VIN: the Jay Sebring AC Shelby Cobra chassis CSX2220

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HISTORY OF CHASSIS CSX2220

Chassis CSX2220 was a 289-engined AC Shelby Cobra originally completed in left-hand drive with Princess Blue paint and Red trim. It was invoiced to Shelby American on November 14th 1963 and sold to Executive Leasing in Los Angeles on January 22nd 1964.

The handsome light blue Cobra (registered LIW 535) was leased and later sold to celebrity hairdresser, Jay Sebring (real name Thomas Kummer).

Having served in the US Navy for four years and seen action in the Korean War, Sebring returned home where he graduated from beauty school and opened a salon in Los Angeles. Unlike most men’s barbers (which simply used clippers), Sebring washed, scissor cut and blow dried his client’s hair. He used a variety of innovative care products and pioneered an array of moddish men’s hair styles.

Sebring typically charged 50 times that of a conventional barber and went on to establish a client list that included Steve McQueen, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Paul Newman, Warren Beatty and Kirk Douglas. In later years, Sebring created The Doors frontman Jim Morrison’s trademark look.

Jay Sebring owned salons in West Hollywood, Palm Springs, Las Vegas and London. He developed a range of man’s hair care products that were sold under the Sebring International banner and taught his methods to others who then opened Jay Sebring franchises.

Soon after 30 year old Sebring had taken delivery of CSX2220, he attended the Carroll Shelby School of High Performance Driving.

Later in 1964, Sebring met actress Sharon Tate and the two began a relationship.

However, in early 1966, Tate went to London to film the Roman Polanski movie The Fearless Vampire Killers. While on set, Tate fell for Polanski and ended her relationship with Sebring. Tate and Polanski were soon engaged, but Sebring remained a close friend of the couple.

At some stage during his ownership of CSX2220, Sebring had the colour changed to Metallic Black with Black trim. This was likely to match his new Porsche 911 L Sportomatic.

On August 8th 1969, Sebring, Tate and two friends (Wojciech Frykowski and Abigail Folger) went for a meal, after which they returned to Tate’s house on Cielo Drive. Polanski was away filming at the time.

Polanski and Tate had moved into the house on Cielo Drive in February 1969. Beforehand, the house had been rented by influential record producer, Terry Melcher.

Through Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys, Melcher had been introduced to aspiring musician, Charles Manson. For a brief period during the summer of 1968, Melcher was interested in recording Manson’s music as well as making a film about he and his entourage’s hippy existence.

Ultimately though, Melcher declined to sign Manson.

In August 1968, the Manson Family had moved to a 55-acre movie ranch on the outskirts of LA County. Prior to this, they had spent six months living at Wilson’s palatial villa;

In September 1968, Dennis Wilson recorded a Manson song originally titled as Cease to Exist but reworked as Never Learn Not to Love. Wilson explained to an enraged Manson that he had relinquished his publishing rights in favour of “about $100,000 worth of stuff”. Soon after, the Manson Family destroyed Wilson’s uninsured Mercedes-Benz. During an earlier incident, two members of the Family had wrecked Wilson’s similarly uninsured Ferrari 275 GTB during a joyride.

On the night of August 8th 1969, four of the Manson Family headed to the house on Cielo Drive. It was widely reported they had been sent to kill Melcher and his girlfreind, Candice Bergen. However, Manson had since visited the house and knew it was now being rented by Polanski and Tate.

As prominent figures of the establishment that had rejected him, it mattered not that Tate and Polanski had no prior involvement with Manson - the Family members brutally murdered Sebring, Tate, Frykowski, Folger and Steven Parent who was visiting the property’s caretaker.

Five days later, Steve McQueen gave the eulogy at Jay Sebring’s funeral.

CSX2220 was sold to the first of several subsequent owners.

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed