I have to admit, I rather like the Shelby Cobra, putting a massive V8 engine into a lightweight body, styled like these are … a Cobra looks sexy. And they are demanding a serious bank account to add to your garage, just read up on our story on Carroll Shelby’s personal 427 Cobra Chassis CSX3178, that sold for $5,940,000 at the Mecum Kissimmee auction in January 2021 … but this one might fetch an even higher bid at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction in late March .
This car is a unique Cobra, CSX 3015 is one of only 23 original 427 Competition Roadster, and it is the only surviving 1966 Super snake, back in 2015 this specific car sold for $5,100,000 at auction, we’re six years down the road now, so chances are this Guardsman Blue beauty will be even more expensive this time around.
Craig Jackson, CEO of Barrett-Jackson:
“This is the ultimate, it was made to go kick Ferrari’s ass on the street after just doing it on the track.”
Not only does this specific Shelby Cobra come with a 427ci V8 engine, it also has two Paxton superchargers fitted by Caroll Shelby himself, because of the massive power, he also had to fit a 3-speed automatic transmission … this Super Snake is fast … extremely fast … 190 mph is no problem at all behind the wheel of this Super Snake, over 800 hp back in the Sixties was impressive.
Chassis CSX 3015 was actually shipped to the UK in September 1965, together with CSX 3014 and two R-model Shelbys, both CSX chassis were original 427 Competition roadsters, these didn’t have mufflers, nor a windshield, nor any bumpers, these were Competition models, race cars … and these weren’t street legal.
The CSX 3015 came back from Europe in late 1966, still in her factory original Competition form, but in 1967 Caroll Shelby turned her into a Super Snake, and called her a Cobra 427 SC model (for Semi-Competition), adding mufflers and a windshield, thus making the car legal to drive on the open road. In fact all Cobra 427 SC models were street-legal, but most of them only saw a track during their lifetime.
There was a second Super Snake built, based on a 1967 427 road car, chassis CSX 3303 was initially a public relations car, but Shelby America converted her into a Super Snake too, sold to a dealer in San Fransisco after which she ended up with Tony Maxey … unfortunately both Tony and CSX 3303 got involved in a serious, lethal accident, the car was a total-loss, which makes CSX 3015 the only Super Snake in the world.
Today chassis CSX 3015 is considered a genuine Competition roadster with original body (which is different from other Cobra 427 SC models), and includes the 1967 Super Snake hood, the Girling CR and BR calipers are still date coded to 1965, and the original 377 rear end with oil cooler and pumps are genuine 427 Competition spec.
The 5m17 427ci V8 engine block is date-coded to December 17, 1965, with the original headers and those impressive, chrome side pipes … the estimate for this unique Cobra 427 Super Snake is set between $5,000,000 and $8,000,000 … and I couldn’t have put it any better than Craig Jackson himself, when he stated:
