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1963 Shelby Cobra Dragonsnake

Offered by Mecum | Houston, Texas | April 12, 2014

Photo – Mecum

The Shelby Cobra is one of the most famous cars of all time. It was among the fastest street-legal cars built for decades after it as introduced. It dominated tracks in America and Europe and they command big money today. But did you know they also dominated on the drag strip?

Shelby offered the “Dragonsnake” drag racing package for the Cobra. It brought a host of options and made the car ludicrously expensive. This car uses the 289 4.7-Liter V-8 making 271 horsepower. And the Dragonsnake you see here is the winningest competition Cobra in history. It won seven NHRA National events and the 1966 NHRA World Championship. It also holds records in a few classes that aren’t around any more.

Only five Dragonsnakes were built by Shelby – three more were built by customers who bought the Dragonsnake package. This particular car sold in 2011 for $875,000 and failed to sell later that year for $825,000. So I guess it’s about an $800,000 car. You can read more here and see more from Mecum in Houston here.

VIN# CSX2093

Update: Not sold, high bid of $1,100,000.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2016, $990,000.

Update: Not sold, Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2018.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Monterey 2019, high bid of $675,000.

Mecum Auctions held their first event of 2012 not in Arizona, but in Kissimmee, Florida – where the weather is also nice. There were a bunch of rare muscle cars crossing the block including the top sale, a 1963 Shelby Cobra Dragon Snake.

This was the 93rd Cobra built and one of only eight Dragon Snakes modified for drag racing by Shelby. Because this car won so many drag races in its day, it is the winningest competition Cobra in history. It cost $8,990 new (a lot) and sold for $850,000 at auction (also a lot).

There were also two ultra-rare 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88s – a convertible and a coupe.

These are the must-have ’69 Corvettes and you could have bought the pair. The convertible sold for $610,000 and the coupe was a comparative bargain at $270,000.

But it wasn’t all muscle cars. Of the top ten sales of the auction there were two gorgeous Packards. The first was a 1941 180 Darrin Victoria Convertible – one of 35 built. It has the Super Eight 180 engine and a good looking red and tan color combo. It sold for $220,000.

The other Packard is a very mean and sporty looking 1930 Eight Model 745 Waterhouse Victoria. If I could’ve taken one car from this sale home, this would be it:

Big pre-war Packards never really had much of a sporting air about them. But this one kind of does. Maybe it’s the slightly cambered front wheels or their hot rod look, but this car says “I want to go fast.” This is one of three known to exist. $225,000.

For complete results, visit Mecum’s website.