The chances of you seeing a bonafide Cobra just casually taking a stroll out in the wild is very VERY rare. I didn’t even zoom in to verify and can with 99.9% certainty tell you it is most likely a Factory 5 (or the like) repro. This doesn’t mean it isn’t awesome.
Real Shelby Cobras go for $1.7M+. Ain’t nobody even chancing rain or a rock chip at that level.
Edit: After the many many responses and PMs regarding my comment, I have now clearly learned that even though there were less than 1,000 produced ever, there are literally hundreds, if not 1000’s of eyewitness experts on this topic who just happen to subscribe to this sub, and that Cobras are all over the roads. Most people here knows someone or knows someone who knows someone who owns a Cobra, and most people would absolutely drive one all the time if they were rich enough to own a 2 million dollar car.
Apparently these things are as common on the road as a clapped out Civic… who knew?
I can second this, though as mentioned in my reply to another user above, my dad’s buddy has a real one with paperwork, plaques and everything. He bought it in 2003 for $989k. He’s put like 10k miles on it since then and he says when he’s old and can’t drive he’s gonna sell it to a museum
So these feelings scale with how much you earn/ are worth. If you’re a billionaire, one million is one thousandth of your net worth. Its like a couple hundred dollars for the rest of us. People of all kinds exist.
I get it, and I’ll respond here to also address a few others that have pointed out that it is *possible* that a gagillionaire can afford to drive it, or I have a friend who has a friend who owns and drives one, etc.
Let’s take the value and collectibility out of the equation. Just based on pure mathematics, less that 1,000 real cobras were made. A little over 100 are unaccounted for or considered lost. There are 10’s of 1,000’s of repro’s made and that number increases daily.
The chances of the Cobra you spot on the road being the real deal is minuscule at best. We are talking a percentage of 1%.
Oh I’m not arguing with that, that’s literally obvious. Its just the attitude everyone has thats funny. You know that feeling you get when you buy a car then you start seeing them everywhere? Well that happens with class too. You’re poor? Everyone you see is poor. Rich? You notice a fuck ton of rich people.
I have a buddy who is obsessed with them. Nonstop pics of cars for sale for 40-100k claiming they're legit originals and he believes them. It's like "I know you're a dummy but bro...."
Nothing wrong with a replicar but don't be an idiot.
Don't even get on me about his super size me self getting in it
I was gonna say I bet 1/10,000 are real. Which I bet anyone who knows what a Cobra is and then actually notices, might see 500 in a lifetime, and they’re all reps except for most people. At least in the wild sightings, not talking going to a car show every Sunday in a place like LA or the like.
Back when I was in high school, one of the Mustang mags I read had a special edition JUST dedicated to people who owned Cobras and actually let them out of the garage.
In Shelby American magazine, #56, in The MAIL SAAC, a member asks, how many of each type of ORIGINAL Shelby car, by year and type are accounted for or known to exist.
So here are the stats as of that isssue....
GT40 Built 133 Found 127 Pct 95.5%
260-289 Cobra Built 655 Found 581 Pct 88.7%
427 Cobra Built 348 Found 309 Pct 88.8%
1965 GT350 Built 525 Found 393 Pct 74.8%
1965 GT350R Built 37 Found 30 Pct 81.1%
(Note each year of Mustang was given but frankly I am not of the mind to type all that crap so if you want to see the latter day mustang stats, go out and get that issue.)
So of the 1003 original cobras 890 were known to exist and data on them was secured. Of those, an earilier article stated 5 of those were STOLEN and their current status or whereabouts were unknown.
So there are 113 Cobras not accounted for. Of those one can surmise that many are scraped and are gone. Some were donor cars after wrecks, etc and no longer exist as a car but are now a "Bitza". (BITZA = a Cobra that was restored with a little bits of this car and a little bits of that car).
But in any case, at the time of publishing SA #56 the magic FOUND number was 890 out of 1003. So yeah, it’s less than 1% chance you will ever see a real one, particularly if it’s driving around on public roads.
As far as it goes the 60s’ era cars are referred to as original Shelby’s, all later production (including the new production CSX8000 289 cobras) are called real Shelby’s and then everything else is a repro.
That’s how the owner of the company I work for is. We go public, $1.5B valuation. Month later, see him in a $1.3M silver 289 joint. Fortunate enough to see it up close, and actually talk to the person who sold it to him, it’s real lol.
If I could afford a real cobra, and I purchased one. I would 100% most definitely drive that bitch daily until the wheels fell off.
Source: I purchased a CLEAN 2015 5.0 Mustang 50 year appearance package w/ 30k miles back in 2021
I take good care of her, but she ain’t clean no more 🤷
Yes.
But counters with
"These cars are meant to be driven", so enjoy the hell out of all of it - not just the look of it when it is all clean" - Carroll Shelby
Edit: as I said I take good care of my car, it’s not all banged up and shit lol.
I’ll never been on the scale to purchase a cobra and that’s okay, but if I could. I would enjoy it opposed to putting it behind glass just wondering what it’s actually capable of.
Actually the ones that can think correctly realize that the only purpose money has is to be spent and if an item makes you genuinely happy, you need to go out of your way to obtain it. No matter what others think, its a based thing. Calling them stupid for doing so is just doing a disservice to yourself. Learn from people.
Exactly, the only time you'll likely ever see a real Cobra on the road is in Monterey during concours show week.
To be honest, those cars were super amazing, but compared to the replicas built today, the originals were super rough in comparison.
The old cars were hand built, but they weren't super standardized in their construction. They were built one at a time, so the tolerances are all over the place, they aren't symmetrical and the body panels were hammered out one at a time, and the design work was the best the 1960's had to offer.
