The AC Cobra/Shelby Cobra is without a doubt one of the most iconic cars in the history of the automotive world and is easily in my personal top 10 sexiest cars to be ever made. Shelby American has announced the launch of the very limited edition, 50th Anniversary Cobra 289 FIA, which is a close copy of the the original Cobra FIA launched in 1964 to race against powerhouses such as the Corvetter, Aston Martin, and Jaguar in the World Manufacturers Championship series.
The Cobra 289 FIA will be only limited to 50 units and will be built by Carroll Shelby International. The vehicles will feature a unique Shelby issued CSX serial number, a Shelby American issued MSO, as well as a registry as a 50th anniversary edition Cobra. Each of the 50 vehicles will be painted in a ‘Viking Blue’ paint and feature Arctic White FIA stripes and roundels.
The special edition Cobra’s will also feature a black FIA interior, special billet anniversary badges, and original style wheels. The overall look is identical to the original car, these new Continuation Shelby Cobra 289 FIA sport cars have been updated to contemporary standards with essentials such as modern disc brakes, stronger chassis, and improved body panels. The Cobra will also come with a complete exhaust system for a small block Ford V8, a special car cover, as well as an optional detachable steering wheel.
The 1964 model was intended to be a racer and featured a new dashboard, cut-back doors, widened fenders in the front/rear, improved dampers, oil cooler scoops, racing wheels with the pin-drive hub, and a race-spec 289 small block engine.
If all this sounds like a vehicle of your dreams, you might want to check out the Shelby website and see if you can place an order. The vehicle will have a couple of different price points depending on whether you pick a fiberglass body or an aluminum body. The starting price for the fiberglass body is $94,995 while the aluminum starts at $159,995. This doesn’t include the price of the drive train. If that’s out of your price range, you can always check out the much more affordable Factory Five MK4 Roadster (Cobra replica).
