Shelby Cobra Successor to Cross the Block at Barrett-Jackson
Only 249 Series 1 roadsters were ever made and had naturally-aspirated or supercharged Oldsmobile 4.0 liter V8s.
To Ford fans, the Shelby Cobra is nearly sacred. And the man behind it, Carroll Shelby, is a saint. This iconic supercar made Ford the dominant force in racing for much of the ’60s, and its sensuous British-built body made it one of the best looking cars of the era. Plus, you know, there’s that whole Shelby-Ford Mustang connection too.
But after the Swinging ’60s, Shelby and Ford parted ways. He and his company spent the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s partnering with Chrysler, GM, and even Saab on various projects. In the 2000s, he came back into the Ford fold. But what was he doing in the intervening years? Well, in the ’90s, he was trying to build a successor to the iconic Cobra. That car turned out to be the Shelby Series 1. And now, there’s a 1999 car set to cross the block at Barrett-Jackson’s Las Vegas auction in late September.
Now, we won’t tell you that the Series 1 holds a candle to the Cobra. And be warned, this car is a Shelby-GM production. But before you go thinking that Carroll shoved an LS motor under the hood and called it a day, think again. The Series 1 had an Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 liter V8 under the hood. Available naturally aspirated or supercharged, this car is the latter, one of 60 supercharged cars built. As such, it’s putting out 450 horsepower. A C5 Corvette six-speed manual transaxle receives that power. It has a heavy-duty clutch, four-wheel disc brakes, and exclusive Shelby five-spoke wheels.
It’s built on an aluminum frame with aluminum honeycomb reinforcement panels. The body is a mix of carbon fiber and fiberglass, which make it still seem contemporary. From a design standpoint, it bears more than a passing resemblance to the original Cobra. The massive side vents and downward sloping hood vent give the car a purposeful look, backed up by its silver paint and red Le Mans stripes.
Inside, however, is a mix of ’90s-era GM parts. Spend any time in a contemporary Buick Riviera or Pontiac Firebird and you’ll recognize the Delco radio, instrument panel, switches, and HVAC controls. Power windows, locks, and mirrors, and air conditioning are all standard. As are power brakes and steering – a far cry from the original Cobra in that regard.
For those of us who are old enough to remember, the Series 1 was a cover star on several of the big auto mags in its day before disappearing in a cloud of production woes and legal battles. In all, just 249 were built. Today, they’re a cool throwback to the ’90s, Ford-powered or not. While we’d be tempted to swap that Olds mill for a Coyote, we have a feeling that isn’t going to happen. This car is highly original and has less than 10,000 miles on the clock. What’s more, supercharged cars like this one routinely change hands for over $150,000. Still, we’ll be keeping an eye on this one as it crosses the block.
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