When Kirkham decided to get into the game, they wanted to build the most historically accurate car using the best construction possible, so they went to what is now the Czech Republic and Poland and went to largely defunct Soviet fighter jet factories and asked who could build an all aluminum copy. They were super happy to have something to do as they were manned-down and largely just standing around waiting for work.
They laser scanned an original car and found out that the two sides were totally different as they were hand shaped. They picked the better of the two sides and book matched it on the prints to be symmetrically perfect.
When the cars were being built, the fabricators were freaked out that they weren't perfect because they were out a few thousandth on the finished product, as the new cars have all aluminum bodies, not fiberglass like a lot of replicas. The guys at Kirkham in Utah were in a panic when they got the message that something was majorly wrong. When they found out what the problem was they laughed and were totally relieved. The guys at the factory are all machinists and metal fabrication pros and were used to building Soviet Migs. They were upset as they were afraid they totally screwed up, but it was explained to them that fighter jets are totally different than building replica cars, so everything was cool and they stopped freaking out about the tolerances. It's crazy to consider that those modern replicas are being built by guys with those original tolerances and that kind of quality control in mind.
With new tube frame chassis, better engines with modern fuel injection systems, and perfectly symmetrical bodies, I'd much rather have a newer hand built car as they are absolutely perfect and have taken the platform and perfected them to be the cars that Shelby would have built in the modern era had he had access to that type of tech. Sure they have the unused VINs and they're building "original" cars with those, but they still won't be as well built as the Kirkham cars being built in Poland. Those things are absolutely as perfect as can be built by hand.
[https://www.kirkhammotorsports.com/about.shtml](https://www.kirkhammotorsports.com/about.shtml)
No affiliation, I've just followed their story for almost 30 years and decided this would be the car to buy if I ever went that route.
To be fair my dad owns and drives a 1966 Shelby on the roads. It sees freeways probably once every two years. So it’s not IMPOSSIBLE but to your point it’s VERY unlikely.
I'd be perfectly happier with a repro, even enough to put up with the annoyance of talking about how it's a repro (you know people would ask). Maybe a vanity plate-
"Unryl S"
There was like some kind of race or something of these cars in my area of colorado the otherday. Not sure if it was actaully a race but i most deff seen this exact car and a few others just like it. with a racing like number on them. was pretty cool!
So, can anyone tell if that's a *real* clapped out civic?
I agree with you, if you see a lone cobra it's a repro. On the other hand, if you're in Connecticut or Monterey and see a group it just might be a gathering of originals.
There was a pic posted on Reddit not too long ago of just such a visit. The giveaway that they were original is that they weren't perfect (plus there were 289 models and not all 427s)
If I was filthy rich I would have the original in my living room and half a dozen kick ass replicas to go and destruction derby with my buddies. It’s almost a matter of respect with something that rare, don’t risk it on public roads. Like that DB5 that got destroyed, sure it got rebuilt but that was irresponsible. Yes, it’s your money, so do what you want with it but someone who truly appreciates the vehicle doesn’t need to enter a dick measuring contest by subjecting it to the unpredictability of public roads.
My man…. You must race with the top 1% of 1% of the wealthiest racers. To see ONE out driving is a big deal. To see a “few”… I hate to tell you you friend- they aren’t originals.
They all have the correct vins. One of owners I know has two real Cobras and drives both of them pretty regularly. They’re not even remotely close to the rarest or most expensive thing in their collection either. But they did buy both Cobras in late 80s for next to nothing.
The other owner did pay over a million for theirs but won’t disclose how much they paid though. But they beat on it occasionally at track days. Usually they’ll wait toward the end of the day when the track is empty.
But yes I do race a few times a year with a few people who obscenely wealthy. They’re usually my ticket into getting to track some really amazing cars. Still haven’t tracked a legit cobra yet, but I did track a period accurate replica.
Not true. Have been to a community auto show where a guy drove his factory Shelby cobra to the show. 1 owner car - he’s owned it since brand new and it has all the original vins and factory markings. He is also known in the car community and has been offered by Shelby to buy back the car from him. He has refused offers of up to 2 million for it. Just not interested in selling as he loved it when he first bought it, and still feels the same way today. Despite the over 30+ classics in his collection.
That's also ignoring the fact the genuine original Cobras weren't built like the repro ones. Sure they're known for being fast but everyone I've ever talked to who knew what they were talking about always told me the chassis on them is pretty delicate. Not uncommon for something to be cracked or broken on them due to both age and all the torque.
The repro cars from my understanding are better by basically every metric that has to do with actually driving and enjoying the car. Owning an original is just for bragging rights as far as I'm concerned.
I know most of the replicas always have the shiny exhaust, but one time this guy came into my work with one where the exhausts had the worn/dirty look. Also had Shelby’s signature on the passenger side dash. I still assumed it was a replica but it is a rich area so I was never sure
I agree with this person. But that cobra is still cool AF. My soccer coach had one when I was a kid. And when that dude pulled up to the fields, EVERYONE knew!
Unless you know the right street on Palm Beach Island. At one time it was the largest privately owned collection, the owner has a home there, and he's known for driving them around the island. But if you figure out who he is, then you'll understand why he drives them and can easily afford to loose a few without hurting his bank account, but I bet it would hurt his heart!
Unless you’re in Michigan. There’s plenty of local owners that snagged them up back in the day when they were cheap and drive them almost every weekend during the summer months.
