how many real cobras are left?
 

id appreciate it if anyone could share their god-like cobra knowledge and tell me how many real cobras are left. even better, could you further divide these into street and S/C models? thanks for all the help guys! :)

Do you want to know how many real ones or how many original ones from the 1960's? There is quite a big difference between the two especially in this Cobra forum.

Tainorat: Took the words right out of my mouth.

Both would be interesting to know

frank H

I had this on the tip of my fingers just a while ago. I ran across an article in the Shelby American that listed the total number of original leaf spring CSX2nnn and coil spring CSX3nnn Cobras that were known to exist and were registered in the SAAC.

If memory serves that was about 72% of the original cars or under 800. I will go look that up, it could take a while and get back with the data from that article.

Another article in the V4 range of Shelby American listed about 6 CSXnnnn cars known to be in existance BUT their status was STOLEN and the current whereabouts at that time was not known.

Just think... the next time you pop the top off a brew or pop, some of that Aluminum could have come from a recycled Cobra!

Cheers??

Search CC. The question has been asked and answered a half dozen times. The CSX 4000 aren't counted in the mix, however.

yeah i meant original 289's and 427's from the 60's sorry :eek:

Re: how many real cobras are left?
 

No apology necessary. I knew what you were asking and it wasn't a confusing, misleading or vague question. Few people care to ask how many replicas or what have you are presently driving around. And what would they be 'left' from? As Cal Metal suggests, better to investigate on your own.

KMP

Ok, I did find it. In Shelby American magazine, #56, in The MAIL SAAC, a member asks, how many of each type of ORIGINAL Shelby car, by year and type are accounted for or known to exist.

So here are the stats as of that isssue....

GT40 Built 133 Found 127 Pct 95.5%
260-289 Cobra Built 655 Found 581 Pct 88.7%
427 Cobra Built 348 Found 309 Pct 88.8%
1965 GT350 Built 525 Found 393 Pct 74.8%
1965 GT350R Built 37 Found 30 Pct 81.1%

(Note each year of Mustang was given but frankly I am not of the mind to type all that crap so if you want to see the latter day mustang stats, go out and get that issue.)

So of the 1003 original cobras 890 were known to exist and data on them was secured. Of those, an earilier article stated 5 of those were STOLEN and their current status or whereabouts were unknown.

So there are 113 Cobras not accounted for. Of those one can surmise that many are scraped and are gone. Some were donor cars after wrecks, etc and no longer exist as a car but are now a "Bitza". (BITZA = a Cobra that was restored with a little bits of this car and a little bits of that car).

Of course the other possiblility is that there are cars out there in existance yet Unfound or unregistered by the SAAC. Hummm... a tastey possibility eh?

But in any case, at the time of publishing SA #56 the magic FOUND number was 890 out of 1003.

Isn't it amazing that the Cobra legend was for the most part based on a total of 1003 real cars?

(Note: AC's COX/COBnnnn and Autokrafts COX/COBnnnn cars are not counted in the above figures nor are the current day Shelby American continuation/replica cars.)

It is also of interest that the number of AC Bristols has diminished during the last 30 years, giving rise to speculation about them appearing as a 289 Cobra or being use as a BITZA donor.

Cheers

Then there are "Air" cars. Some one in Cal. had a relative that worked at the DMV, was able to make paper work for some of the "lost/missing" cars. This person just built some cars and used the "new" documents, ang presto ,chango, a found, lost car. This may have been all straightened out, but there are duplicate CSX cars out there ,with the corresponding legal cases to prove it.

I think someone noted here a while ago that a "seller" even tried passing a car off as a CSX 4000 that wasn't a Shelby. If my recollection serves me. Anyone remember that?

Original Count
 

BlownSOHC,
You have asked a question that CANNOT be answered, by this forum, by SAAC, or anyone group.
Over 50% of the 427s DO NOT not have "TRACING LINEAGE" of ownership/paper
proof of their existance.
grumpy

Art... what's the published date on that issue?

Hi Ron:
That is a 1989 issue according to the Copyright date on Page One. I would venture to say that the data therein (and from which I quoted) has been updated since then.

Art

...thought so.

That's 15 year old data on the 'Missing' cars.

I am sure that with the major churning of ownerships in the early nineties... as well as good due diligence by the SAAC registrars.. that those 'found' percentages are probabably much higher by now.