1966 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra

In the late ’60s there just wasn’t anything badder than a 427 Cobra, and the fact that they were rumored to kill an abnormally high percentage of people who dared to drive them only increased the reputation

by Thor Thorson

Although the 289 Cobra was well proven in competition by the mid-1960s, it was becoming clear that something more was needed to stay competitive. Ford’s 289-ci V8 reached its reliability threshold at about 380 or 390 hp, which wasn’t going to be enough power for long. Although Shelby had been promised a new aluminum-block version of Ford’s 390-ci V8, internal resistance from the NASCAR faction inside Ford forced Shelby to make do with the cast iron 427. Although reliable at 500 hp, the engine was so much heavier that a complete redesign of the Cobra chassis was required to ensure proper handling. Engineered with Ford’s help, the new chassis was five inches wider, with coil springs all around. One of the most memorable stories about the 427 Cobra surrounds a test that was arranged by Ken Miles for Sports Car Graphic magazine. A few years earlier, Aston Martin had bragged that its racing cars were capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 mph and back to 0 in less...