Turning 60 warrants a party, especially when you’re one of the most vaunted sports cars in history. To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Shelby Cobra 427, a special featured class has been announced for this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance to celebrate the great snake.
“Carroll had a strong personal connection to Pebble Beach, racing and winning here in the 1950s and later sharing his cars at the Concours, so we are honored to feature his Cobras this year,” said concours chairman Sandra Button. “The design, performance, and historic wins of these iconic race cars highlight the legendary pairing of Carroll and Shelby American with AC Cars and Ford Motor Company.”
First introduced in 1965, the 427 Cobra took Shelby’s epic sports car to its most extreme form. It got a new chassis, coil suspension, and of course, that epic 427 cubic-inch Ford V-8. You could have one in four forms: Comp (competition), S/C (semi-competition), Street, and Narrow Hip.
Naturally, the Cobra class at Pebble is going to include quite the quiver (yes, that’s the term for a group of Cobras—the snakes, technically, but it plays here too) on display on the 18th fairway. And, though it’s the 427’s anniversary (the first cars debuted in 1962 with a 260 V-8 underhood), Cobras of all stripes will be in attendance.
1962 Shelby Cobra 289 First Production Roadster
This black-over-black example was the first Cobra to reach a customer’s hands. It’s also the only one to compete in the Tour de France Automobile. Originally fitted with a 260 cu-in engine, this one got a 289 transplant to spice it up later on in its life.
1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Narrow Hip Roadster
The bulges are great, but this rare, Narrow Hip example (one of just 32 produced) is uniquely beautiful. According to Pebble’s announcement, just 10 of these Narrow Hip 427s remain in original, unmodified condition, this blue beauty among them.
1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Competition Roadster
The Cobra dominated most forms of racing that it entered, perhaps none more than the upper classes of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). This example battled it out at many famous SCCA tracks like Wilmot Hills and Road America. It still has all of its original components, including the drivetrain, body, and chassis.
1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster
This baby blue beauty holds a reputation for being one of the most authentic 427 street Cobras extant, full of original components just as it rolled off the factory line.
1967 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C Roadster
One of the more iconic Cobra looks, with the rollhoop, full windscreen, and massive side pipes, this ’67 427 S/C was Shelby firing on all cylinders. It’s one of just 29 original S/Cs in existence and is sure to draw a crowd on the fairway.
1967 Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster
The last 427 Cobra built. It’s been restored, sure, but the project was done with all of its original components, including the hardware, vinyl, leather, and more. Understated in navy, this one oozes cool and attitude.
The 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance takes place on Sunday, August 17.
Report by Nathan Petroelje
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