Holy Grail Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake For Sale

The only 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake is being offered for sale by Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions. The “Cobra to end all Cobras” was the personal vehicle of Carroll Shelby and is powered by a 427ci V8 engine that is topped by a pair of Paxton superchargers. The engine is paired with a Cruise-O-Matic three-speed automatic transmission.

Full Disclosure: I am a former Barrett-Jackson employee.

CSX 3015 started life as one-of-23 427 Cobra Competition roadsters produced and on September 7, 1965 it was shipped across the pond to Ford Advanced Vehicles, England for a European promotional tour. The shipment also included another 427 Cobra Competition roadster (CSX 3014) and a pair of R-model Shelbys.

CSX 3015 returned to the United States in late 1966 and was still a 427 Cobra Competition. In 1967 CSX 3015 was trasformed into a Super Snake and was re-classified as “427 Cobra Semi-Competition”. Without a windshield, mufflers, etc. it wasn’t street legal and was only used on the track.

CSX 3015 was ultimately converted and became street legal with the addition of bumpers, windshields and all the rest but the main addition was a pair of Paxton superchargers.

An additional Super Snake was produced from CSX 3303 and gained notoriety when it was owned by Bill Cosby. His account of attempting to control the Super Snake was documented in his 1968 stand up comedy album, “200 mph”.

CSX 3303 was returned by Cosby and sold to Tony Maxey, who tragically lost his life after losing control of the Super Snake and driving it off a cliff and into the Pacific Ocean.