Aluminum-Bodied 2008 Shelby Cobra Is Built To Race!

(Photo Credit: Bring A Trailer)

If you were lucky enough to have grown up in the early ’60s, then you might remember a man named Carroll Shelby and his love for hot-rodded for Mustangs and Cobras. Before Carroll ever graced a Ford Mustang though, there was his own Cobra creation. Powered by a 289ci small-block Ford V8, Carroll’s special Cobra models became the first American-made FIA world champion in 1965.

“Driving race cars was an avenue for me to learn how to build my own car, and that was my ambition all along,”as Carroll himself once said.

We salute him in his endeavors, which brings us to the Cobra we see before us today. Built as one of the Shelby continuation cars, this aluminum-bodied 2008 Cobra found on Bring A Trailer wears its CSX4400 chassis number proudly, and is available at auction now.

With just a few days left ticking away, this Shelby Cobra shows just under 2,600 miles on its odometer. It’s powered by a Ford FE V8 which was built by Keith Craft, and is based on an aluminum Ford 427 block. However, the difference between a “run of the mill” Cobra and this one, is that it has been bored and stroked to 482 cubes. It is said to produce 610 horsepower. And while having a massive, 7.0-plus-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine up front probably takes the cake for most, keep reading and you may find yourself a bit surprised.

(Photo credit: Bring A Trailer)

2008 Shelby Cobra Details

As mentioned earlier, the Keith Craft-built 482ci V8 is based on an all-aluminum 427 FE big-block Ford V8. The fresh engine produces 610 horsepower at the flywheel, and is transferred to a four-speed Toploader manual transmission (which is shifted via a period-correct, steeply raked shifter) and a Dana 44 rearend using an aluminum Shelby housing. The fully front- and rear-independent suspension complements the chassis of this Cobra with its 4-inch round-section-tubing atop the aforementioned all-aluminum body.

We all know how rare the aluminum-bodied Cobras are, and this example carries its CSX4400 SB100 tag to prove its authenticity. The car is being offered on behalf of the current owner, who is located out of California, with a clean Montana title. It was purchased by the current owner in 2015, having since been serviced by acclaimed Cobra experts McCluskey Ltd.

Along with the addition of a 40-gallon fuel tank, Wilwood front brakes and a brand-new pair of Holley Performance fuel pumps, the folks at McCluskey have performed all of the general maintenance on the car. According to the original ad, the car will come with receipts showing nearly $20,000 in recent work, dating to when the car had just 100 miles.

According to the listing, “the current owner had period-style Smiths gauges fitted by McCluskey in place of the Carroll Shelby Signature items noted on the build sheet, though the original gauges are included.”

Along with period-style racing harnesses, you’ll find Carroll Shelby’s signature displayed on the vinyl finished dashboard, as well as an optional heater/defroster system and a fresh-air-vent for the driver.

Looking for more details on this Shelby Cobra? With an original price tag of nearly a quarter of a million dollars, we’d be hard pressed to see this Shelby auction for anything less than six figures. We encourage you to checkout the original ad here for more information.

About the author

Harrison Noble

Living in San Diego for most of his life, Harrison was exposed to a variety of cars at an early age. His passion for anything that is fast, or has a V8, brought him to Power Automedia.
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