Listed for sale on Bring a Trailer, this 1964 Shelby Cobra Mark II represents one of the defining combinations of British chassis engineering and American V8 performance. One of approximately 528 Mark II Cobras produced between 1963 and 1965, chassis CSX2231 began life as a street car before being transformed for track use.
Carroll Shelby developed the Cobra after partnering with AC Cars in 1961, combining the lightweight AC Ace roadster with Ford V8 power. The first Cobras used Ford’s 260-cubic-inch V8, while the Mark II introduced the more powerful 289-cubic-inch engine alongside rack-and-pinion steering. With a curb weight of little more than 2,000 pounds, the resulting sports car could reach 60 mph in under six seconds and achieve approximately 130 mph.
CSX2231 was reportedly delivered in white and remained with several owners through 1978. It was subsequently prepared for competition, receiving a replacement V8, hood scoop, fender flares, roll hoop, Monza-style fuel filler, external cutoff switch, and other track-oriented equipment. The car participated in a vintage race at Road Atlanta in 1989 before undergoing a comprehensive refurbishment in the 2000s.
Under current ownership, the Cobra was stripped to bare metal and refinished in blue with contrasting white stripes. Its competition-inspired configuration includes 15-inch Halibrand wheels with three-eared knockoffs, BFGoodrich g-Force Sport tires, four-wheel disc brakes, dual side-exit exhausts, and a Tremec five-speed manual transmission with overdrive.
Power comes from a Ford V8 rebuilt to 292 cubic inches by Barry Sale of PHP Racengines. The race-oriented engine incorporates cylinder heads developed for DeTomaso and Shelby’s abandoned P70 project, quadruple Weber carburetors, tubular headers, an oil cooler, and an aluminum radiator with an electric fan.
Inside, fixed-back black leather bucket seats, a wood-rimmed steering wheel, multi-point driver harness, fire extinguisher, and Stewart-Warner instrumentation reinforce the car’s competition character. The overhauled gauges include a 160-mph speedometer, 8,000-rpm tachometer, and dedicated oil temperature, coolant temperature, amperage, fuel-level, and oil-pressure readouts.
With its documented Shelby Cobra lineage, extensive track preparation, and highly developed 292ci V8, CSX2231 offers a distinctive interpretation of one of the most influential American sports cars of the 1960s.
Source: Bring a Trailer
