From the RM website: It was an American Revolution, the likes of which had not been seen in almost 200 years! Carroll Shelby – the man, the larger-than-life Texan, and the battle-tested racing veteran – fired a shot across the bow of every sports car manufacturer in the world and, in doing so, set the car world on fire with the Cobra. This Cobra, the very same car RM Sotheby’s is honored to present at Monterey in a few short weeks, is the cornerstone on which Shelby changed the course of automotive history. It is the actual pen with which he signed his declaration of war and the idea upon which he built his company and revolutionized American racing—and the greater auto industry as a whole. It is, without exception, the single most important and history-rewriting sports car ever offered at auction, after over 50 years of ownership and without ever leaving the care of its founding father. Supremely original and with extraordinary history, RM Sotheby’s celebrates this national treasure at its Monterey auction in August. From the beginning, CSX 2000 was used for the development and promotion of the new platform. As it was passed from magazine to magazine for reviews, it underwent a host of color changes. The goal was to convince the public that Shelby had more than one car, but for much of 1962, CSX 2000 was the only Cobra. In the decades that followed, as the car’s popularity grew, it remained with Carroll Shelby as his personal Cobra. It was a car he loved, a car he drove, and a car that began the long legacy he would leave on the automotive world. Without CSX 2000, there would be no Cobras, no Shelby Mustangs, and no GT40s or GTs. The story doesn’t end with CSX 2000, though. Shelby went on build a select few more Cobras, including the more powerful, more advanced 427 version. We are excited to offer Carroll Shelby’s personal 427 Cobra chassis number CSX 3178, which will also be in Monterey. The Cobra is unique for its single-ownership history by Mr. Shelby himself, as well as its extremely rare automatic transmission. Join us in Monterey on August 19th and 20th to watch these two incredible pieces of history cross the auction stage as they are offered for the first time ever.
The car was presented first in bare aluminum and then painted yellow. It was finally painted the blue it is today. I don't think I would call that a host of colors.
One would think it would be saved for the grandchildren, isn't there one named Aaron who has made some public appearances? On the other hand perhaps there is no better time--with a possibility of fetching $5 from $10 million? Who is the beneficiary of this sale? The Foundation? Mrs. Carroll Shelby? Isn't this the car with inboard rear discs, the one finished at Dean Moon's shop? They should put a sign on the windscreen "One Owner car."
From Autoblog.com: The Carroll Hall Shelby Trust is selling CSX2000 because that's what Shelby the man dictated before he died. "Carroll and Rob Myers discussed Cobra #1 many times, and they were good friends. Their agreement that Rob would offer the car for Carroll's Trust, after he was gone, was a very emotional one for both of them," Joe Conway, one of the co-trustees for the Shelby Trust alongside Neil Cummings, told RM Sotheby's. "Neil Cummings and I are now simply carrying out Carroll's wishes, with no disrespect meant to the other individuals who meant so much to Carroll and did so much for his business and his Foundation over the years." We can only hope that whoever (individual or company) acquires it, does not change it and allows it to be on display,. However, I doubt it will be on display free of charge as it is now at the Heritage Collection, was in the lobby at the first SA Las Vegas location and at the Gardena shop lobby before that. You only have a few months for a last look so you might want to get to SA in Las Vegas soon.
The statements above are less about the prospect of selling CSX2000 than they are about who is representing the sale. Carroll and Rob Myers were good friends, but Carroll also had a good relationship with the Barrett Jackson guys, yet only one can represent the sale of CSX2000....
