VIN: Steve McQueen's loaned AC Shelby Cobra chassis CSX 2174

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History of chassis CSX 2174

CSX 2174 was one of 453 Cobra road cars built with the 289-engine.

Completed in left-hand drive with a Vineyard Green exterior, the new car was famously loaned to the actor, Steve McQueen, for a couple of months in the summer of 1963.

McQueen was a die-hard auto enthusiast. At the time, his fleet of exotic vehicles included a Jaguar XK SS, Porsche 356 Speedster and Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso.

Carroll Shelby obviously thought McQueen was a good candidate to purchase a Cobra. Even if a sale was not forthcoming, the publicity garnered from arguably the hottest property in Hollywood driving a Cobra would be good for business.

McQueen collected CSX 2174 from Shelby’s shop at 1042 Princeton Drive in Venice, California, on June 28th 1963. At this stage, the car had black seats and was registered on the California dealer plate 1D MFG 013.

Quite how long Carroll Shelby expected McQueen to borrow the car for is unclear, but after several weeks, and with seemingly no prospect of making a sale, CSX 2174 was recalled to the factory.

It was freshened up, fitted with Beige seats and signed off on 26th August 1963.

CSX 2174 was subsequently invoiced to the Francis Motor Car Company in Portland, Oregon, on April 14th 1964. Over the next few years, the car went through the hands of several private owners.

By 1980, it was registered to Federick Reese who decided to have the by now damaged car restored by Stewart Hall who specialised in Cobras.

Hall told Reese it would be cheaper to replace the original chassis rather than repair it. Hall fabricated a replacement chassis (which he numbered CSX 2174) and a new body was fitted at the same time.

Reese cut out the area of the original chassis that contained the VIN and sold the damaged chassis to Matthew Grebe to use as parts.

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: The Henry Ford Museum - https://www.thehenryford.org/