1962 CSX2000 260 Cobra ROADSTER
Shelby’s First COBRA
Details & History
CSX2000 was the chassis number given to the one and only prototype Cobra. It was constructed by AC Cars in Thames Ditton, England by modifying an AC Ace with direct input from Carroll Shelby. Labeled “Carroll Shelby Experimental 2000”, the Cobra prototype received a limited-slip Salisbury rear end, inboard rear disc brakes, reinforced suspension, thicker-wall main chassis tubes and what AC Cars called a “general beefing-up through-out” beyond the specifications of the AC Ace.
AC Cars and Carroll Shelby tested the car at the Mira track in England using the brand-new Ford Fairlane 221 CID V-8. When finally finished in late February 1962, the prototype, less engine and transmission, was air- freighted to LAX and brought to Dean Moon’s shop in Santa Fe Springs, CA for installation of a 4-speed transmission and one of the first Ford 260 CID V-8 engines.
CSX2000’s first public appearance was at the 1962 New York Auto Show in April. The Cobra was painted a pearlescent yellow because Shelby was advised that color looked best under fluorescent lights. CSX2000 would be repainted several times over in its function as the sole factory demonstrator in an effort to convince customers and the automotive press that the production line was humming along. With its 260hp V-8, aluminum body and light weight, performance reviews on the vehicle in 1962 were quite remarkable.
On loan from the Miller Family Automobile Foundation.
Images by Dave Friedman and the Shelby American Collection.