1965 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra

If you’re anything like us here at The Coolector, chances are you’ll regularly find yourself bewitched by the vehicles that came out of the 1960s and, to be quite honest, you’re unlikely to see many that are more visually impressive and sought after than this glorious 1965 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra which is going up for sale in RM Sotheby’s Arizona auction. It is finished in polished aluminium with contrasting brushed racing stripes that give it an unparalleled aesthetic impact that’s hard to ignore.

The 1965 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra from RM Sotheby’s has a body that has been built by the legendary Kirkham Motorsports and it is powered by a 550 hp, 468 cu. in. carbureted 427 FE V-8 engine built by the Carroll Shelby Engine Company. This spectacular steed comes equipped with a five-speed manual transmission and it is a contemporary interpretation of one of the most recognisable cars on the planet.

ICONIC DESIGN

Carroll Shelby’s simple plan of fitting a Ford V-8 engine into the chassis of an AC Ace turned out to be a great idea, with the Shelby Cobra rapidly emerging as one of the most iconic sports cars of its generation. Initially housing a 260-cubic inch V-8 engine, then a 289-cubic inch powerplant, a new, more robust coil-suspended chassis was introduced in 1965 to fit the big-block 427-cubic inch V-8—which in race trim could deliver over 450 horsepower. Wider bodywork, extended wheel-arch flares, and a bigger radiator intake combined to create the legendarily aggressive 427 Cobra.

This Shelby Cobra from RM Sotheby’s comes with a spectacular Kirkham Motorsports-built polished aluminium body with contrasting brushed racing stripes. Since 1994, Provo, Utah-based Kirkham has offered exacting Cobra replicas in a range of designs. Exterior features include a hood scoop, four-into-one side-exit stainless steels exhausts, a driver’s side rollbar, clear wind wings, tinted sun visors, pop-up gas cap, along with front and rear quick-jack racing bumpers. It drives on Goodyear Eagle “billboard” tires that have been mounted on Halibrand-style knock-off wheels with a polished lip.

The interior of this truly majestic looking machine is trimmed in black leather, with lap belts which secure the driver and passenger; the driver has the added benefit that comes from a roll bar-mounted shoulder harness for more adventurous driving. Behind the three-spoke Cobra-branded wood-rimmed steering wheel, you’ll find an array of Speedhut instrumentation, and a bottle for the onboard fire-suppression system that sits below the dash.

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