1966 Shelby Cobra 427 #CSX3217
This is an extraordinary coil spring Shelby Cobra 427 with an original Shelby CSX chassis number. Normally, coil spring 427 big block Cobra chassis would have been shipped from AC Cars in the UK to Shelby American for assembly. This would have also given them the Cobra Shelby eXport (CSX) chassis number. Cars destined for the UK market would have received a COB (CObra Britain) chassis number and cars for other export countries a COX (CObra eXport) chassis number. This car, chassis number CSX 3217 is one of only three cars known to exist that never went to Shelby American and yet still received a CSX chassis number. All three cars went from AC Cars directly to Ford Advanced Vehicles in Slough, UK for development and racing purposes. One car went to France and CSX 3217 together with CSX 3013 went to the famous Scuderia Filipinetti in Switzerland.
By mid 1965, Scuderia Filipinetti felt their aging Ferrari 250 LM lacked the requisite performance and began to explore other cars. Alongside their 250 LM, Filipinetti ran a Daytona Coupe and a GT40 in the 1965 Le Mans. The 250 was still the most successful of the fleet, but Georges Filipinetti was impressed by the Ford products and formed a close bond with Carroll Shelby during the event. After a visit to Filipinetti, the pair set their sights on breaking the Eau Mortes 1000km record. Shelby built a 427, CSX 3013 specifically for the task and delivered it alongside a Mustang 350 GT, the first of its kind in Europe.
At the end of the 1965 season, Filipinetti was asked to become the official importer of Ford Performance Vehicles in Switzerland. From their new purpose-built showroom in Geneva, “Performance Cars SA” sold and serviced cars like the Cobra, Cortina and Mustangs that
Filipinetti had successfully raced during the prior season. In late February of that year, racers Franco Sbarro and Michel Piller were sent to England to collect the first sales vehicles including CSX 3217, a 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra. Performance Cars Ltd adverts dated 11.03.1965 list a 427 Cobra available for sale but use CSX 3013 as the reference image likely because CSX 3217 had not arrived in time for the copy deadline. Later photos show the Filipinetti Ford Fleet including CSX 3217 at the Geneva Showroom.
On March 10th, just days after CSX 3217 arrived in Geneva, it was on display at the Geneva Motorshow. Ford Performance Cars had a separate display to Ford, and also featured the
Filipinetti GT40 and the Eaux Mortes Trophy it had won just days earlier, as well as the Shelby Daytona Coupe that had competed at the 1965 Le Mans. After the show, CSX 3217 was modified for competition, fitted with a roll hoop, outside fuel filler and adorned with racing striped and the Scuderia’s logo.
The car was sold via Bonvin Automobiles to Swiss Gentleman Racer Arnaldo Maestrini in white with blue racing stripes. Maestrini entered the car in several Hillclimb races between 1966 and 1967 including the famous Ollon-Villars Hillclimb from which fantastic period photos survive on file.
CSX 3217 subsequently went through the hands of several notable collectors such as Hartmut Ibing and Lindsay Owen-Jones of L'Oreal fame until Swiss Cobra expert Ernst Kaufmann acquired her in 1991. He embarked on a 2 year restoration with the aim to make this the best Cobra 427 in Europe. During the restoration Kaufmann fully overhauled the 427 "Side Oiler" big block engine with its "Medium Riser" cylinder heads but converted the fuel system to an electric fuel injection, installed a 5-speed gearbox and had street rear-mounted exhausts fitted for better drivability. In 2002 CSX 3217 was sold to a Mr Nicolaus Springer, before being acquired by Lukas Huni in 2015. At this point the car had been repainted in Brewster Green.
The decision was then made to take the car back to its original 1966/67 Semi-Comp specification. Simon Blake of Historic Automobiles was therefore entrusted with the restoration of the car which included the fitting of original manifolds and Weber carburettors, 4-speed gearbox and side exhausts. CSX3217 was also repainted in her original Scuderia Filipinetti colours of white with blue striped.
CSX 3217 is therefore a genuine competition prepared Shelby Cobra 427 with period racing pedigree. Coming out of a fresh mechanical and cosmetic overhaul, and rare in retaining her original bodywork, she is ready to be enjoyed by her next owner may it be as a week-end country lane basher or a competitive historic racer.
