days later. The Ferrari dusted the Cobra, provoking Shelby to build the two wildest Cobras in history. To build a car that sports car people will really want to own above all others you have to create something that appeals to the heart, not just the mind. Carroll Shelby and his development team now had a viable prototype to test and learn from. This is huge money for a non-original Cobra, and is nice to see Boyd cars pulling huge numbers. . "[16] CSX3015 was auctioned on 22 January 2007, at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event in Scottsdale, Arizona, for $5 million plus commission (2.8 million), a record for a vehicle made in the U.S.[17]. It was so much faster and more powerful than the earlier Cobras that Carroll Shelby had to give it a longer chassis, wider wheels and tires, upgraded suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes. Its a car that makes every driving experience unforgettable. Shelby didnt fulfill the 100-car homologation quota, but it didnt stop him from promoting his cars off-track. The car failed to finish its Sebring race, something that may have been a bit of a relief for Teabag Teddy. Photos courtesy Barrett-Jackson. The company also built a lightweight version of the Mark IV Cobra which tipped the scales at2,360 lb (1,070 kg) whilst the standard Mark IV weighed 2,620 lb (1,190 kg). This left Carroll Shelby with competition specification cars that he could not sell, so these were modified by the fitting of windshields and de-tuning the engines to make them suitable for use as road cars. Unfortunately this turned out to not be a happy marriage. Like this article? Maxey destroyed himself and CSX 3303 by driving off a cliff and into the Pacific Ocean. Maxey, suffering the same issues as Cosby did with the car, lost control and drove it off a cliff, landing in the Pacific Ocean waters. Styling was done by Italian design house Vignale and the car featured gull-wing doors. The steel body was designed and built by Pietro Frua until 1973. Bill Cosby and his daughter got into the Super Snake and started the engine. in. Shelby American sold it to S and C Motors in San Francisco, who then sold it to their customer, Tony Maxey. AC had already made most of the modifications needed for the small-block V8 when they installed the 2.553-litre (156cuin) inline 6 Ford Zephyr engine, including the extensive rework of the AC Ace's front end bodywork. Very rare cobra rumored for sale. This AC Cobra was built by Hot Rods by Boyd in the late '80s. The subsequent owner, Tony Maxey, drove the Cobra off a cliff straight into the ocean. The newly branded Super Snake was bought by musician Jimmy Webb. Pride Automotive purchased the company in 1996 establishing AC Car Group. However in 1962 the new MGB sports car was introduced and it was fitted with a rack and pinion steering assembly that would work well in the AC Ace chassis. One 427 Dragon Snake, 3198, was produced. The story of Carroll Shelby and the Shelby Cobra is a story of a man who dared, and created a car that won the hearts and minds of sports car fans all around the world. 2024 Corvette E-Ray First Ride: A Vette like no other, 2024 Corvette E-Ray Revealed: 655-hp, AWD hybrid is the quickest Vette ever, When L.A.s most notorious gangster built a bulletproof Cadillac, 5 affordable classics that ended 2022 on a high, This is the most powerful Aston Martin ever made, Our fighter pilots Lexus suffers the the taxi of shame, On this day in 1953, America met the Corvette, Inflation Beaters: Cars to Invest in Jason Cammisa presents the 2023 Hagerty Bull Market, All Rise for the Judge: $1.1M Ram Air IV is worlds most expensive GTO, 7 pristine Lotus Elans to lighten your moodand wallet. Only 55 427 c.i. That car was later sold to a San Francisco car dealer, which sold it to Tony Maxey, who drove it off a cliff, totaled the car and died in the horrific accident. They had been through enough difficulty in turning their Corvette into a viable sports car and had almost given up on it. in. Bristol engines for the AC Ace two-seater sports car had recently been discontinued so AC agreed, provided a suitable engine could be found. Shelby crafted a second model, CSX 3303, from a street version. He returned it to Shelby, and eventually the vehicle found its way to another customer named Tony Maxey. There was a second Super Snake built, based on a 1967 427 road car, chassis CSX 3303 was initially a public relations car, but Shelby America converted her into a Super Snake too, sold to a dealer in San Fransisco after which she ended up with Tony Maxey unfortunately both Tony and CSX 3303 got involved in a serious, lethal accident, the car was a total-loss, which makes CSX 3015 the only . More recently Acedes Holdings have arranged production of an AC Mark II Classic (in 2012), the AC Mark1 260 Legacy Edition (in 2017), and the AC 378. The downside of doing this was that the weight of the brake assembly was mounted in the hub, dramatically increasing unsprung weight and thus making the cars rear end less stable on rough surfaces. Only 1 example was manufacturered, chassis number COB 1001. Both cars were numbered following where the original ledger entries left off during the 1960s. This car was designed for the 427 cu. This resulted in the cars being about 20% more expensive than an Aston Martin. The initial CSX4000 series cars were completed from the chassis built by Mike McCluskey with NOS and reconditioned parts. == http://bit.ly/WgHvlH === At a local car show, we were thanking everyone for coming. They set about putting a continuation Shelby Cobra in