Story
1964 Shelby Cobra
The 1964 Cobra combined an AC-built tube chassis and hand-formed aluminum roadster body with Ford small-block power and Shelby American completion. The regular model-year story is the leaf-spring 289 Cobra. FIA, USRRC, Slalom Snake, and other competition equipment belongs on this page as documented context, not as the specification of every road car.
The rack-and-pinion 289
The regular street engine was Ford's 289-cubic-inch high-performance V8, commonly listed at 271 gross horsepower with a single four-barrel carburetor. Surviving records also document dual-quad and racing induction, but those configurations require an invoice, Registry entry, and chassis-specific history. A competition tune cannot be inferred from hood scoops, side exhaust, stripes, or later restoration choices.
The four-speed Borg-Warner T-10, rack-and-pinion steering, independent suspension with transverse leaf springs, and Girling discs at all four wheels define the main mechanical layout. Exact gearbox case, differential ratio, Powr-Lok equipment, spring and damper specification, and component dates still follow the individual order and chassis.
Ordered as individual cars
Surviving invoices document Class A accessory equipment, aluminum Cobra valve covers, chrome wire wheels, whitewall tires, luggage racks, wind wings, mirrors, bumperettes, quick-fill caps, and weather equipment. The records also preserve Vineyard Green with Saddle trim, Wimbledon White, Bright Blue with red trim, and other chassis-specific combinations. These examples are useful, but they are not presented as a complete universal option or paint schedule.
Street and competition boundaries
Five FIA roadsters and the two Slalom Snake cars illustrate how far Shelby could develop the 289 platform. Their widened bodywork, racing induction, brake cooling, roll bars, sway bars, dampers, wheels, and exhaust systems remain special-car evidence. They do not establish the delivered equipment of a regular street Cobra.
Production and identity
Reviewed sources report 580 leaf-spring 289 Cobras across the small-block program and identify 453 as street 289 cars. These are configuration or cross-year totals, not an audited 1964 model-year production figure. AC billing, ocean shipment, Shelby completion, invoicing, titling, and competition conversion dates can cross calendar boundaries.
Authenticating a Cobra starts with its CSX identity and documentary chain. Registry history, Shelby and AC paperwork, chassis stamping, body construction, suspension and steering type, dated engine and transmission components, original colors and trim, and ownership history must agree. Replicas, continuation cars, competition re-creations, later 427-style bodywork, side pipes, roll bars, stripes, and badges may be visually convincing but cannot establish 1964 Shelby identity.
Market context
The market examples below span original, restored, and individually equipped cars. Each result belongs to one chassis with its own provenance and condition. Registry standing, original body and drivetrain, competition history, documentation, and restoration quality can move value dramatically; these records are context, not an appraisal.