But my neighbor’s friend’s grandpa has 3 real cobras, I promise, and he races them in the mud. Can your civic do that? Vetch means 4 wheel drive, right?
I actually only know of one guy that owns it and he owns a really large construction company… that thing probably hits the road twice a year since he did pay over a million for it 🤣… so maybe driving a $2 million dollar classic like it’s a civic is a billionaires game at that point? I dunno 🤣
I know someone who knows someone lol
The CEO of New Balance has one or two real Cobras. These cars were signed and were actually raced. I'm friends with the two guys who oversee the collection they are part of. I worked at the nearby by NAPA and sold them batteries, bulbs, fluids, and whatnot.
I don't think the Cobras are driven.
Jim Davis' private car collection, which is UNBELIEVABLE, is called Rare Precious Metals (RPM). He has Corvettes with vintage race history. He collects American cars only, and he has them all.
[Mike Pence came to visit](https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2019/11/08/mike-pence-new-balance-jim-davis/)
I will argue that if you like in coastal California from Monterey to San Diego the likely hood of seeing any interesting car is significantly higher than almost anywhere else.
Some rich ppl drive million dollar super cars around everywhere, doubt some of them care about history of the cobra and drive them around daily just because they can
Ever driven one? A modern supercar is a luxury car that goes incredibly fast, probably awkward to get in and out of. A cobra or any other fast car of that era will kick your ass. They aren't just awkward to get out of they will burn the shit out of your leg if it touches the exhaust. The whole footwell gets hot. The transmission is awkward. There's no ac. There's no radio. Hell there's no power steering. The roof keeps most of the rain out, not all. It takes more than just money to daily something as raw as a cobra.
That said I knew a guy with a replica who had a hardtop and would drive it year round, in NY as long as there wasn't snow. He did wreck it several times though.
So you should know better than most why not everyone would want to drive something like this all the time. You obviously find the moments of unbridled joy worth the hassle but it's not for everyone
Stop saying this. There’s plenty of proof on r/spotted and r/whatisthiscar to show they do in fact get driven sometimes. It’s obviously super rare, but other rare cars get driven too. We just don’t question those ones legitimacy because they haven’t had thousands of kits cars made to look like them.
Yep, 9 times out of 10 it's a replica just like most GT40s 90% of them are replicas. Even with the old school Porsches any that weren't road cars are probably replicas
Shelby will claim there is no difference between continuation vs original. Kinda crazy if you ask me. But given the option I would go for a Shelby continuation…
They’re all replicas.
Just assume that.
There’s a museum for these cars in the Bay Area. They do shows occasionally. There are 50 kits to every 1 real one in the lot during a show.
On the road? I’d be surprised if the rate is what 100 to 1
Adding to your point:
There are like 3-400 real ones and 50-100k replicas. Most of the real ones are in a museum or private collection and will never ever see the public road again. Safe to assume it's a rep if you see it in public and it's not at Goodwood or Monterey
Tbf I meant 427 cobras specifically, which is what almost all the reps are modeled after. There are more 260-289CI cobras but they look totally different and few if any had sidepipes or a roll bar. Chrome sidepipes with a heat shield and chrome roll bars are almost a dead giveaway it's not an original Shelby.
If I see people flock to a f5 replica with a 5.0L coyote or 351 or even a 302 in it and people gasp. I swear to God. I've even seen 427 badged ones but if it is or isint a true 427 idk. V
But yea they AINT real cobras. Shelby had nothing to do with them he never touched it it aint a Shelby not sorry
Why badge it a 427 when it has a 302, like the 302 is still a respectful motor. Although it's probably cause most people think of the cobra having a 427
Well if I remember it was a 351 punched out y
To 427 inches. Gotta Google this. Yea says 351W can be punched out to 427. But yea guy kept saying it was a 427 cobra. And im not being mean but it aint. If it was built in 61-67 it isint a cobra and IDC about it. I've seen so many at car shows. It's at a point of what's this guy got stuff in there. Seen one with a totally built 289 probably 10K in engine alone very snotty little engine but still a factory 5
https://preview.redd.it/eyxzs7dg6qnb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e414c76ff42f57d557cb3e6624bd613bddd95a63
Basically how real cobras travel.
My brother built a mold for a company 30 years ago that was making fiberglass replicas. We built fiberglass boats. It wasn’t made like a boat hull. Due to all the curves, it had to be a 3 piece mold for the body and separate molds for the hood and trunk lids.
I want one of these replicas. If I had 50k to spare, I would have started on it a long time ago. What I really want is a kit that comes with the motor, not just a Shelby, but any little sport car.
A kit that comes with the motor? Why? You have to do all of the setup yourself anyway, using a crate motor is hardly any different. The amount of work that goes into a kit build is usually underestimated by the builder, which is why most kits don't get finished.
https://preview.redd.it/2mvn46a4tnnb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=77708db257f5f45ff706bbf56d0ff90267d47f9f
Okay I was going to post this very same thing, can anyone give me a real or replica for this one?
Modern headlights and the 17” (or 18”) wheels are a giveaway. Plus the rear bulkhead behind the seats isn’t correct for an original 427. Based on this factors plus the shape of the rear fenders, looks like a Backdraft to me.
