Flip Top on the Block The RM auction in Scottsdale, 2010 is scheduled to have the one-of-a-kind 1964 Shelby Cobra 427 Prototype s/n CSX 2196, nicknamed “The Flip-Top ." cross the block at their auction at Frank Lloyd Wright designed Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix on January 22nd, 2010. The flip-top has been various colors but for the auction is in the original livery of Guardman Blue with white stripes and black interior.Supercars.net has three good shots of it in its current state. http://www.supercars.net/cars/4680.html CSX2196 is commonly referfed to as the "Flip Top" because the front and the back of the car flipped open for access to the mechanicals. Here are photos from http://www.nvsaac.com of CSX2196 . The car was built hastily by Ken Miles at Shelby American to counter the Corvette Grand Sport challenge from GM—special tube framed cars that looked like Corvettes but hardly had any parts that interchanged with production ‘63 Corvettes except the engine and gearbox On a site called Supercars.net they have some good pictures Among the many changes on the car are relocated foot boxes for exhaust clearance and pushing the bell housing back in the interior. The brakes were upgraded, anti roll bars added, plus an oil cooler and racing windshield. The car was raced with the regular Cobra body first at Sebring in 1964 where it had many problems, including a leaking brake line, blocked fuel line and heavy vibration and finally complete engine failure. Miles crashed it heavily in practice. Even though he had broken ribs (some say cracked), he stayed up all night and repaired most of the damage and the car went out on the track with John Morton but retired with a blown engine. Over the remaining months Ken Miles worked on it more making it into the ‘Flip-Top’ Cobra. The reborn car had a thin-gauge aluminum body with a flip-forward front end and a rear-hinged section. The reborn version weighed only 1600 lbs, some 500 less than a standard small block Cobra. When the car proved race worthy in tests run at Riverside in September 1964, the ‘Flip-Top’ was sent to the Nassau Speed Weeks to run against two Corvette Grand Sports but during the Tourist Trophy Race, Ken Miles led during the opening laps but again the car had engine failure. The experimental engine was replaced, but that engine too failed during the Governor's Trophy. After its racing career was over, CSX2196 was used to test the mighty 427 engine. According to Wouter Melissen wriitng on UltimateCarPage.com, the car went to Al Rivera of San Francisco, later belonged to big time car collector Bob Lee and then was sold to the owner who is selling it now. It currently has an all aluminum 427 rated at something like 500 plus horsepower. It is expected to sell for seven figures.
