1965 AC Cobra

[dillon14]

I am just wondering if any of the members on this site would advise/help me on the value of an original 1965 blue 289 AC Cobra. I believe it has 45,000 original miles. It has been loaned to a museum for many years but the lady that owns it is now considering selling the car. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I have knowledge regarding the muscle cars and the Shelbys but no experience with a real 289 AC Cobra.
Thanks
Al

[computerworks]

In today's market 289 Cobras have changed hands between 200k and 450k, for a street car, based on history, condition and data.

Can you get the CSX number of the car? ...that will help with the history

[Trevor Legate]

A museum - a little old lady - a genuine 289.......following hard on the heels of the 7th Daytona coop, I'm not sure I take any more excitement... :-)

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by Trevor Legate

A museum - a little old lady - a genuine 289.......

...and .... a first post. Can't beat that.

[dillon14]

Without giving out too much information, what are the things I should look for on the Cobra to determine value? Thanks

[dillon14]

By the way, I am not looking to buy the car but I am going to help her sell the car and try to get the best possibly price for her. She is not wealthy and I am in hopes that she will get a fair price for it. Thanks

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by Trevor Legate

A museum - a little old lady - a genuine 289.......following hard on the heels of the 7th Daytona coop, I'm not sure I take any more excitement... :-)

Yep, unrestored in the museum for 30 years and I got it for $200K.



(never mind it's not 4/1/2009 yet )

[Nedsel]

In today's market, prices between $200 - 450k would be low. There are people out there who will pay close to $200k for nothing more than a valid title. A decent 289 Cobra these days starts in the $400k range and goes up from there. Two cars have recently changed hands at a price in the low $600k range, but their condition and history were impeccable.

If the goal is to get the owner the best price, the car should be offered in a public forum of some type, such as an auction or through a reputable dealer who specializes in cars of this nature. That's not the best scenario for the potential buyer, but it is the fairest for the seller.

[289ACE]

Al,
I wouldn't post the CSX number here. If you do someone is likely be hot on the trail of the car while you try to figure out a price. In fact, you may have already said too much.
Jay

[Trevor Legate]

I know of a 289 that was sold four years ago for £280,000 (multiply x2 for dollars) but it had a near-perfect history and had been beautifully restored. I would agree that the bidding starts at $400,000 and heads smartly north from there, once the authenticity has been established beyond doubt.

[Rwillia4]

289ace,
what is the harm in posting the CSX number? too much information given? WTF he is trying to sell it, how can he/she know what its worth with out some history... it is not like he is sharing the address of where it and the keys are located. IMO this is the best place to obtain un-bias opinion on any historic car, look at how people jump thru their a$$ for the 7th coupe... down to Brocks location during the build frame, pictures of vehicle in the background. This is the greatest spectacle in "background checks"

[mrmustang]

HHHHHmmmmmm,

Ok Ned, just how many street Cobras are located in the great state of Maine that have not changed owners on the last 30 years...Then again, what other museums are in this particular area of Maine other than the Wells Auto Museum???


Bill S.

[Nedsel]

I am aware of a blue 289 in Maine whose owner died maybe 8 years ago. I believe it was sold through a museum in Maine, but possibly not. This could be the same car, or it could be a different one - we won't know unless or until Dillon 14 provides more information.

In the event the originator of the thread wants to ask questions in private, he is welcome to send me a private message, with anything he wants kept confidential. (Dillon - I've now had almost years of experience dealing with Cobras in confidence as the SAAC Cobra registrar/ historian and will be glad to assist in any way.)

[289ACE]

Rwillia4,
The original post was asking for value information on a car and said nothing about selling it. It sounded more like he was chasing the car and wondering what a fair price was. In that scenario, I think not posting the CSX # is the right thing to do unless he wanted it to disappear before he closed the deal. Couple the CSX # with the being in a museum, and poof, away it goes. Now that the situation has been clarified, I agree posting the CSX # would be helpful and certainly enlisting Ned's help would be appropriate.
Jay

[dillon14]

Nedsel,

I have sent you a private message.

[Bill Wells]

so, what's the latest scoop ? Bill

[dillon14]

We are in a holding pattern right now.

[Historybuff]

I advocate checking out a car by the serial number ( if the owner will give it)
as much as you can before you see the car. If the number doesn't jive then you have to be suspicious right from the get go. I remember seeing a RR Silver Cloud convertible where the very prominent chassis number under the bonnett had been deliverately obscured, probably to hide the fact it was cut down from a four door standard steel saloon.

Problem is when you check it out, your queries attract claim jumpers.

As soon as they realize that SN _______might be for sale, they might be able to arrange financing quicker and beat you to it.
My approach back when I used to buy exotic cars was to find out where it was and show up with a cashier's check in the owner's name and urge him to go to the bank to find out if the check was real. Then to buy it and tow it away the same day, running or not.

There still are one owner AC Cobras out there but I hesitate to go check any out for fear of starting the stampede of claim jumpers and spooking the owner who might not even have thought of selling it. I wouldn't approach it until I had the approximate amount you think it's worth ready to issue in a cashier's check. And condition matters not, who cares if the upholstery is ripped or the paint faded? We're talking a solid chain of ownership, documented, and a SN not claimed by anyone else.

And here's one lesson hard learned. One time I went to check out a Ferrari in Sna Garbriel or someplace close with Ghia coachwork (rare) and a Chevy V8. The seller wanted 40K. I took a Dutch guy with me who was visiting. I didn't buy the car then, not convinced it was worth getting if it didn't have its original engine. Then about six months later,one of my clients said he still wanted it, and sent the check and I went back to buy the car and the owner said "Oh, didn't your Dutch friend tell you, he came and bought the car."

So you can't even trust who you bring with you....

Also in a foreign country, if you find one in Nepal or some odd place, I would investigate how to transfer funds first. US law prohibits you from taking more than ten grand out of the US in your wallet without reporting it.

Still, I like to check out the rumors of rare cars..and where they might be even if I am out of the exotic car buying business now. Just today I met a mechanic who knows where some far East dictator's cronies have about 30 cars stored since the salad days when they were all emptying the treasury

[dillon14]

Can someone on the forum contact Ned Scudder and have him call me. He said he was going to be in Maine in early June and we would like him to look at the Cobra. He may be in transit and will probably not get my PM. My contact info is:

Al Barlow
207-354-8126 Home
207-446-9971 Cell
207-273-5120 Work (Ask for Deputy Warden Al Barlow)

Thanks

[Bxx1]

As Seen in Autoweek Magazine

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1966 AC Cobra, 427, 4 speed, (CSX3271) Black with Black leather, spinners on Halibrand mags, excellent seats, very good gauges, engine compartment excellently detailed and visually correct, invoiced to Hayward Motors, Ca., at $6195 sold in 2008 at $781,000.


For what its worth (so to speak)