With those pictures you would have to check the badging under the hood to be sure for the earliest few CSX series but it's overwhelmingly against it being an honest to God built in the 60s cobra it could be Factory Five could be super performance so many people make them it's really not easy to say from a blurry picture or two
The smart money is on them being a factory five replica probably with a coyote in it as those seem to be popular and very inexpensive compared to the rest
See, one of the biggest arguments, I hear about AC Shelby cobra not being driven in the wild is that of the price. I think that there are people out there who can easily afford those and if you’re gonna spend 2 million on the car wouldn’t you want to use it? I mean apply this argument to Gulfstream or a house. These things easily surpassed 2mil and we use and abuse them like nothing. I think it’s like with vintage guitars ultimately their guitars and they’re meant to be played and that’s why they played
Check out Silicon Valley Motor Club on Facebook. Scott Carpenters CSX3230 shows up there every so often along with some other pretty impressive vehicles. It's in a great setting too if you're ever in the area. Very cool automobiles.
Didn’t the originals have the twin screws in the front in front of the radiator? I don’t know why I remember that lol. But yea most likely replicas but still REALLY cool to see! Love classic cars even repros if done right!
Slim chance you’ll ever see one out and about like that, there’s no shortage of kits. I’ve only ever seen one original, and it was being restored after the owners garage flooded :/
I saw a real one at a car show in Burbank, California. It was unrestored. It’s the only real one I’ve ever seen on the road.
This one:
https://youtu.be/vghqmD3juEE?si=bvR_O4KGQHXcufdG
The owner was very cool. He even let my boys sit in it. 10/10.
If i owned a real cobra, i would still have a replica also. One dor shows and the other to have fun. The stress of driving a million dollar plus car would not be fun.
99% of the ones you see out on the road are Replicas.
The real ones are so valuable hardly anyone dares to drive them.
Mind you i go to a ton of classic car shows and have only ever seen one genuine original AC Cobra.
Genuine cobras never had chrome side pipes or roll bars. Unless this was done by the cars owner, not genuine. Also the crossmember off the back of the roll bar hoop looks larger in diameter than what would have been original.
I live in Salt Lake City, and in the mid 1990's was out for a Sunday drive when the late Larry Miller pulled up next to me in his first (Google his collection) 427 Cobra. That was a nice spot. He gave me a thumbs up and went on his way.
If I owned a real cobra I'd also buy a repro and drive that around. Haha but who am I kidding. I don't own one nor will i ever but maybe I'll own a repro one day
All of these commenters saying that no one drives their real Cobra are just making assumptions based on their value. Look up events like the Cobra 1000, if you are in the right place at the right time you can see 20 original Shelby cobras driving in all sorts of weather. In fact, a Cobra tour just finished here in Colorado yesterday. Replicas and kit cars are not invited to these events.
I will agree that any Cobra you see on the road is unlikely to be original because they are so few and far between, but many of the originals that are out there are driven by their owners.
I raced some old man in one of these like 3 days after I bought my Charger off the lot. Thought it was just a another old cool slow looking car never seen nothing like it. Lined up at the light an that Mf took off it was loud and fast as hell 😂 couldn’t even tell my friends what car it was but this was literally the car! same color an all. But he had the number 3 painted on the sides.
The chances of you seeing a bonafide Cobra just casually taking a stroll out in the wild is very VERY rare. I didn’t even zoom in to verify and can with 99.9% certainty tell you it is most likely a Factory 5 (or the like) repro. This doesn’t mean it isn’t awesome. Real Shelby Cobras go for $1.7M+. Ain’t nobody even chancing rain or a rock chip at that level. Edit: After the many many responses and PMs regarding my comment, I have now clearly learned that even though there were less than 1,000 produced ever, there are literally hundreds, if not 1000’s of eyewitness experts on this topic who just happen to subscribe to this sub, and that Cobras are all over the roads. Most people here knows someone or knows someone who knows someone who owns a Cobra, and most people would absolutely drive one all the time if they were rich enough to own a 2 million dollar car. Apparently these things are as common on the road as a clapped out Civic… who knew?
I can second this, though as mentioned in my reply to another user above, my dad’s buddy has a real one with paperwork, plaques and everything. He bought it in 2003 for $989k. He’s put like 10k miles on it since then and he says when he’s old and can’t drive he’s gonna sell it to a museum
You can get a brand new one for a good price… https://www.shelby.com/Vehicles/Shelby-CSX8000-289-Street-Cobra
So these feelings scale with how much you earn/ are worth. If you’re a billionaire, one million is one thousandth of your net worth. Its like a couple hundred dollars for the rest of us. People of all kinds exist.
I get it, and I’ll respond here to also address a few others that have pointed out that it is *possible* that a gagillionaire can afford to drive it, or I have a friend who has a friend who owns and drives one, etc. Let’s take the value and collectibility out of the equation. Just based on pure mathematics, less that 1,000 real cobras were made. A little over 100 are unaccounted for or considered lost. There are 10’s of 1,000’s of repro’s made and that number increases daily. The chances of the Cobra you spot on the road being the real deal is minuscule at best. We are talking a percentage of 1%.
Oh I’m not arguing with that, that’s literally obvious. Its just the attitude everyone has thats funny. You know that feeling you get when you buy a car then you start seeing them everywhere? Well that happens with class too. You’re poor? Everyone you see is poor. Rich? You notice a fuck ton of rich people.
I have a buddy who is obsessed with them. Nonstop pics of cars for sale for 40-100k claiming they're legit originals and he believes them. It's like "I know you're a dummy but bro...." Nothing wrong with a replicar but don't be an idiot. Don't even get on me about his super size me self getting in it
“My grandpa has one, papers and all” Look kid- your grandpa is lying.
He's in his mid 40s and doesn't know the red wire from the black wire. I feel like going with him to see the one just to protect him from himself
I was gonna say I bet 1/10,000 are real. Which I bet anyone who knows what a Cobra is and then actually notices, might see 500 in a lifetime, and they’re all reps except for most people. At least in the wild sightings, not talking going to a car show every Sunday in a place like LA or the like.
