The Flip Top, which was affectionately referred to as "The Turd" around Shelby American, has been discussed in a lot of detail on this forum several times. A few months back I posted a bunch of detail shots of the car that CC member Terry Krystofiak was kind enough to send me. Those who are interested can do a search and probably pull up more info than you ever wanted to know.
The car holds a unique position in Shelby lore, probably because of the "what could have been" notion; it is the lightest roadster Shelby (Miles) built, with one of the most powerful engines they ever put in one of their team cars. In many ways it is the "ultimate" Cobra, at the very least the ultimate leaf-spring car. By all accounts it was no more than an interesting diversion for Miles and crew. If they had given it serious development time it probably would have enjoyed more success, although front-engined race cars were quickly becoming antiquated. Like the Corvette Grand Sports--Chevrolet's Flip Top, if you will--CSX 2196 was the pinnacle of a class of sports cars that technology had already passed by.
2196 raced at Sebring in '64 with Miles and Morton. At that time it had not been built into the Flip Top but had a conventional Cobra body--albeit one with cooling holes punched in the nose and flared fenders to accomodate wider tires--and a 427. The car DNF'd. It was then transformed into the Flip Top and raced at Nassau in '64. The car was very quick, as the pictures in "Carroll Shelby's Racing Cobra" will attest, but suffered from a number of teething problems that meant it retired from the various races in which it was entered in the Bahamas that year. The car never raced again for Shelby American and was sold at the famous fire sale to a gentleman from, I think, the San Francisco area. It ran some SCCA events in the ensuing years, driven by racers such as Dave Ridenour. Ultimately, being just another used race car, there was even a plan to turn it into a circle track racer, if I'm recalling correctly. Thankfully that never came to fruition and the car instead languished for years before showing up at some vintage events in the early '80's. It is now in the loving and appreciative hands of Rich Mason, who thankfully recognizes the interest enthusiasts have in the car and accordingly brings it out most years to places like Monterey (where I had the good fortune to drive it around the paddock last year, the ride of my life
).
Sigh. $3,160.00...