Ford CEO Jim Farley isn’t just the top executive at one of America’s most iconic companies – he’s also an avid racer in his spare time, one that has competed in a variety of vintage events over the years – as well as a stint in a professional race at the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at Daytona International Speedway. Recently, FoMoCo’s top boss piloted a GT40 to a podium finish in France at the 2022 Le Mans Classic, though he actually got his start with a classic Shelby Cobra that he bought, raced, and flipped years ago. Now, this rare Shelby 427 Cobra that Farley used to own is up for auction at Autohunter, and it’s a special machine in its own right – even more so with The Blue Oval CEO’s name attached to it.
This particular 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra wears chassis number CSX3195 and is one of just 998 built in total, as well as one of 343 with a coil spring suspension – making it a truly rare piece of machinery. As part of the CSX3000 series, it features not only a 427 cubic-inch engine under its hood, but also a series of additional performance enhancements, though it was built specifically for street use – it isn’t one of the handful of track-focused Cobras produced during this time.
Over the years, more than one famous name has slipped behind the wheel of this particular car – in addition to Farley, that list includes Carroll Shelby himself, as well as racers Mac Archer and Bill Kontes after it was converted into an S/C-style (Semi-Competition) Cobra at one point in its life. However, the Cobra isn’t totally original, having left Shelby’s facility finished in black, and the rear taillights were changed out to round units at some point over the years.
It was under Farley’s ownership that started in late 2012 when the Shelby 427 Cobra was stripped down and refinished in its current blue exterior paint with white stripes. Farley proceeded to race the car and show it off at various events until the current owner acquired it in 2015, at which point they proceeded to make a few additional changes. Now, this gorgeous and rare machine is up for grabs once again, though it has already surpassed the $600k mark with a full week to go in the auction – not that this should come as a surprise for a rare Cobra with a rather interesting ownership history.
We’ll have more cool auction finds like this to share soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Shelby Cobra news and 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comments
It’s funny how somebody like Farley who is an enthusiast for car races, decides that Ford, besides the Mustang or the pick ups, will produce only boring and cookie cutter SUV’s and crossovers that are far away for being what an automobile for car enthusiasts should be.
LoL. It’s not like Ford is Ferrari man.
The company is aiming for the growing and profitable sweet spots of the market. If that’s SUVs and crossovers, then so be it.
Profits from volume segments are what makes it possible for Ford to do more interesting vehicles.
If profits is what makes for Ford do more interesting vehicles, why don´t they do them? I´m not against that Ford sells SUV´s or crossovers. But I find very wrong is that Ford decided to quit complete market segments (the sedans for example) or precisely doing interesting vehicles. Not everybody likes SUV´s or crossovers or is willing to buy one no matter what. That people will go to other brands that still do interesting vehicles.
Yes, clearly he keeps a great distance between his hobby and his profession even though they are both in the transportation field. They seem to grow farther apart as we see corporate product decisions made.
What are you looking for, an Edge GT, or an Aviator Raptor?
Thing that most folks don’t get is electrification will make even mid mass market vehicles more fun to drive.
Electrification will certainly make mid mass market vehicles more fun to drive. And precisely electric sedans and sports coupes are more fun to drive as they offer more range and driveability due to the weight distribution of electric cars. Even with more technology, SUV´s don´t offer more space, more fun or more driveability than a sedan as their platform is the same size, their gravity center is higher and their design offers more resistance to the wind. You can´t go against Newton´s law.
At what price RW, your electrical systems are already beyond peak capacity. With the reduction of fossil fuelled plants your screwed. There is a long road ahead and then only will it be viable to own a battery vehicle in some parts of the country.
Hybrid is the next step Ford should further develop and maybe hydrogen before battery vehicles.
Electrical generation and distribution will proceed apace to EV share increase.
There will be no grid apocalypse.
Hybrid for mass market was the previous step and will be most likely for applications that can’t move to BEV PT but won’t replace widespread BEV adoption.