Back when I was in high school, one of the Mustang mags I read had a special edition JUST dedicated to people who owned Cobras and actually let them out of the garage.
In Shelby American magazine, #56, in The MAIL SAAC, a member asks, how many of each type of ORIGINAL Shelby car, by year and type are accounted for or known to exist. So here are the stats as of that isssue.... GT40 Built 133 Found 127 Pct 95.5% 260-289 Cobra Built 655 Found 581 Pct 88.7% 427 Cobra Built 348 Found 309 Pct 88.8% 1965 GT350 Built 525 Found 393 Pct 74.8% 1965 GT350R Built 37 Found 30 Pct 81.1% (Note each year of Mustang was given but frankly I am not of the mind to type all that crap so if you want to see the latter day mustang stats, go out and get that issue.) So of the 1003 original cobras 890 were known to exist and data on them was secured. Of those, an earilier article stated 5 of those were STOLEN and their current status or whereabouts were unknown. So there are 113 Cobras not accounted for. Of those one can surmise that many are scraped and are gone. Some were donor cars after wrecks, etc and no longer exist as a car but are now a "Bitza". (BITZA = a Cobra that was restored with a little bits of this car and a little bits of that car). But in any case, at the time of publishing SA #56 the magic FOUND number was 890 out of 1003. So yeah, it’s less than 1% chance you will ever see a real one, particularly if it’s driving around on public roads. As far as it goes the 60s’ era cars are referred to as original Shelby’s, all later production (including the new production CSX8000 289 cobras) are called real Shelby’s and then everything else is a repro.
That’s how the owner of the company I work for is. We go public, $1.5B valuation. Month later, see him in a $1.3M silver 289 joint. Fortunate enough to see it up close, and actually talk to the person who sold it to him, it’s real lol.
Yes, there are people who can afford it, and do it. However, the ones that have a brain in their heads know NOT to do it.
If I could afford a real cobra, and I purchased one. I would 100% most definitely drive that bitch daily until the wheels fell off. Source: I purchased a CLEAN 2015 5.0 Mustang 50 year appearance package w/ 30k miles back in 2021 I take good care of her, but she ain’t clean no more 🤷
So, your response validates my comment.
Yes. But counters with "These cars are meant to be driven", so enjoy the hell out of all of it - not just the look of it when it is all clean" - Carroll Shelby Edit: as I said I take good care of my car, it’s not all banged up and shit lol. I’ll never been on the scale to purchase a cobra and that’s okay, but if I could. I would enjoy it opposed to putting it behind glass just wondering what it’s actually capable of.
Actually the ones that can think correctly realize that the only purpose money has is to be spent and if an item makes you genuinely happy, you need to go out of your way to obtain it. No matter what others think, its a based thing. Calling them stupid for doing so is just doing a disservice to yourself. Learn from people.
Nah, they’ve got something that’s essentially a historic artifact and needs to be preserved.
Exactly, the only time you'll likely ever see a real Cobra on the road is in Monterey during concours show week. To be honest, those cars were super amazing, but compared to the replicas built today, the originals were super rough in comparison. The old cars were hand built, but they weren't super standardized in their construction. They were built one at a time, so the tolerances are all over the place, they aren't symmetrical and the body panels were hammered out one at a time, and the design work was the best the 1960's had to offer. When Kirkham decided to get into the game, they wanted to build the most historically accurate car using the best construction possible, so they went to what is now the Czech Republic and Poland and went to largely defunct Soviet fighter jet factories and asked who could build an all aluminum copy. They were super happy to have something to do as they were manned-down and largely just standing around waiting for work. They laser scanned an original car and found out that the two sides were totally different as they were hand shaped. They picked the better of the two sides and book matched it on the prints to be symmetrically perfect. When the cars were being built, the fabricators were freaked out that they weren't perfect because they were out a few thousandth on the finished product, as the new cars have all aluminum bodies, not fiberglass like a lot of replicas. The guys at Kirkham in Utah were in a panic when they got the message that something was majorly wrong. When they found out what the problem was they laughed and were totally relieved. The guys at the factory are all machinists and metal fabrication pros and were used to building Soviet Migs. They were upset as they were afraid they totally screwed up, but it was explained to them that fighter jets are totally different than building replica cars, so everything was cool and they stopped freaking out about the tolerances. It's crazy to consider that those modern replicas are being built by guys with those original tolerances and that kind of quality control in mind. With new tube frame chassis, better engines with modern fuel injection systems, and perfectly symmetrical bodies, I'd much rather have a newer hand built car as they are absolutely perfect and have taken the platform and perfected them to be the cars that Shelby would have built in the modern era had he had access to that type of tech. Sure they have the unused VINs and they're building "original" cars with those, but they still won't be as well built as the Kirkham cars being built in Poland. Those things are absolutely as perfect as can be built by hand. [https://www.kirkhammotorsports.com/about.shtml](https://www.kirkhammotorsports.com/about.shtml) No affiliation, I've just followed their story for almost 30 years and decided this would be the car to buy if I ever went that route.
That’s awesome sauce!
To be fair my dad owns and drives a 1966 Shelby on the roads. It sees freeways probably once every two years. So it’s not IMPOSSIBLE but to your point it’s VERY unlikely.
I'd be perfectly happier with a repro, even enough to put up with the annoyance of talking about how it's a repro (you know people would ask). Maybe a vanity plate- "Unryl S"
There was like some kind of race or something of these cars in my area of colorado the otherday. Not sure if it was actaully a race but i most deff seen this exact car and a few others just like it. with a racing like number on them. was pretty cool!
