CSX 2000, the first Shelby Cobra that started the legendary company and defined the American muscle car movement heading to Monterey
In 1962, a young man by the name of Carroll Shelby bought a little known British sports car called the AC Ace sports. It was a very small two seat sports car powered by straight-six single overhead cam engine with 1,991 cc of displacement. The AC in stock form produced 85 horsepower, and because of the how light the vehicle was, performance was acceptable. Keep in mind that American muscle cars from the era were putting out three to five times the horsepower.
When Carroll Shelby got the car back to his shop, he squeezed a 260-cubic inch V8 engine into the chassis of the British AC Ace sports car, laying the groundwork for the legendary Shelby Cobra, a vehicle famous for its brutal performance. Road tests from the show a 0 to 60 mile per hour run and a quarter-mile sprint in 13.8 seconds.
Needless, to say, that first vehicle, named the CSX 2000 is for sale. Used for research and development, auto shows and press drives, the vehicle has been in the possession of Carroll Shelby from day one. Upon his untimely passing, the vehicle passed to the Carroll Shelby trust. To this day, the vehicle is still used for promotional purposes.
What will CSX 2000 sell for?
The first of everything will have more value than follow-up examples. When that vehicle is one of the most influential vehicles in American history, even more so. “When it comes to American sports cars, CSX 2000 is without peers, it historical significance and impact on the global sports car scene cannot be overstated,” RM Sotheby’s Car Specialist Shelby Myers said in a statement.
The vehicle is going to auction by RM Sotheby’s at Pebble Beach next month. Last year, two Shelby Cobras each sold for over $1 million dollars and did not have anywhere the historical significance of CSX 2000. As a result, we don’t know what the first Shelby Cobra will go for but you can expect that it will be for a significant amount because of the vehicle’s provenance. We will keep you posted though.