by Brad Anderson
- This 1966 Cobra retains its original chassis, body, and V8 setup.
- Only 16 factory-built 427 Roadsters left the factory line in black.
- Some low-mileage Cobras like this can sell for over $3 million.
Tracking down an original 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra Roadster is like finding a needle in a haystack, and we have just found one. Heading to auction next week through Mecum, this rare and remarkably original Cobra is likely to send Shelby enthusiasts and collectors into a frenzy.
This is one of only 16 original 427 Cobra Roadsters painted black, and one of roughly 155 cars built with the big-block. It also carries the desirable dual-quad carburetor setup, which is exactly the spec serious buyers want.
Read: Superformance’s Cobra MKIII Is Almost As Good As The Real Thing
Mecum has not disclosed the mileage, but the roadster retains its 427 cubic-inch V8 paired to the original four-speed manual, driving the rear wheels. The body and chassis are also original, a genuinely uncommon claim in the Shelby Cobra world, where decades of crashes, restorations, and continuation cars have muddied the waters.
The car has been restored with all of its original components and looks immaculate. The bodywork shows no obvious signs of damage, and the car retains chrome-finished front and rear bars and sits on a classic set of wheels.
Classic Is Best
It’s a similar story inside the cabin, which also looks like it just rolled off the factory floor. Black upholstery adorns the seats and dashboard, while there’s also the original metal shift knob, wood-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel, and the classic gauges.
Classic Cobra 427 models like this often sell for dizzying sums. Some particularly desirable examples have fetched more than $3 million in the past, while even the most mundane, high-mileage models usually sell for at least $1 million. Sure, you could buy a very nice house for that kind of money, but we can’t think of any house that has the same kind of provenance as this car.
Anyone with several million dollars and the right kind of poor judgment can check out the Mecum listing over here before it slips into another private collection.