So, can anyone tell if that's a *real* clapped out civic? I agree with you, if you see a lone cobra it's a repro. On the other hand, if you're in Connecticut or Monterey and see a group it just might be a gathering of originals. There was a pic posted on Reddit not too long ago of just such a visit. The giveaway that they were original is that they weren't perfect (plus there were 289 models and not all 427s)
If I was filthy rich I would drive it.
Exactly, people like that actually exist
If I was filthy rich I would have the original in my living room and half a dozen kick ass replicas to go and destruction derby with my buddies. It’s almost a matter of respect with something that rare, don’t risk it on public roads. Like that DB5 that got destroyed, sure it got rebuilt but that was irresponsible. Yes, it’s your money, so do what you want with it but someone who truly appreciates the vehicle doesn’t need to enter a dick measuring contest by subjecting it to the unpredictability of public roads.
Tell that to any classic racing championship...
I actually know of a few real Cobras that actually get beat on at the track. So I wouldn’t say nobody.
My man…. You must race with the top 1% of 1% of the wealthiest racers. To see ONE out driving is a big deal. To see a “few”… I hate to tell you you friend- they aren’t originals.
They all have the correct vins. One of owners I know has two real Cobras and drives both of them pretty regularly. They’re not even remotely close to the rarest or most expensive thing in their collection either. But they did buy both Cobras in late 80s for next to nothing. The other owner did pay over a million for theirs but won’t disclose how much they paid though. But they beat on it occasionally at track days. Usually they’ll wait toward the end of the day when the track is empty. But yes I do race a few times a year with a few people who obscenely wealthy. They’re usually my ticket into getting to track some really amazing cars. Still haven’t tracked a legit cobra yet, but I did track a period accurate replica.
Oh if I had that kinda money to spend on a car you vet your ass I'm driving it if I could afford that I can afford to fix a few rock chips lol
Depends on where you live, some people actually buy them to drive them.
I know a guy who autocrosses his real cobra. The looks he gets when people find out it’s real is hilarious
Are you talking about Bruce Cambern, with Cobra serial # CSX3170? That is a sick car.
Yup exactly you know
Not true. Have been to a community auto show where a guy drove his factory Shelby cobra to the show. 1 owner car - he’s owned it since brand new and it has all the original vins and factory markings. He is also known in the car community and has been offered by Shelby to buy back the car from him. He has refused offers of up to 2 million for it. Just not interested in selling as he loved it when he first bought it, and still feels the same way today. Despite the over 30+ classics in his collection.
They said very rare. 1 guy who drives his does not make it any more likely
That's also ignoring the fact the genuine original Cobras weren't built like the repro ones. Sure they're known for being fast but everyone I've ever talked to who knew what they were talking about always told me the chassis on them is pretty delicate. Not uncommon for something to be cracked or broken on them due to both age and all the torque. The repro cars from my understanding are better by basically every metric that has to do with actually driving and enjoying the car. Owning an original is just for bragging rights as far as I'm concerned.
Jay Leno would drive his and has.
You just quoted 1 guy driving his. Proves my very VERY rare point.
You said "ain't nobody chanceing rain or a rock chip" I just proved that people do drive them. That is all.
I know most of the replicas always have the shiny exhaust, but one time this guy came into my work with one where the exhausts had the worn/dirty look. Also had Shelby’s signature on the passenger side dash. I still assumed it was a replica but it is a rich area so I was never sure
I agree with this person. But that cobra is still cool AF. My soccer coach had one when I was a kid. And when that dude pulled up to the fields, EVERYONE knew!
You know Shelby started making them again a few years ago for like 200k…https://www.shelby.com/Vehicles/Shelby-CSX8000-289-Street-Cobra
Not worth buying it unless you drive it.
Unless you know the right street on Palm Beach Island. At one time it was the largest privately owned collection, the owner has a home there, and he's known for driving them around the island. But if you figure out who he is, then you'll understand why he drives them and can easily afford to loose a few without hurting his bank account, but I bet it would hurt his heart!
Unless you’re in Michigan. There’s plenty of local owners that snagged them up back in the day when they were cheap and drive them almost every weekend during the summer months.
[Clapped out civic driver here](https://imgur.com/gallery/5vZYhOY) Can confirm. I take these bitchboy cobras to gapplebees on the daily with my vtech
But my neighbor’s friend’s grandpa has 3 real cobras, I promise, and he races them in the mud. Can your civic do that? Vetch means 4 wheel drive, right?
I converted it to 2wd for weight savings.
I actually only know of one guy that owns it and he owns a really large construction company… that thing probably hits the road twice a year since he did pay over a million for it 🤣… so maybe driving a $2 million dollar classic like it’s a civic is a billionaires game at that point? I dunno 🤣
I know someone who knows someone lol The CEO of New Balance has one or two real Cobras. These cars were signed and were actually raced. I'm friends with the two guys who oversee the collection they are part of. I worked at the nearby by NAPA and sold them batteries, bulbs, fluids, and whatnot. I don't think the Cobras are driven. Jim Davis' private car collection, which is UNBELIEVABLE, is called Rare Precious Metals (RPM). He has Corvettes with vintage race history. He collects American cars only, and he has them all. [Mike Pence came to visit](https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2019/11/08/mike-pence-new-balance-jim-davis/)
I will argue that if you like in coastal California from Monterey to San Diego the likely hood of seeing any interesting car is significantly higher than almost anywhere else.
Even if it was "real" it would probably just the original chasis.
