Pictures: RM Auctions

There’s one car that demands the utmost respect at any car show, and that is the Shelby Cobra. This is one special car in history that will most likely draw a crowd as well as ignite conversation for true Ford and Shelby racing fans. It comes with quite a history as the Cobra was a successful competitor. But with stiffer competition from Corvettes that were a full 9-seconds-a-lap faster, the Cobra went from carrying a 289 to a cast iron 427 engine, thanks to racer Ken Miles. It was so heavy that the Cobra needed a whole new chassis to support the weight. It was also widened a good five inches and given coil springs all around. We can thank Shelby for making sure it was successful on the track capable of 500 horses.

Here is one professionally restored ’66 (as the title states) Cobra 427 that brought in some big bucks at the recent RM Monterey auction. It sold for a crazy $1,485,000! Do you think Shelby knew that his cars would be worth this much when he first started? This particular car has been restored to “Concours-quality” and was a SCCA Regional Champion back in 1968. Not only that, it was a camera car from the movie, Grand Prix, while supposedly making a few appearances in scenes here and there.

This Cobra was invoiced to Shelby American on January 20, 1965. However, delivery was never picked up and it was sold to Ford Advanced Vehicles in England for promotional purposes under “depreciation” where it ended up on the set of Grand Prix where it was painted white. AC repainted the car where it was then shown at the London Motor Show featuring white side exit exhaust.

It was then returned to Shelby American, brought to S&C Motors and then sold to Robert Cooper from California. He recalled it finding that the car was used in Grand Prix. He ended up racing it with Dick Terrell as the driver. He repainted the car completely black with a white stripe. The car won the SCCA regional championship back in ’68 racing tracks such as Laguna Seca and Willow Springs. The driver, Terrell bought it in ’69 and continued to win races at famous tracks.

After it’s successes, it was sold to a few meticulous owners that restored it along beautifully. It was painted red by one owner and a complete engine rebuild by another. The owner who just sold it at this RM Auction has had it since 2004, restoring it to its full potential and selling for an even better price. It’s a rare car that comes with a lot of history, but it’s also one that has never suffered any serious accidents.

What do you think of this bad boy? Worth the hefty price tag?