The Real Deal

There are few cars as iconic as a Shelby Cobra. But here’s the thing: if you see one, it’s almost certainly a replica. In fact, the Cobra might just be the most replicated car on the planet. That shape — the flared arches, the side pipes, the cartoonishly aggressive stance — has been copied, reimagined and rebuilt by dozens of companies over decades.

And for good reason. Originals are effectively unobtainable. Fewer than 1,000 Cobras of all types were built in period, with only a fraction of those being genuine 427 cars.

Today, those real-deal cars sit in seven-figure territory, with some stretching comfortably into multi-million-pound territory depending on provenance and history. Hence, when you see a Cobra out in the wild, odds are you’re looking at a tribute.

That’s why this 427 S/C coming up for sale at Furlonger Specialist Cars is such a big deal. It basically never happens! This ‘Completion Car’ is the third of just nine cars to be built under the highly desirable CSX 3000 series — a production run in the early 1990s resembling the 1965-1967 Cobras.

It was one of the last Cobras personally handled and signed by Carroll Shelby, commissioned for Vice Chairman of the Board of Sony Trading Group, and from that, it was the very car used to create the model in Gran Turismo 2.

Under the skin, you’ve got Ford’s legendary 427 “side-oiler” V8, pushing somewhere in the region of 485bhp in a car that weighs less than a modern supermini. The result? 0–100mph in around nine seconds, and a top speed of 185mph, which must feel all the more terrifying with 1960s architecture and no windows. Even today, it’s a car that demands respect and a healthy dose of bravery.

A real Cobra isn’t just about performance, or noise, or even design though. It’s about history, about context. It’s about being part of a moment in automotive history where someone decided the best possible idea was to drop a massive American V8 into a lightweight British chassis and see what happened. What happened, as it turns out, was one of the most iconic cars ever built.

Here's the story from the team at Furlonger:

"Furlonger are pleased to bring to market this exceptional Shelby Cobra 427 S/C Completion Car, commissioned for Vice Chairman of the Board of Sony Trading Group, Toshio Miamoto. Chassis no. CSX3058 is believed to be one of just 9 427 S/Cs produced during Shelby’s official reproduction period through the 1990s, commonly referred to as ‘Completion cars’. The Cobra wears its original specification of Guardsman Blue paintwork with White Le Mans stripes over a black interior – arguably the most collectible and desirable configuration for a Cobra.

In the late 80’s, Carroll Shelby’s Cobras became an extremely desirable commodity, with values well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. With an incredible global following of enthusiasts, it was only a matter of time before people began assembling replicas. Some of these cars were produced inaccurately and would often be termed ‘cartooned’, whereas a handful were meticulously built and closely resembled authentic Cobras. A network of suppliers and parts builders they supported would allow others to re-create Cobras from little more than their chassis plates, and although inauthentic, this still maintains a cult following to the present day.

In 1989, Carroll Shelby saw the popularity and collectability of his Cobras reach a level like never before and naturally began thinking about the potential to produce more. Shelby American had initially planned to build just 100 427 S/Cs in 1965, of which only 51 were produced in period. As a result, and of the remaining and unused 49 chassis allocations, just 9 would be built in a new run of 427 S/C ‘Completion Cars’. Partnering with none other than famed Cobra restorer and enthusiast, Ben McCluskey, Shelby American would complete the first of these new 427 S/Cs in June 1991. All cars were powered by a period-built 427 ‘Side-oiler’ engine, resembling that of the cars produced between 1965-1967 under AC Cars and Shelby American. The CSX3000 series had some minor changes over the period built cars in the interest of safety, including thicker aluminium in the body, MIG welded chassis with thicker rails, polyurethane A-arm bushings, and a fuel cell."

"Under the ownership of its primary keeper Toshio Miamoto, Sony’s Vice Chairman of the board, this Shelby Cobra would form an interesting connection to the world of video gaming. For the first time, the 427 Cobra would be drivable in Sony Computer Entertainment’s 1999 Gran Turismo 2, part of a series of multi award winning and world-renowned racing games. Chassis CSX3058 is the very car modelled, animated, and imported by the gaming developers into the Gran Turismo 2 platform. Today, the Shelby Cobra 427 is still playable in the series latest iteration, Gran Turismo 7 and often shown in the same specification as CSX3058; Guardsman Blue with White Le Mans stripes.

Furlonger are delighted to offer this Cobra 427 S/C ‘Completion Car’ for sale publicly in for the first time ever in the UK. Having previously conducted an off-market sale to its most recent keeper, Furlonger are well acquainted with chassis no. CSX3058, and can confirm that it is without question one of the finest examples in the world today. This ‘Completion Car’ Cobra is the third of nine cars to be built under the highly desirable CSX 3000 series, and one of the last to be personally overseen and handled by Carroll Shelby himself. The Cobra is accompanied by a comprehensive history file detailing and documenting its entire production process, along with numerous invoices, receipts, and photographs. The car has been used diligently in warm, dry conditions to ensure it remain in the very best condition possible, therefore it would make a fitting addition to the finest of classic and supercar collections."

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