This year, 2025, marks the 75th year of The Pebble Beach Concourse, arguably the most prestigious and noteworthy automotive gathering in the world. In all those years, it is only the second time that Shelby Cobras have been included as a judged class.
How can that be, but then again, when you think of past Pebble Beach Best in Show winners, what comes to mind? More dignified classic touring cars that are closer to mobile pieces of artwork than spitting snarling venom fueled race cars. Truth be told, I thought it was the first time Cobras would be judged, which is one of the main reasons I wanted to attend the event this year, but some post concours research shows that the first judging of the Cobras (specifically limited to the 427 Cobras) was in 2016, apparently due to their undeniable iconic status and to recognize their top place standing in Carroll Shelby's legacy of performance automobiles. They were judged again this year to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first 427 powered Cobra and maybe coincidently, the 65th anniversary of the 427 Cobra helping Shelby American win the FIA Sport Car World Championship.
Hoping to maximize my exposure to, and experience with these legendary automobiles, my wife and I arrived in the dark early morning hours to watch the show participants drive onto the field, illuminated by the first rays of "Dawn Patrol's " sun. They were all on their best behavior as they meandered across the grass with their predatory amount of horsepower and heavy clutches. The morning dew no doubt made the specter of wheelspin a threat to cause concern, but all the drivers managed it without any unintended display of the brute force that lay beneath their aluminum bodywork.
Surprisingly, the Cobras were also very quiet when they drove in, not breaking the morning's stillness. The calm before the storm perhaps? It was as if they knew they were being closely watched to see if they would be labeled as boisterous, braggadocios adolescents at the elder's garden party.
As an appetizer to the judged 427s, a few 289 Cobras were on display to provide a nice overview of the evolution of the marque. While CSX2000 was there in 2016, so technically not eligible to reappear for two more years given Pebble Beaches' rule of cars only being eligible to attend once every ten years, CSX2001 was in attendance to carry the flag as the second Cobra ever built, and the first one sold to someone other than Carroll Shelby. Currently in the stewardship of Bruce Meyers, CSX2001 originally had a 260 cid V8 when built in 1962. In 1964 the car was outfitted with a 289 cid V8 updated to FIA specifications, although not all the bodywork was changed to match the FIA designation.
Of the 655 small-block Cobras built, only the first 75 came with the 260 cid V8 engine. CSX2051 was one of those cars and made its racing debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1963. Shortly after that race it was upgraded to the larger "289 " for the start of the 1964 race season and had much more success. Somewhere along the line it also acquired a hardtop, which luckily makes it eligible to still compete at Goodwood in the RAC TT class. As I stood next to this car it made me wonder how many unaltered 260 Cobras still remain, and more personally, how does someone 6' 1 " tall actually get into one of these cars when it's wearing a hardtop?
Having 'wet my whistle' with two delicious 289s, I moved on to the main course which consisted of six splendid variations of the 427 series Cobra.
Diving in headfirst, the only dedicated race car of the group, CSX3009 caught my eye. How could you possibly not be mesmerized by this car? This is the Essex Wire car and is 1 of 23 full competition 427 Cobras. Originally test driven by Ken Miles, and then campaigned by Skip Scott, this Cobra went on to win three national championships. Some consider it the most successful Cobra ever raced.
For a short period of time, this car wore white paint and green flames and was known as "Ollie the Dragon " due to flames occasionally belching out of the hood scoop when the carburetor was a little too rich. This paint scheme was campaigned by Sam Feinstein and crewed by Al Joniec and has now been meticulously restored to its 1965 livery. During judging of this car, the owner shared original photos of the build process to document a few differences in this car; the ones I saw specifically detailed the chassis reinforcement and welding, when compared against others of the same type.
Competition Shelby Cobras were also built in 1966, and CSX3018 is a beautiful example. Although raced in SCCA events, it presents as a more street worthy version when compared to the Essex Wire car. This car is extremely original, wearing the all original body, frame and drivetrain, and only shows 3,300 documented miles since new. This car was originally purchased by Richard Messersmith who paid $9,650 for it but offset some of that cost by trading in a 289 Shelby Cobra (CSX2525) that he already owned. The car was ordered in raw aluminum finish and later received the traditional Guardsman Blue paint.