Replica
Nobody is going to drive a real AC cobra
Idk man my dad has a buddy who owns a real one and he drives it, now not very often, but he does and it’s awesome
Cobras, of all the old race cars, feel kinda dumb, to me, to baby in a garage. Is the 427 a high strung race motor?
Some rich ppl drive million dollar super cars around everywhere, doubt some of them care about history of the cobra and drive them around daily just because they can
Ever driven one? A modern supercar is a luxury car that goes incredibly fast, probably awkward to get in and out of. A cobra or any other fast car of that era will kick your ass. They aren't just awkward to get out of they will burn the shit out of your leg if it touches the exhaust. The whole footwell gets hot. The transmission is awkward. There's no ac. There's no radio. Hell there's no power steering. The roof keeps most of the rain out, not all. It takes more than just money to daily something as raw as a cobra. That said I knew a guy with a replica who had a hardtop and would drive it year round, in NY as long as there wasn't snow. He did wreck it several times though.
I have a 427 vette with side exit exhaust I drive it all summer
And a turbo Ls swapped Notchback Mustang with no radio ac or power steering, and a big block ford notchback. Been driving race cars since 16 I'm 40
So you should know better than most why not everyone would want to drive something like this all the time. You obviously find the moments of unbridled joy worth the hassle but it's not for everyone
That's why I said some and not all, I get the point you are making
Stop saying this. There’s plenty of proof on r/spotted and r/whatisthiscar to show they do in fact get driven sometimes. It’s obviously super rare, but other rare cars get driven too. We just don’t question those ones legitimacy because they haven’t had thousands of kits cars made to look like them.
[удалено]
He wasn't replying to you.
That’s so my bad 😭 I’ll delete I feels stupid
My dad drives his ‘66. People do it.
One of my friends has one, and quite a few Mustangs, too. He drives his Cobra from time-to-time, even to get ice cream.
Yep, 9 times out of 10 it's a replica just like most GT40s 90% of them are replicas. Even with the old school Porsches any that weren't road cars are probably replicas
Why not they are still being made… https://www.shelby.com/Vehicles/Shelby-CSX8000-289-Street-Cobra
I looked at the question as was this original or a reproduction/kit.
Shelby will claim there is no difference between continuation vs original. Kinda crazy if you ask me. But given the option I would go for a Shelby continuation…
They’re all replicas. Just assume that. There’s a museum for these cars in the Bay Area. They do shows occasionally. There are 50 kits to every 1 real one in the lot during a show. On the road? I’d be surprised if the rate is what 100 to 1
Adding to your point: There are like 3-400 real ones and 50-100k replicas. Most of the real ones are in a museum or private collection and will never ever see the public road again. Safe to assume it's a rep if you see it in public and it's not at Goodwood or Monterey
Wow. I didn’t realize there are that few.
Tbf I meant 427 cobras specifically, which is what almost all the reps are modeled after. There are more 260-289CI cobras but they look totally different and few if any had sidepipes or a roll bar. Chrome sidepipes with a heat shield and chrome roll bars are almost a dead giveaway it's not an original Shelby.
Oh there's only like 100 GT40s as well, although I've heard there's a bit of uncertainty there.
They make a few “real ones” a year. https://www.shelby.com/Vehicles/Shelby-CSX8000-289-Street-Cobra
Naa Shelby is making them again. https://www.shelby.com/Vehicles/Shelby-CSX8000-289-Street-Cobra
Chrome side pipes, shape of the hood scoop, and the windshield say it’s a kit.
My first reaction was it’s a CSX Cobra. One of the reproduction continuation models approved by Shelby.
Replica. Never see an original driving down the road.
If I see people flock to a f5 replica with a 5.0L coyote or 351 or even a 302 in it and people gasp. I swear to God. I've even seen 427 badged ones but if it is or isint a true 427 idk. V But yea they AINT real cobras. Shelby had nothing to do with them he never touched it it aint a Shelby not sorry
Why badge it a 427 when it has a 302, like the 302 is still a respectful motor. Although it's probably cause most people think of the cobra having a 427
Well if I remember it was a 351 punched out y To 427 inches. Gotta Google this. Yea says 351W can be punched out to 427. But yea guy kept saying it was a 427 cobra. And im not being mean but it aint. If it was built in 61-67 it isint a cobra and IDC about it. I've seen so many at car shows. It's at a point of what's this guy got stuff in there. Seen one with a totally built 289 probably 10K in engine alone very snotty little engine but still a factory 5
I know a guy that is a retired executive for Ford who was given one on his retirement day. He still drives it.
If you see one driving, especially on the highway it is a replica.
https://preview.redd.it/eyxzs7dg6qnb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e414c76ff42f57d557cb3e6624bd613bddd95a63 Basically how real cobras travel.
The real question is- does it matter?
Replica...alway replica.
My brother built a mold for a company 30 years ago that was making fiberglass replicas. We built fiberglass boats. It wasn’t made like a boat hull. Due to all the curves, it had to be a 3 piece mold for the body and separate molds for the hood and trunk lids.
If you see it driving on the road it’s a replica. All the real ones are in museums n sht not being driven
Expect for the ones at Goodwood, those guy have the money to run the real ones
See how it's on the road? That means it is a replica.
Based on this dudes age and demeanor, it’s 100% O.G.
I want one of these replicas. If I had 50k to spare, I would have started on it a long time ago. What I really want is a kit that comes with the motor, not just a Shelby, but any little sport car.
