At some point every car enthusiast has dreamed of finding that one illustrious barn find. To open the door on some garage in the middle of nowhere and find something with the Boss, Cobra Jet, or Shelby nameplate is tantalizing prospect. For most, this remains a dream that never comes true, but for Tom Cotter, a barn-find hunter, these dreams often become a reality.
Once again, Tom struck gold. This time in a North Carolina garage full of approximately $4 million in rare automobiles. While the Ferrari is cool, we are more interested in that Shelby nameplate we mentioned early. It is on one of the rarest Shelbys of all — the 427 Cobra.
Finding a Cobra in a barn is the ultimate dream. However, we also cannot wait to see this beautiful Shelby Cobra out in the daylight and with the dust washed off. Whether it is in a museum or someone’s collection. This Shelby deserves to be seen and enjoyed by everyone and appreciated for the piece of automotive art that it is. (Photos Credit: Ben Woodworth)
Opening the garage door revealed a 1966 Shelby Cobra 427. Oddly enough, one of around 100 that actually came with the milder 428 Ford engine instead of the 427. Regardless, it’s still an original big-block Cobra. The car is in remarkably original condition with only 19,000 miles. Missing from this roadster are the side pipes and roll bar found commonly on the “kit cars,” which gives the car a clean, classic look.
According the video, the car, along with its Ferrari stablemate, was pulled into the newly built garage in 1991 where it has sat ever since. Facing condemnation from the city, the garage will soon release the rare Shelby Cobra into the light of day again as the owner is forced to hunt new storage for the car. Only time will tell if we see this Cobra roll across the likes of a Barrett-Jackson or Mecum auction blocks. If it does, it is sure to command several million dollars.