I have always found the narrow hip version of the larger Cobras an interesting design evolution. Intended to make the 427 cars seem more refined, the rear fenders were made narrower and less pronounced, but these cars still packed the same performance wallop as their more curvaceous siblings. Of the 260 big block Cobras, only 32 were made as narrow hip cars, with CSX3131 being one of them. Only about 10 are known to exist today in their original configuration with some having been modified to change them back to the full-fendered look….what a shame. (Coincidently, the first real 427 Cobra I ever rode in was CSX3127, which has a very interesting history itself. A prototype vehicle for Shelby, I was told at one point it was used to develop the narrow hip option but was subsequently changed back to the more standard configuration. I have not been able to substantiate this claim, but it does seem reasonable.)
For the more "civilized " Cobra owner, 427 street cars were offered, and although some may have actually had 428 engines in them (story for another day), CSX3173 has a true 427 under its hood. At one point purchased by a Police Officer in Virginia, the car reportedly was used extensively for late night street racing but the owner never received any speeding tickets. Interesting how that worked out.
This car also resided in Japan for a few years (1987-2010), passing through a few hands, before being reshored and restored. The car is displayed with the original cardstock warning tag telling the owner to keep the car away from races, rallies, and car shows, lest they be set upon by autograph seekers, tire kickers, racing experts, and pretty girls.
If you were looking for a Shelby Cobra that combined all the best features of a full competition car, but was just an iota more comfortable, the S/C Cobra was your choice. I've heard it referred to as Semi-Competition, as well as Street-Competition, but basically it was a competition car with an upholstered interior. Prior to the 1965 racing season, Shelby needed to have 100 competition cars built to meet the homologation requirements. With only 51 cars completed in time, and the opportunity missed, some of the cars were sold off to racing teams while others were kept between Ford and Shelby. From the cars kept, 29 S/C models were built.
The car at Pebble Beach, CSX4032, was ordered by a Ford dealer for his showroom, who then fell in love with it and ended up keeping it for himself. Beginning in 1966 and for the next 16 years, the car was officially retained by the dealership, not specifically the dealer, so when it was sold in 1982 it was the last 'new' Cobra ever sold.
The last 427 Shelby Cobra built was CSX3360, which was completed in October of 1967. A 21 year-old named Erland Russell purchased the car after borrowing the money. There are stories of him driving it on isolated country roads in New Hampshire, lit only by the moon and his Lucas headlights, at very high rates of speed. Somehow the car survived his youthful bravado and questionable choices; having been impeccably restored, it looked none the worse for wear sitting on the grass. Notable on this car is the lack of a smaller oval oil cooler opening underneath the front grill area. The last 30'ish 427 Cobras did not have this feature.
While I envy the judges who got to look in all the nooks and crannies of these pristine examples of Carroll Shelby's automotive vision, I do not envy that they were challenged with finding the most minute presence of imperfection that would differentiate one level of faultlessness from the next. I can tell you from talking with the judges prior to them picking up their checklists and pencils, they were well aware of the daunting task they were about to undertake. I imagine it was akin to finding an errant brushstroke in Van Gogh's The Starry Night.
The three main judges for the 427 Cobra class were Drew Serb, John Clinard, and David Wagner. Lauren Fix also joined the group as a judge in training for this class.
I was aware of who Drew was, as his daughter Emily and I are both Regional Directors for Team Shelby, and also due to their affiliation with the Cobra Experience Museum in Martinez, CA., but had never met him (or her) face-to-face before. Drew is the founder and curator of the museum, and Emily is the Managing Director
As part of Monterey Car Week, The Classic Car Forum talks are held in the Pebble Beach Village area. A Ford/Shelby vs Ferrari Wars discussion kicked off this year's forums, and Drew was one of the panel members. Listening to him talk and answer questions during the forum quickly made it clear that Drew has studied not only Shelby history, but minutia that makes other trivia driven enthusiasts ask themselves, 'How can anybody know that?!?! "
Drew has been fascinated by Cobras and Shelbys since the 70's. Once he bought and restored one, there was no turning back. Along the way he purchased a company named Cobra Performance, which gave him access to a cache of original parts and a treasure trove of memorabilia. Armed with these resources, Drew built his reputation and expertise as a Cobra historian and artisan, working on an estimated 70 Shelby Cobras over the years. Not being able to keep his enthusiasm and exuberance of these cars to himself, Drew created The Cobra Experience Museum in 2014. A must visit destination for any Shelby devotee.