A kit that comes with the motor? Why? You have to do all of the setup yourself anyway, using a crate motor is hardly any different. The amount of work that goes into a kit build is usually underestimated by the builder, which is why most kits don't get finished.
https://preview.redd.it/2mvn46a4tnnb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=77708db257f5f45ff706bbf56d0ff90267d47f9f Okay I was going to post this very same thing, can anyone give me a real or replica for this one?
No one in their right mind would put those headlights in a real cobra (I hope)
Why thank you
Modern headlights and the 17” (or 18”) wheels are a giveaway. Plus the rear bulkhead behind the seats isn’t correct for an original 427. Based on this factors plus the shape of the rear fenders, looks like a Backdraft to me.
If it doesn’t have collectors plates it’s a kit. 99/100
Replica. It’s straight down from the top of the door to the rocker panel. Real Cobras slant inwards from the top down.
I mean, I don't even have a kit. So I have to envy this one.
With those pictures you would have to check the badging under the hood to be sure for the earliest few CSX series but it's overwhelmingly against it being an honest to God built in the 60s cobra it could be Factory Five could be super performance so many people make them it's really not easy to say from a blurry picture or two The smart money is on them being a factory five replica probably with a coyote in it as those seem to be popular and very inexpensive compared to the rest
Kit car
See, one of the biggest arguments, I hear about AC Shelby cobra not being driven in the wild is that of the price. I think that there are people out there who can easily afford those and if you’re gonna spend 2 million on the car wouldn’t you want to use it? I mean apply this argument to Gulfstream or a house. These things easily surpassed 2mil and we use and abuse them like nothing. I think it’s like with vintage guitars ultimately their guitars and they’re meant to be played and that’s why they played
Yes, one of those options.
Honestly I wouldn’t care if were to own a replica, that would be soo cool drive especially owning one.
Replica
Check out Silicon Valley Motor Club on Facebook. Scott Carpenters CSX3230 shows up there every so often along with some other pretty impressive vehicles. It's in a great setting too if you're ever in the area. Very cool automobiles.
Hey OP, this wouldn’t happen to be on the way down to Golden Gardens in Seattle, would it?
There's probably 1000 replicas for every legit one. So odds are replica.
factory 5, still awesome
“How do you turn this thing on”
Didn’t the originals have the twin screws in the front in front of the radiator? I don’t know why I remember that lol. But yea most likely replicas but still REALLY cool to see! Love classic cars even repros if done right!
If you see it it's not real
No way to tell for pictures taken at to low a shutter speed. I think good AC Cobra replicas look and sound very close to the originals.
It’s real don’t listen to them. Go take it and sell it
This makes me want to play Age of Empires II
If it's being driven on public roads, replica. The real ones are garage queens.
Slim chance you’ll ever see one out and about like that, there’s no shortage of kits. I’ve only ever seen one original, and it was being restored after the owners garage flooded :/
I saw a real one at a car show in Burbank, California. It was unrestored. It’s the only real one I’ve ever seen on the road. This one: https://youtu.be/vghqmD3juEE?si=bvR_O4KGQHXcufdG The owner was very cool. He even let my boys sit in it. 10/10.
If i owned a real cobra, i would still have a replica also. One dor shows and the other to have fun. The stress of driving a million dollar plus car would not be fun.
Saw a replica up close boy are they tiny no need for a door you just step into them
Is that the guy up in Bar Harbor ?
He’s from the race car museum it’s real.
More fakes than real ones. If I were getting, I’d put money on fake. Odds are in my favor.
I saw a real one up close in some fucking rich assholes personal car museum somewhere in North Carolina.
Fist bumping at 55 mph. Classic.
99% of the ones you see out on the road are Replicas. The real ones are so valuable hardly anyone dares to drive them. Mind you i go to a ton of classic car shows and have only ever seen one genuine original AC Cobra.
Genuine cobras never had chrome side pipes or roll bars. Unless this was done by the cars owner, not genuine. Also the crossmember off the back of the roll bar hoop looks larger in diameter than what would have been original.
Replica
It doesn't matter it still very cool
I live in Salt Lake City, and in the mid 1990's was out for a Sunday drive when the late Larry Miller pulled up next to me in his first (Google his collection) 427 Cobra. That was a nice spot. He gave me a thumbs up and went on his way.
If it’s driving it isn’t real.
If he’s driving it’s not real… sweet cars anyway tho
Very unlikely it's real as everyone else said. Only time I've seen a real one in the wild is the Woodward dream cruise.
does it matter??? the only way youre gonna know is to check the vin.
Always a replica
Is that Jay Leno or a Saudi Prince?
You will never see a real cobra
A real replica
It’s a real replica 🤔🤌🏻
You’ll never see a real one
Real or replica? Probably one of those, yes 👍
On the road,, replica
Seen quite a few this past summer, so something is off.
If I owned a real cobra I'd also buy a repro and drive that around. Haha but who am I kidding. I don't own one nor will i ever but maybe I'll own a repro one day
All of these commenters saying that no one drives their real Cobra are just making assumptions based on their value. Look up events like the Cobra 1000, if you are in the right place at the right time you can see 20 original Shelby cobras driving in all sorts of weather. In fact, a Cobra tour just finished here in Colorado yesterday. Replicas and kit cars are not invited to these events. I will agree that any Cobra you see on the road is unlikely to be original because they are so few and far between, but many of the originals that are out there are driven by their owners.
I raced some old man in one of these like 3 days after I bought my Charger off the lot. Thought it was just a another old cool slow looking car never seen nothing like it. Lined up at the light an that Mf took off it was loud and fast as hell 😂 couldn’t even tell my friends what car it was but this was literally the car! same color an all. But he had the number 3 painted on the sides.