By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, BringaTrailer.com

It’s a fantasy I’m sure we’ve all had; the ability to walk into a dealer and buy our personal dream car regardless of the cost, or the fact that it went out of production decades ago. Well in the case of the Shelby Cobra, that dream isn’t so distant, and a legitimate brand new Cobra is only a cash deposit away. I’m sure the original owner of this polished beast was on top of the world the day he took delivery of his machine — a 40th Anniversary Edition 427 Cobra — and he spent the next 15 years taking painstaking care of it.

To honor the 40th anniversary of the Shelby Cobra, Shelby American announced (fittingly) a special run of 40 cars to commemorate the occasion. The cars were based on the CSX 8000 series 289 cars, and also the CSX 4000 series 427 big-block cars. According to period literature, the run of 40 would be split between the two models in whatever fashion orders came in, with the 289 cars sporting fiberglass bodies and the 427 cars with aluminum bodies. Mechanically, the cars were standard fare for the 8000 and 4000 series, with 3-inch and 4-inch DOM tube chassis (respectively), rack-and-pinion steering, Baer brakes, Shelby/DANA 44 rear differentials, Trigo wheels and Goodyear tires. The cars were however adorned with special 40th anniversary badging on the exterior and interior, as well as a unique dash with custom gauge faces.

The car up for auction here on BringaTrailer.com might as well be a press car, because just about every option box you could want was checked by its first owner. Clearly, it’s a big-block car with the stronger chassis and coilover suspension, as opposed to the transverse leaf spring suspension in the 289 cars. Powering the car is a bona fide big-block, a 427 ci FE stroker built by the Carroll Shelby Engine Company. And it’s no cast-iron lump either, as the block, cylinder heads and intake are all aluminum, and it’s topped by a pair of 600 cfm Holley four-barrel carburetors as well. For an authentic experience, it’s backed by a Ford TopLoader four-speed transmission as well. Per the owner’s car show signage, the engine is good for 535 hp, wicked in a car that weighs just 2,450 pounds.

For the ultimate visual effect though, this car is finished in polished aluminum, an optional upgrade for the 4000 series cars. Per the seller, this car is one of only five 40th anniversary cars to receive the polished aluminum upgrade. This car also has directionally sanded racing stripes running from tip to tail, and we doubt there will be any fender feelers at your local car show with this finish.

All finished, CSX4343 is staggering sight worthy of Shelby’s ubiquitous signature on the glove box door. Its creation was the realization of a dream for its original owner, who spent countless hours polishing it in his climate-controlled garage built specially for the car. Over 1,700 miles and 15 years of ownership, he was the only one to ever drive the car, limited to around-town events and shows. Upon his passing, his wife sold the car to its current owner in 2019, and the car is now offered for auction here on BringaTrailer.com.

At the end of the day, Shelby American will probably continue building anniversary edition Cobras in the coming decades, all somehow better than the previous ones. So why should you buy this one? Well, that's tough to say until we know what kind of money it will take to buy it, but it's impossible to ignore the painstaking care this car has received over its life. And of course the fact that it's damn sexy from every angle.