In the early 1960s legendary race car driver Carroll Shelby had the wild idea to marry a small British roadster with a powerful American V-8 engine. Shelby contacted British car marque AC to supply a version of its curvy Ace roadster with an engine bay modified to accept a larger and more powerful V-8. Shelby was taken seriously by AC Cars, as audacious as it sounded at the time. Ford, eager to take on the Chevrolet Corvette in motorsports, supplied him with its new small-block V-8, giving birth to the legendary Shelby Cobra was in 1962.

Earlier cars were a handful at the limit, which spurred Ford to work with Shelby and AC for a highly modified, structurally enhanced version using a 425-hp V-8 displacing 427 cu. in.—nearly twice the engine displacement of the original Ford 260. Production ended in 1967, but Shelby eventually relented and partnered with a number of firms to continue building cars that adhered to the original Cobra principles but allowed for some modern updates.

The handsome CSX 4000 series S/C Cobra offered here was completed in 2017. The car is accompanied by its original build sheet, and it is one of just a handful of cars without a hood scoop as well as an under-car exhaust system in lieu of side-pipes, giving the Cobra a cleaner look. It was highly optioned with a full leather interior, Tremec 2K0 600 five-speed manual transmission, and Halibrand-style wheels wrapped in correct Goodyear rubber over Wilwood four-piston brakes. Under the hood lurks a potently powerful aluminum 496 V-8 engine that develops an estimated 650 horsepower. Bodywork is aluminum, a true hallmark of an exacting continuation. Recognized by Shelby American as chassis no. CSX 4425, the Cobra was finished in a striking dark blue over black interior.

Incredibly, this Cobra is presented as new with only two miles on the odometer, offering a rare opportunity to acquire one of the lowest-mileage, most pristine examples of a 4000 Series 427 Cobra in existence. As an officially sanctioned model, this 427 S/C Cobra is listed in the SAAC registry and is titled as a 1965 Shelby Cobra.