Unexpectedly, I met John Clinard a few days prior to Pebble Beach. He was welcoming our group to the Ford Performance display at Laguna Seca Racetrack (some of us just can't manage to call it WeatherTech) and showing us the new "Liquid Carbon " bodied Mustang GTD as well as the Ford GT MK IV. It certainly seemed like he was enjoying his day job as Western Regional Manager for Ford Public Affairs. Previously at Ford, he has worked in multiple areas including management roles in F1, Trans Am, IMSA, and developmental projects including such vehicles as the De Tomaso Pantera, Mustang SVO, AC MK IV, and the 2005 Ford GT. John also is involved with the Advisory Board of the Pebble Beach Concours.
Similarly, I also met David Wagner by chance before seeing him again at the Concourse. While getting out of our car at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey, a green 289 Cobra drove by and parked just a few spaces away. I walked over to admire the car and chat up the driver. I told him it was gorgeous and asked if it was authentic, which it was (in hindsight, it was Monterey Car Week, so the odds were in my favor it was the real deal).
As he attached the tonneau cover, I asked if he was planning on attending Pebble Beach to see the Shelby Cobras, as he was obviously an enthusiast. Well, not only an enthusiast, but as it turns out, one of the judges as well.
We continued talking as we were walking in the same direction. David worked for Ford as a mechanical engineer for three decades. During that time, he had the opportunity to work on projects with several Cobra related suppliers, including AC, Ltd., who supplied the bodies and other parts to Shelby.
He's owned multiple 289 and 427 Shelby Cobras and meticulously restored more than a few originals and built even more recreations (to call them replica's does David a great injustice to the level of detail he puts into them). On top of this, he made me feel like an old friend after knowing him for just a few minutes. Eventually we stopped in front of Domenico's restaurant. We were both meeting friends there for dinner. His friends included Drew Serb and daughter Emily! Small world.
I was unaware that Lauren Fix was going to be a judge, and it was great to see her out on the West Coast. We met in 2019 at a Shelby convention in Pittsburgh that was being co-hosted by SAAC and Team Shelby. If memory serves, she was in a new Ford GT that she let us use as one of the cars in a group photo of our team members. Her daughter, named Shelby, helped me set up the shot.
Living in the same portion of the country, we run into each other occasionally at different automotive events. Lauren (aka, The Car Coach) is a journalist, author, media personality, and speaker, specializing in the automotive realm. She is also an accomplished racer having competed in SVRA, FIA, SCCA and HSR events in such vehicles as a 1966 Trans Am Mustang, 1996 Jack Roush Trans Am Mustang, and a 2000 Jaguar XKRS Trans Am car.
After scrutinizing the Cobras, reviewing any substantiating documentation the owners may have had to support the pedigree and provenance of their car, and even allowing for the attempted "MacGyvering " of a non-functional taillight, which cars came out on top?
I'm not sure of the specific details that the judges based their decision on, but as the cars lined up, these were the three Cobra's that were summoned forward to have their awards presented to them by Aaron Shelby, Carroll's grandson, Board Member of Carroll Shelby International, and Co-President of The Carroll Shelby Foundation….
In third place, but first to drive across the presentation ramp, was the 1965 427 Competition Roadster (The Essex Wire Cobra, CSX3009). André Michael Ahrlé brought it from, Monte Carlo, Monaco. I guess you could say his gamble paid off (sorry….couldn't resist that comment).
Next up, in second place was the 1966 427 Street Roadster (CSX3173), owned by Chad Odom, Greenville, South Carolina.
Taking top honors, in first place was the 1966 427 Competition Roadster (CSX3018), which Peter Klutt brought down from Halton Hills, Canada.
Additionally, Bruce Meyer's in his 289 Cobra (CSX2001) was presented with the Lorin Tryon Trophy. Established in 1999, this award recognizes an automotive enthusiast who has contributed significantly to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the car collector world. Just the night before, Bruce was recognized at a dinner hosted by Shelby American/ Carroll Shelby International where he was given with the "Carroll Shelby Spirit Award". It is 'bestowed on an individual in the automotive industry who embodies the passion, exuberance, and high-octane lifestyle of its namesake, Carroll Shelby.' Bruce certainly does that and as he spoke at the dinner, seemed humbled and honored to be this year's recipient of the award.
So will Cobras be back on the green in 2026? I don't think they have been added as a permanent class, but who knows what the future will hold. Let's hope the 289's get their day at Pebble sometime soon. I dare say that I expect if Bruce has a vote, which he most likely does, he would vote "yes " to more Shelby Cobras. I know I would too, but my vote doesn't carry as much weight as Mr. Meyer.