Last Sunday I saw CSX2001 in person. This is a significant sighting for me, a guy who has researched Cobras for 40 plus years. It is the subject of a 5-page article in Vintage Motorsport, an American magazine. The way I understand it, this car never saw the Shelby plant but went from the UK to Pittsburgh to be prepared for racing. It never had a set of side vents installed though it was updated to a 289. Originally it was a street car but was prepared for competition and ran in European events under the ownership of several different Frenchmen. I was thinking of writing a story about its history myself but was wondering about a couple things: the hardtop it used in Europe that had a side profile like a 250LM roof, was that aluminum? Was there only that one made? Did it have an inset rear window like a 250LM (the picture I have is front 3/4 view).
Also the rear flares bulge out instead of having a fender lip to cover the tyre, has anyone else seen rear fender arches like that on a small block other than a FIA 289?
The article in Vintage Motorsport playfully hints that this could be the first Cobra, though Shelby says the one he has, CSX2000, is the first one. Shelby's has inboard rear brakes, the only such car built.
Here's the only picture I could find on the net
http://www.edgar-motorsport.com/id1.html but if anyone has pictures they shot of it in its previous liveries during its race career, I can trade images I shot last week at one of those informal cars 'n coffee for those.
By the way, I consider my tastes in Cobras maturing as I am weaned away from the raw untamed King-of-the-Known-World power of the 427 and coming to appreciate the 289s....
