Of the many memorable sports cars built in the 1960s, few possess the enduring mystique of the Shelby Cobra. Envisioned by Le Mans-winning driver Carroll Shelby and developed by his team of talented engineers, the Cobra successfully combined the best qualities of European competition machinery and Southern California hot rods, creating a truly distinctive Anglo-American sports car. The original small-block Cobra, built between 1962 and 1965, achieved an enviable race record and proved instrumental to Ford Motor Company’s Total Performance program, culminating with Shelby American winning the FIA World Sportscar Championship’s International Championship for GT Manufacturers in 1965.

Although the 289 and 427 Cobras are the most iconic and immediately recognizable models, the earliest examples, built by hand during 1962 and 1963, represent the purest expression of Carroll Shelby’s legendary sports car. In all, just 75 examples of the original 260 Cobra were built, a figure that includes street cars, factory team cars, independently prepared race cars, and one Dragonsnake. The street cars, of which only 62 were built, are exceedingly rare, accounting for less than 10% of total leaf-spring Cobra production.

Not only are the early production 260 models historically significant, they also possess rare, charismatic details that differentiate them from the later, more standardized Cobras. The slab-sided aluminum bodywork appeared similar to the AC Ace on which it was based, with its narrow fender flares, lack of side vents, Wilmot-Breeden hood latches, and limited-production Shelby-AC-Cobra emblems. Inside, the cockpit featured full Smiths instrumentation, a wood-rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel, and a shift knob sourced from Ford’s parts bin. Mechanically, these early Cobras were equipped with the Hi-Po 260 cid V-8 engine, cast-iron-cased Ford Galaxie gearbox, 3.54:1 rear-end ratio, worm-and-sector steering, Lucas electrical components, and 5 1/2"-wide wire wheels.

Over the past 60 years, most of these early Cobras were raced, wrecked, or modified to give the appearance and specification of later models. Consequently, very few 260 Cobras retain their unique, as-delivered details, and those that remain in good, original condition number in the single digits.

The Cobra presented here, chassis CSX2034, is undoubtedly among the earliest, most complete, and best-preserved examples of Carroll Shelby’s highly influential sports car – a remarkable survivor that remains in time capsule condition, with just three private owners and less than 5,200 miles from new.

The extraordinary history of CSX2034 dates to October 1962, when this chassis was billed to Shelby American, and arrangements were made to ship the unfinished car from England to New York. That November, Shelby invoiced Tasca Ford of East Providence, Rhode Island, for this Cobra, for the price of $4,995.

Along with Ed Hugus’ European Motors in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Tasca Ford was one of Shelby’s first authorized dealers and they sold several of the earliest Cobras, including chassis 2024, 2028, and 2029, as well as 2034. Originally finished in red with black leather upholstery, CSX2034 was loaned to Car and Driver magazine for road testing – the results of which were published in the March 1963 issue in the article, “AC Cobra – The AC chassis gets a 4,261-cc dose of just exactly what it’s always needed.”

Complete with Tasca Ford badging and a Rhode Island dealer plate, the Cobra is pictured on several pages of the article, accompanied by technical drawings, charts, illustrations, and effusive praise from the magazine. Editors claimed, “Very simply stated, the AC Cobra attained higher performance figures than any other production automobile we have tested.”

Soon after this test was completed, CSX2034 was sold to its first private owner, James Hall, a resident of Concord, New Hampshire. After putting a few hundred miles on the Cobra’s odometer, Mr. Hall placed an order with his local dealer, Grappone Ford, for one of Shelby American’s racing options: a three-carburetor intake manifold with three Holley twin-choke carburetors. This three-carburetor intake added approximately 12 to 15 hp, and its progressive linkage made the Cobra even more exciting to drive, offering explosive acceleration at wide-open throttle.

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Hall racked up a collection of speeding tickets. Within a matter of months, his driver’s license was reportedly seized by local law enforcement in the name of public safety. Stripped of his license, he offered CSX2034 for sale in the December 1963 issue of Car and Driver, describing it as follows: “AC Cobra 1963 260. 1,000 original miles, never raced. Six Blue Streak tires. Ready to go!”

When no retail buyer materialized, Mr. Hall sold the Cobra to his friend, Stan Hallinan, a sports car enthusiast who owned a dealership that sold British-made Hillman automobiles. By 1965, he had closed his shop, gone to work as a salesman for Grappone Ford, and owned a succession of high-performance cars, including a Shelby GT350 and a Le Mans-specification 289 Cobra, among others.

As recorded in the Shelby American World Registry, “Used for only two summers after its acquisition in ’64, 2034 was placed in storage showing 4,200 miles on its odometer. As of the late ’90s, it remained there, with 5.5" painted wire wheels, a 1965 NH inspection sticker on its windshield, and the Ford 3x2V carburetor set-up installed in ’63.”

After Mr. Hallinan’s passing, the remarkable contents of his car barn were revealed in summer 2013, when his extraordinary three-car collection was consigned to auction. Alongside his 260 Cobra were two other Anglo-American performance cars – a Lister Knobbly sports racer and a Lotus Cortina Mk I. Mr. Hallinan had acquired all three cars in the 1960s and parked them after limited use, leading them to be preserved in wonderfully original, unspoiled order.

Presented at that time in non-running, as-found condition and showing just over 4,700 miles, CSX2034 was sold to the current owner, a connoisseur who has owned many of the finest postwar sports and racing cars. Committed to preserving the Cobra in unrestored condition, he entrusted it to Antique Auto Restoration of Seaside, California, for sympathetic mechanical recommissioning. The goal was to return the car to reliable running order without disturbing the car’s wonderful originality, integrity, and patina. During this process, the engine was inspected, serviced, and resealed; the fuel and braking systems were serviced; and a new set of wire wheels and tires were fitted, while the original wires and period tires were preserved in storage.

Over the past decade, the Cobra has continued to benefit from sparing use and regular maintenance. At the time of cataloguing, the odometer displayed less than 5,200 miles, approximately 500 miles more than when it was discovered in Mr. Hallinan’s New Hampshire barn. Today, the Cobra still presents as a true time capsule from the mid-1960s, with a consistent patina to its finishes, magnificently preserved original upholstery and carpeting, and rarely seen original features. The chassis number can be seen stamped in the correct location – unique to the early 260 Cobras – and the number 34 appears on both the hood and trunk latches. Testifying to its East Coast provenance, the original Tasca Ford dealership emblem remains on the trunk lid and the 1965-dated tech-inspection stickers from New Hampshire State and Sports Car Club of New Hampshire (SCCNH) are still affixed to the windscreen. The Cobra even retains its original soft top, side curtains, tonneau cover, jack, and charming English-made accessories, like the Rainbow-brand wiper arms and Lucas PL headlamps, found only on the earliest Cobras.

Presented here is a rare survivor hailing from the formative days of Shelby American. This 1963 Shelby 260 Cobra possesses a fascinating and well-documented provenance – serving as Car and Driver magazine’s test car, and relegated to storage for nearly five decades before being rediscovered and revived at the hands of a conscientious, preservation-minded collector. A magnificent, unrestored example of an undisputed sports car icon, CSX2034 is a Cobra of quality and distinction – the likes of which may not be available again.