Shelby American
427 S/C Cobra

Why it matters

The 427 S/C ('Semi-Competition') Cobra exists because Shelby's big-block competition Cobra failed FIA homologation. The unsold competition chassis were finished as road-registrable cars that kept most of the racing hardware, making them among the fastest road cars of their time. Only 29 were completed.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Shelby intended the 427 Cobra for international GT racing, but when FIA inspectors arrived only 51 cars had been completed and homologation was refused. Left with unsold competition chassis, Shelby painted and finished 29 of them with trimmed interiors and sold them as the 427 S/C. The cars retained competition equipment such as side exhausts, flared fenders and a large fuel tank.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The catalogue lists competition parts an S/C retains: oil cooler, riveted hood scoop, flared fenders, side-exit exhausts, dual lightweight batteries, a 42-gallon fuel tank and an external fuel filler, combined with a trimmed road interior. Chassis numbers carry the CSX prefix (the catalogued car is CSX 3036); provenance should be checked against registry records.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   RM Sotheby's Monterey 2024 – 1966 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra (CSX 3036) Level B

   • 29 S/C Cobras produced

   Accessed 2026-11-11
2. 2
   1966 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra Level B RM Sotheby's

   • 427-cubic-inch V-8
   • 42-gallon fuel tank

   Accessed 2026-11-12
3. 3
   1965 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra Level C Gooding & Company

   • 4-Wheel Adjustable Independent Suspension with Coil Springs and Tubular Shock Absorbers

   Accessed 2026-11-12