Retro “Ford v Ferrari” Shelby Cobra Heads to Barrett-Jackson Auction

The Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach next month is probably going to be packed with folks who appreciate the Shelby Cobra‘s storied history, so it’s not a bad place at all to auction off a tribute to both a recent blockbuster film—Ford v Ferrari—and its cantankerous-but-talented hero, Ken Miles (played by Christian Bale). The movie took a fair bit of license with reality, but Shelby’s recreation here is thankfully not so fanciful.

This “Cinema Series” Cobra, CSX8198, represents an early car—a 1963 narrow-body packing what would have originally been a 260-cubic-inch V-8, although this one’s got a 289 that’s been stroked to 331 cubes, because why not? Its Wimbleton White paint is a tribute to the car used in the film, and the original that competed at Riverside in a similar livery back in the day. According to reports at the time, Shelby’s other driver, Dave MacDonald, who’d made a name for himself driving Corvettes, was the real headliner—Miles wasn’t even announced as a team driver ahead of the race. Not that Miles’s prominence in Ford v Ferrari isn’t warranted, it’s just not the whole story.

Back to the tribute car, which is a lot more potent than anything MacDonald or Miles had access to at the time. Total output from the V-8 is 400 horses and it breathes through Weber carbs. All those ponies are sent rearward through a Tremec five-speed manual gearbox rather than the four-speed unit the original Cobras sported. We can’t begrudge Shelby that, as a slavish devotion to the original is a disservice to the driver in this instance.

In a nod to one of the movie’s more humorous scenes, the CSX8198 comes with a spare cracked windshield and an engraved commemorative wrench—if you’ve seen the film, you get the reference. If not, go watch the movie—it’s pretty damn good. Otherwise, the interior bits are accurate representations of what’s in the movie: wire wheels, a red leather interior, and so on.

If you want to own the first of the Cinema Series Cobras (and there will be more, with GT40s and Daytona coupes included in the 100-car limited series), then head to Palm Beach, Florida, where CSX8198 will be offered with no reserve.