production which they called the Autokraft Mk IV. Oil Filter Adapter. Road and Track called this car "The Cobra to End All Cobras." Shelby's Al Dowd called the car a beast after goosing it on a freeway onramp and ending up pointing the wrong way. Maxey, suffering the same issues as Cosby did with the car, had his throttle stick while leaving a traffic stop, lost control and drove it off a cliff, landing in the Pacific Ocean waters . There were a small number of one-off cars built on the Cobra chassis by Ford whilst they toyed with the idea of creating a head to head competitor to the Chevrolet Corvette. CSX 3303 was shipped to one of the Shelby dealers S&C Ford of San Francisco where it was purchased by a man named Tony Maxey. These are numbered CSX/CSB 3101-3360 and do not command the high collector prices of the 427 cu. No matter what you call it, CSX 3015 has been one of the legends of the Shelby world since Carroll had his crew bolt on those Paxtons, and its reputation was clearly helped by everybody who listened to 200 M.P.H. As Bill Cosby tells the story the car was terrifying in the driveway, before hed even put it in reverse to back out. A feat it accomplished gaining first place in the GT class, and finishing in fourth place overall. [2][25], During the continuation period, Kirkham Motorsports were contracted by Shelby to produce rolling Cobra body/chassis units but this did not end amicably. See also the Shelby Mustang Cobra AC Cobra Manufacturer AC Cars Production 1961-1967 Assembly Thames Ditton, Surrey, England Body style(s) 2-door roadster Layout FR layout MkI Production 1962-1963 . The Ferrari was driven by Shelbys (former) attorney, Stan Mullin; the Cobra by Shelby himself. Prices of original Shelby Cobras at auction have become so astronomical that a potential buyer might just need to slip a nitro-glycerin capsule under their tongue to guard against heart failure. "[citation needed], "Shelby Cobra" redirects here. Low volume car makers, such as AC, tended to use off the shelf components wherever possible and so the MGB rack and pinion steering was mated to a Volkswagen steering column. This construction method is quite complex, although rigid, and is prone to corrosion. CSX 3303 was destroyed when Maxey tragically drove it off a cliff and into the Pacific Ocean. CSX 3303 was given to comedian Bill Cosby, his close friend. A real sports car has a look, a sound, and a feel that pushes out quiet and conservative Dr. Jekyl and instead ignites the inner Mr. Hyde. For the 2004 Ford Shelby Cobra Concept, see, "Shelby 427" redirects here. The bodywork and chassis were soon scrapped.[21]. AC also produced the AC 428 Frua on a stretched Cobra 427 MK III coil spring chassis. Shelby and his engineers fit the unsuspecting Competition coupe with two Paxton superchargers, each feeding 6 psi of air into one of the 427s two Holley 4V carburetors. AC Car Group introduced two new models for 1997; the Carbon Road Series, a carbon fiber bodied car powered by a 225 bhp Ford V8 engine, and the Superblower which featured a more expensive aluminum body and was powered by a supercharged 4,942cc Ford V8 developing a robust 320 bhp. The car was built on the first of the Mark III chassis, number CSX3001. (4.95 liter) Ford V8 mated to a Borg Warner T5 Transmission. So it was that Carroll Shelby suggested to Bill Cosby that, as a patriotic American, he really should be driving an American car. Tony Maxey . The Willment race team became interested in Shelby's Cobra-based coupe and inquired on purchasing one. Cosby reportedly drove the car only once and then it was sold to a Mr Tony Maxey who ended up driving off a cliff into the Pacific ocean thus destroying the car. Of these models 14 of the CSX1000 series Cobras were made and two of the CSX 7500 up to 2007. Both companies are licensed to produce traditional aluminum-body models: Ruddspeed, 289, and 427 continuation Aces and Cobras. The steering rack was borrowed from the MGB while the new steering column came from the VW Beetle. It was powered by the "side oiler" Ford 7.0L (427cuin) FE engine equipped with a single 4-barrel 780 CFM Holley carburetor rated at 317kW (425hp; 431PS) at 6000 rpm and 651Nm (480lbft) at 3700 rpm of torque,[12] which provided a top speed of 264km/h (164mph) in the standard model. R&T found the arrangement quite logical, since the gentlest driving nets just about 9 mpg. The magazine dubbed it the Cobra to end all Cobras, and it logged 11-second quarter-mile times. Even if youre not a dedicated racing enthusiast, you know of the rivalry between Carroll Shelby and Enzo Ferrari, thanks to the 2019 film starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale. "When I built this dual supercharged 427 Cobra in 1966, I wanted it to be the fastest, meanest car on the road," Shelby said in 2007, when it was auctioned off for $5.5 million. . Carroll Shelby seems to have developed a great affection for the car and said of it that it would wake whole towns and blow out windows: twin Paxton superchargers and around 800 hp, we think he was not exaggerating! 7685000 . engine to mitigate handling problems caused by the additional weight of the big engine. The way Bill Cosby describes the car it might better be described as The Cobra to end all Cobra Drivers. Incensed that comedian Bill Cosby had an affinity for European sports cars, Carroll Shelby vowed to build him a twin-supercharged custom Cobra that would go over 200 mph - faster than any car Steve McQueen owned. CC Member : Join Date: Jul 2007. 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tony maxey shelby cobra