The ultimate street Cobra

It was classic Carroll Shelby: a delightfully mad idea taken to new extremes. He took the already ferocious 289 Cobra and "upgraded" it with a 427-cubic-inch V8. Shelby intended to race the 427 Cobra, but when FIA inspectors arrived, only 51 cars had been completed, resulting in a denial of homologation approval.

In response, Shelby painted and finished 29 competition chassis with fully trimmed interiors, cleverly marketing them as the 427 S/C, or "Semi-Competition," the fastest road-going car ever built. These cars retained features of the full competition models, including the oil cooler, riveted hood scoop, flared arches, side exhausts, dual lightweight batteries, 42-gallon fuel tank, and external fuel filler cap. Just as Jaguar’s XKSS was a thinly veiled D-Type racing car, the 427 S/C Cobra was a barely disguised road-going variant of the 427 Competition Cobra.

These cars were insanely, brutally quick – faster than many full-bore racing cars of the period – and are rightfully considered the ultimate "street" Cobra. Today, they remain highly sought-after and are stalwarts of vintage racing communities in both Europe and America.

The car featured here, CSX 3036, is among the most distinguished Semi-Competition Cobras. Originally shipped to Shelby American in February 1965, it was converted to S/C specifications in June 1966 following the FIA homologation issues that led to the creation of the S/C series.

This stunning 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra will feature as part of RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale on 15-17th August 2024. Photo © Robin Adams / RM Sotheby's