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SHELBY COBRA 427 SUPER SNAKE CSX 4404

SHOWS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A GREAT IDEA MAKES AN ENCORE
SUPER ONCE MORE

LOT #1375 - 1965 SHELBY COBRA 427 SUPER SNAKE CSX 4404 – NO RESERVE

Carroll Shelby was a larger-than-life figure Decades later, in the mid-1990s, Shelby
who built some larger-than-life cars. But began producing a series of 427 S/C
even when sifting through the legends “continuation Cobras” that incorporated a
of the various racing machines and tire few modern updates but were otherwise a
smoking muscle cars his company built, complete revival of the originals. Available
some of Shelby’s projects really stand with either fiberglass or hand-formed
out. The tale of the Super Snake Cobra aluminum bodies, these Cobras delivered
is undoubtedly one of most outrageous the looks, feel and raw performance that
episodes of Shelby’s long career. earned the Cobra its fame in the 1960s. The
427 S/C continuation Cobras were given
Seeking to one-up himself, not to mention
certain European sports car makers, Shelby CSX 4000 and, later, CSX 6000 designations
tasked his crew with the creation of a pair by Shelby American.
of 427 Cobras - already one of the most It was inevitable that somebody would
brutally powerful sports cars ever built - figure out this development was a great
fitted with twin Paxton superchargers. After opportunity to build a continuation Super
much custom fabrication, they succeeded Snake Cobra.
magnificently. Power output was well into And so it came to pass. The Cobra featured
race car territory, and the cars were visually here, Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake CSX
striking as well, with unique, oversize hood 4404, scheduled to cross the block at the
scoops necessary to provide room for the 2022 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction
pair of superchargers.
with No Reserve, is one of three authorized
One of the cars (CSX 3015) was owned by continuation Super Snakes known to exist.
Carroll himself for a while before passing It rolled off the assembly line and was
through the hands of a series of high-profile delivered to its owner at the time of Carroll’s
owners. In more recent times, that car has passing in May 2012.
crossed the block at Barrett-Jackson on more In substance, the aluminum-bodied CSX
than one occasion, generating headline- 4404 is a very close cousin to CSX 3015. It
making sales. The other original Super Snake is powered by a 427 cubic-inch V8 boosted
was wrecked in the 1960s and unsalvageable. by two Paxton superchargers that feed a pair
The story doesn’t quite end there, however. of 4-barrel Holley carburetors mounted on

42 BARRETT-JACKSON EXPERIENCE WINTER 2022