Ken Miles is a legend etched into American racing history, best known for hurdling Carroll Shelby’s creations across circuits worldwide. But hidden in that legacy is a lesser-known chapter a 1965 jaunt down under where Miles took the Shelby American 427 Cobra for one last roar at the Australian Tourist Trophy held at Lakeside Raceway in Queensland.
This was CSX3002, the factory's lone 427 competition roadster. This beast had a dry-sump 7-litre V8 stuffed under its hood, with its oil tank cleverly housed in the right front fender and wider rear arches bulging to swallow massive Goodyear Blue Streak tires. It was a mean machine that lumbered into a field of nimble local sports racers and left an impression no one at Lakeside would forget.
The trip was brief and low key. Ken Miles and New Zealand-born mechanic Ron Butler flew in with just the two of them handling the Cobra's campaign. Carroll Shelby himself stayed stateside, leaving the spotlight squarely on Miles. Practice sessions showcased Miles’ mastery, throwing Australian motoring journalists into the passenger seat for heart-thumping rides with no helmets or seat belts reckless by today’s standards but pure adrenaline then.
On race day, Miles started from the third spot after fierce qualifying battles, trailing the tiny but agile Lotuses driven by Ian Geoghegan and Greg Cusack. For a while, the big Cobra held its ground, climbing as high as third. Then, disaster struck a rear suspension wishbone snapped on lap 34, puncturing a tire and forcing an early exit. Kate Bartlett’s rival Maserati also retired, but Geoghegan went on to claim the win.
Despite the DNF, Miles and his 427 Cobra stole the show with thunderous exhaust pipes singing under the Lakeside sun, sliding the heavy car into corners with wheels crossed and inside fronts lifting spectacle, speed, and raw power against lighter, nimble foes. It was a contrast of brute force versus finesse.
After the race, the car returned to Shelby American and was later sold to a Texas privateer. The Australian adventure was a fleeting but fiery moment in Shelby American's global racing story one overshadowed by the rise of the Ford GT40 and Mustang GT350 programs but no less vivid to those who witnessed it.
