It might be hard to believe but there was once a time when the Shelby-AC Cobra was considered to be of little value, just another old, used second-hand car that struggled to attract buyers even when new. This was due in part to its vintage 1950s origins and, being a hand-made car, its high list price. If you wanted to go racing, it was worth considering but as a road car, it lacked several features one would expect such as wind-up windows and exterior door handles.
In the USA, one Shelby Cobra found itself the victim of trigger-happy hunters who thought it a suitable candidate for target practice. CSX2238 began life as a race car in Honolulu in 1964, before its owner later shipped it back to America to compete in a number of events. By 1966, it changed hands in California prior to its new owner being called up for military service. On his return in 1969 he collected his Cobra and was driving home when the fuel pump failed. He left it with a local service station to carry out the repair but on his return he discovered it had been stolen. Then in 1974, rumours of a Cobra found abandoned in woods in New Mexico began to circulate. Eventually the car was recovered and was identified as CSX2238, mostly complete but minus its engine and shot full of holes. Hindsight is a wonderful thing as those hunters, if only they knew, were cheerfully destroying what is now a valuable automobile.
The Cobra underwent a full restoration, changing owners until in 1989 it was sold to a German gentleman who collected it in New York. It was briefly stored in New Jersey, in the garage of Shelby Club Cobra Registrar, Ned Scudder, before being shipped to Germany. By coincidence, a few days later, he was contacted by the person who owned CSX2238 when it was stolen as he was interested to find out what had become of his Cobra. Once in Europe it was sold to Dr. Jochen Weisshaupt who is the last known owner. For some years, the family of a former owner have been trying to make contact with both car and owner as for many years they have stored some interesting memorabilia related to the Cobra; anyone with any information can make contact directly via kay@collectorscarworld.com
