Photos: RM Auctions

Friday the 13th was not an unlucky day for the former owner of this Shelby roadster. He walked away from the RM Auctions’ Sports & Classics of Monterrey Auction with $1,595,000 more than he arrived with.

There were six 289 factory team roadsters built for the 1964-65 U.S. Road Racing Championship series by Shelby and this is one of only two of the USRRC Cobras completed with dual side pipes on each side. Chassis number CSX 2557 was entered in the season-ending FIA race, the Bridgehampton Double 500 in September 1964.

Racing in the mid-sixties created some of the most famous, desirable and beautiful automobiles ever built. Shelby’s racing efforts went up against the likes of the Ferarri GTO, 250LM and 275, the Porsche 904, the Jaguar Lightweight E-type and the Grand Sport Corvette.

As one of only 42 cars that Shelby built to racing specs, this Cobra sports a 300+ hp, 289-cid, V8 engine, four-speed manual transmission, four-wheel independent suspension using transverse leaf springs and four-wheel disc brakes. The K-Code engine itself, received race-prepped bottom ends, ported and polished heads with larger valves, four Weber downdraft carbs, tubular headers and a larger, baffled oil sump.

Chassis improvements included Koni shock absorbers, stiffer springs and roll bars, Halibrand magnesium wheels, larger brakes with cooling ducts, a differential cooler and larger fuel tanks. As engine output had increased over the years, wider wheels and tires were constantly being fitted, along with ever larger fender flares. As bodywork was revised, the rear fenders extended into the door area, requiring the doors to sport radically trimmed rear edge, inspiring the name “cutback doors” that has come to characterize these cars.

The competition debut of CSX 2557 was less than inspiring, as a carburetor problem sidelined it less than halfway into the race. It was held by the Shelby team as a spare and later sold it. The car’s ensuing history is well recorded in the “SAAC World Registry”.

There are many Shelby automobiles around, but few with the pedigree of this roadster. Interestingly, an earlier RM Auction at Amelia Island failed to sell the car, despite a final bid in the $1.2 million range. Offered this time, without a reserve bid, the car drew significantly more on the West Coast.