Shelby Cobra 289
TIPPED BY: MARTIN CHISHOLM
We’ve never had a Cobra in the Hot 30 before. As one of the bestknown classics of all, their high values and their role as ‘first to go’ when prices rise have deterred previous experts. Now though, Martin Chisholm offers a host of reasons to find one of the pretty small-block cars before they’re even harder to afford, ‘They nudged through the £1m barrier in 2018 but they’ve dropped back – £600k to £700k is where they are, but that has to rise again.
‘That Le Mans ’66 movie stirred up interest in Carroll Shelby, and who’s really going out to buy a GT40? Everybody knows what a Cobra is. Next, look at the trend for recreations direct from the manufacturer – Blower Bentleys, Jaguar C-types and D-types, Aston DB4GTS and so on. People have been making continuation Cobras for decades, and it just multiplies the credibility of the real thing.’
Ah yes, that inevitable moment when you park up and someone asks you, ‘Is it a replica?’ ‘Let me tell you,’ says Martin, ‘It actually feels pretty good when someone asks that and you can say, “No, it’s a real one.” There is a certain smugness.’
There were 126 MKI Shelby Cobras, the first 75 of which used 4.2-litre (260ci) V8s, the rest 4.7-litre (289ci). In early 1963 the MKII introduced rack-and-pinion steering; it lasted into 1965, with around 530 built. Then came the big-block cars with coilsprung chassis, but these 7.0-litre beasts are not part of Martin’s recommendation. The last small-block Cobras, a couple of dozen ‘AC 289 Sports’ were built on coil-spring chassis, ending in 1969.
There are, inevitably, exceptions to most of these rules with original small-block Cobras that have been rebodied or rebuilt as big-block cars, or as Fia-type competition versions, or indeed built up from a mixture of parts of varying authenticity. With all the variations, modifications and recreations, how do you know what you’re being offered? ‘The Shelby Register is phenomenal,’ says Martin. ‘You join the Register, get the book, look up every aspect of the car’s history and where it’s been for the last 50 years. It makes it easy to put any car back to original specification, too.’
It’s hard to put a value on any car with a dark past. Martin urges buyers to stick to those with a straightforward road-going history – original chassis, body and ideally, engine too.
‘It actually feels pretty good when someone asks if it’s a replica and you can say, “No, it’s a real one”’