VIN: the works / Ed Leslie Shelby Cobra chassis CSX 2136

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History of chassis CSX2136

Chassis CSX2136 was the first of six 289-engined GT class Shelby Cobras built to Le Mans Replica trim.

This small batch of cars was inspired by a pair of Cobras that had contested the Le Mans 24 Hour race in June 1963. They were completed to an extremely high specification with rack-and-pinion steering, a Derrington Nassau exhaust, Halibrand wheels, flared rear arches, front wheel-well spats, brake cooling scoops, Koni dampers, anti-roll bars, engine and differential oil coolers, a driveshaft hoop and electric fuel pump.

Shelby took delivery of CSX2136 in June 1963. However, the car didn’t make its first competition appearance until early September when Bob Bondurant and Dave MacDonald finished fourth overall and won the over two-litre Grand Touring class at the Road America 500 mile US Road Racing Championship event.

Lew Spencer then drove CSX2163 to third overall in the Los Angeles Times one hour Grand Prix race for GT cars at Riverside. Having incurred a crunched left front fender during this outing, Shelby executed a repair back at the factory and changed the car’s colour from black to light metallic blue.

Two weeks later, Shelby entered a pair of Cobras for the Hawaii Grand Prix at Kahuku. Although he failed to finish the five-lap preliminary owing to a blown tyre, Dave MacDonald subsequently drove CSX2163 to third in the 35 lap main event and came home just behind team-mate Ken Miles.

CSX2136’s final outings of 1963 came at the Bahamas Speed Week in early December when Frank Gardner took the wheel for a trio of events. He finished twelfth overall and second in class during the 25 lap Governor’s Trophy, after which the Aussie followed up with eighth overall and a class win in the five lap Nassau Classic the following day. Gardner’s final outing in the 56 lap Nassau Trophy finale yielded seventh overall and another class victory.

Shelby team driver and garage owner Ed Leslie purchased CSX2136 as his personal race car for the 1964 season. Despite having been a big step-up from the Triumph TR4 he had raced in 1963, Leslie took the now black again Cobra to seven outright wins when time permitted in between his factory drives for Carroll Shelby’s squad.

Leslie in turn sold CSX2163 to Foster Alexander for 1965 who took half a dozen A Production class podiums during the course of the year.

In 1967, Alexander sold the Cobra to Stan Bennett with a blown engine. Bennett fixed the car up and ran it for a few months (during which time he pranged the nose).

Bennett sold the Cobra that September to John Bachnover. In 1969 Bachnover passed the car on to Canadian racer Dave Greenblatt who crashed it during the early 1970s at Mont Tremblant. Following a subsequent fire, Greenblatt’s insurers paid up and took possession of the damaged remains which were placed into storage.

In December 1980, the remains of CSX2136 were purchased from a Canadian junkyard by Gilles Dubuc who then sold them to Ken Eber. Eber sold the rolling chassis to Steve Baker who had the car restored to its original configuration.

An interesting footnote to the CSX2136 story occurred in 1977 when Dave Greenblatt sold his 1969 bill of sale for the car (along with a couple of spare wheels) to Michael Leicester who had a recreation built up by Brian Angliss in the UK using a brand new chassis and body. Following a court case, Leicester had to hand over the 1969 bill of sale and his brand new car was re-numbered CSX2136R.

Notable History

Shelby American, California

Black

08/09/1963 USR Road America 500 mile (B. Bondurant / D. MacDonald) 4th oa, 1st GT class (#97)
13/10/1963 IND Riverside 1 Hour (L. Spencer) 3rd oa, 3rd GT III class (#98)

Light Metallic Blue

27/10/1963 IND Hawaii GP Preliminary, Kahuku (D. MacDonald) DNF (#98)
27/10/1963 IND Hawaii GP, Kahuku (D. MacDonald) 2nd oa (#98)
06/12/1963 BSW Governor's Trophy (F. Gardner) 12th oa, 2nd GT5.0 class (#198)
07/12/1963 BSW Nassau Classic (F. Gardner) 8th oa, 1st GT5.0 class (#198)
08/12/1963 BSW Nassau Trophy (F. Gardner) 7th oa, 1st GT5.0 class (#198)

Black

30/01/1964 sold to Ed Leslie (Leslie Motors), California

02/02/1964 SCA Divisional Riverside (E. Leslie) 1st oa, 1st AP class (#98)
16/02/1964 SCA Divisional Phoenix (E. Leslie) 1st oa, 1st AP class (#98)
05/04/1964 SCA Divisional Tucson (E. Leslie) 1st oa, 1st AP class (#98)
12/04/1964 SCA Regional Vaca Valley (E. Leslie) 1st oa, 1st AP class (#98)
26/04/1964 USR Riverside GT (E. Leslie) 2nd oa (#198)
03/05/1964 USR Laguna Seca (E. Leslie) 5th oa, 4th 2.0+ class (#98)
03/05/1964 USR Laguna Seca GT (E. Leslie) 1st (#98)
10/05/1964 USR Kent GT (E. Leslie) 2nd oa (#98)
10/05/1964 USR Kent (E. Leslie) DNF (#98)
07/06/1964 SCA Regional Stockton (E. Leslie) 1st oa, 1st AP class (#98)
14/06/1964 SCA Divisional Willow Springs (E. Leslie) DNF (#98)
12/07/1964 SCA Divisional Cotati (E. Leslie) DNF (#98)
02/08/1964 SCA Divisional Kent (E. Leslie) c. 5th oa, 5th AP class (#98)
23/08/1964 SCA Divisional Newport (E. Leslie) 1st oa, 1st AP class (#98)

Sold to Foster Alexander

04/04/1965 SCA Regional Kirker Creek (F. Alexander) 2nd oa, 2nd AP class (#17)
25/04/1965 SCA National Phoenix (F. Alexander) 2nd oa, 2nd AP class (#17)
08/05/1965 IND Laguna Seca (F. Alexander) DNF (#17)
09/05/1965 USR Laguna Seca GT (F. Alexander) 15th oa, 7th GT2.0+ class (#47)
11/07/1965 SCA National Salt Lake City (F. Alexander) ran (#17)
25/07/1965 SCA National Willow Springs (F. Alexander) 8th oa 6th AP class (#17)
08/08/1965 SCA National Candlestick (F. Alexander) DNF (#17)
12/09/1965 SCA National Vacaville (F. Alexander) 2nd oa, 2nd AP class (#17)
26/09/1965 SCA National Riverside (F. Alexander) 3rd oa, 2nd AP class (#17)
06/11/1965 SCA Regional Vaca Valley (F. Alexander) 2nd oa, 2nd AP class (#12)
28/11/1965 IND Daytona Road Race of Champions (F. Alexander) 3rd oa, 3rd AP class (#62A)

1967 sold to Stan Bennett with a blown engine

1967 sold to John Bachnover

1969 sold to Dave Greenblatt

Crashed at Mont Tremblant and later involved in a fire

Placed in storage by the insurers

1980 sold to Gilles Dubuc

Sold them to Ken Eber

Sold to Steve Baker

Restored

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: RM Sotheby’s - https://rmsothebys.com/