Carroll Shelby’s 427 Cobra Sells at Mecum Kissimmee
Carroll Shelby’s ’65 427 Cobra (CSX3178)
The classic car year kicks off with a very unique vehicle at Mecum’s auction in Kissimmee. There’s already a lot of buzz about Carroll Shelby’s personal ’65 427 Cobra (CSX3178), crossing the auction block Friday afternoon, 1/15/2021. Everyone knows it will fetch a huge price. The question is how much. Even Mecum is not publishing an estimated sale price.
What do you think it will sell for? Let us know your guess for the price of this real-deal Cobra, owned by Carroll Shelby, himself.
The person with the closest price, without going over, will not only receive bragging rights, but they will also receive a special shout out from us as a “Preferred Car Guru to Follow” on Twitter.
Details for the Cobra (CSX3178) Auction Price Guess:
- Only one guess per eClassicAutos Twitter follower will be accepted.
- Retweet our post about this contest with your price guess.
- The winning sales price or high bid for this car (Lot F145) will be posted on Mecum’s website. The sales price includes the buyer’s commission.
- In the event we receive duplicate winning price guesses, the first guess posted will be the winner.
- Price guesses will be accepted up to 10:00 am EST, Friday 1/15/2021.
Since CSX3178 is a one-of-kind car previously owned by Carroll Shelby, there is no easy way to gauge what its sale price may be. However, here are some past vehicle auction prices on other special sales for your reference:
| Award | Vehicle | Year Sold | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullitt Mustang | Mecum Kissimmee | 2020 | $3,740,000 |
| Cobra 427 S/C (CSX3042) | Mecum Indy | 2019 | $2,860,000 |
| Cobra 427 Super Snake | Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale | 2015 | $5,115,000 |
| Cobra 289 ‘First Cobra’ (CSX2000) | RM Sotheby’s Monterey | 2016 | $13,750,000 |
| Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe | Mecum Monterey | 2009 | $7,250,000 |
Snapshot in Time
There are several iconic photos of Carroll Shelby with race cars and great drivers of the day. The below photo is a little more personal. Here he is, standing alongside his friend, Dan Gurney, and his new Charcoal Grey 427 Cobra (CSX3178). What a great threesome!
Auction Update
This was definitely the sale of the auction. As the beautiful charcoal gray Cobra rolled onto the block, spectators anxiously surrounded the car, cell phones in hand, to record another piece of classic car history. The price of this one-of-a-kind Cobra rose quickly from phone bidders and two persistent in-house bidders. When the hammer finally fell at $5,400,000, the happy new owner jumped to his feet with hands in the air. This was one of those memorable moments that can only be experienced in a live auction format.
We would like to thank all Twitter followers who submitted their guesses of the winning auction bid. A special shout out goes to @trevor_doty who came the closest to the final sales price, without going over. Here’s a recap:
- Twenty Twitter followers replied with guesses.
- Guesses ranged from $1M to $19.1M.
- The bidding started at $1M.
- The reserve was lifted at $4M.
- The Hammer Price was $5.4M.
- The Price as listed by Mecum was $5.94M (includes sales commission).
- The winning guess by @trevor_doty was $5.8M.
