One to Buy: Fourth off the Production Line 1962 AC Shelby Cobra 260
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To get his exciting Cobra project off the ground ahead of any potential financial input from Ford, Carroll Shelby teamed up with professional racing driver and high end European car dealer, Ed Hugus.
Hugus, who opened his European Cars dealership in Pittsburgh during 1952, agreed to promote, finance and assist with construction of the first Cobras. He ordered the initial batch of modified Ace chassis from AC along with the high-performance Ford 260 cu-in V8 engines and Borg Warner four-speed transmissions which were put together at European Cars in Pittsburgh.
The first Cobra, CSX 2001, was finished and sold out of Hugus's facility, and the next several cars (notably chassis CSX 2003 through CSX 2007) followed suit.
One of those incredibly early Cobras, chassis CSX 2003, is set to go under the hammer at Broad Arrow Auctions’ sale at the Monterey Jet Center between August 13th and 14th.
It played a significant role in the Cobra story as it was dispatched to Ford's Special Vehicles Team in Dearborn for evaluation. In addition to company engineers, Henry Ford II himself inspected and drove CSX 2003 during its time in Michigan.
Impressively, this most significant Cobra, which is being sold from 36 year ownership, retains its original and super rare 260 cubic-inch V8 and similarly original transmission.
