427-ci 800-hp dual Paxton-supercharged V8, 2x4-bbl, automatic. Originally configured as a competition car, then retrofitted by Shelby American as a street car. Wears California manufacturers’ black license plates with 1965 tabs. Good quality repaint, imperfect door fit. Clean underbody pan. Excellent upholstery, seat belts are period aircraft-style items. Dashboard marked with Dymo Label Maker type emblems. Extremely clean and well detailed under the hood.

Used by Carroll Shelby, and was also the basis for a similar car made for Bill Cosby, which was destroyed in a fatal accident with a later owner. There was plenty of legend and surrounding this car, but was it worth $5m plus? The high bidder seemed to think so, and at least one underbidder wasn’t too far behind. A crazy price for a crazy car.

289-ci V8, 4 Webers, 4-sp. Lots of history, including George Lucas as crew chief for Allen Grant at the Laguna Seca GP in 1963. Driven by Dan Gurney, Dave McDonald, Ken Miles, and Allen Grant. Door gaps varied. Paint chips at front wheel openings and rear wheel flares. All Plexiglas, no glass. Patina to seat leather. Extensive package of photos and documents included.

A great car with real racing provenance. Former driver Allen Grant was at the sale and posed for photos with his former race car. World record price, and shows the value of provenance.

260-ci V8, 4x2-bbl, 4-sp. The first Cobra to win in competition, driven by Dave McDonald at Riverside in January 1963. Went on to win the A-Production National Championship that year with Bob Jonhson. Restored to high standards to its 1963 Daytona configuration, and using many parts that still retain the initials of Shelby fabricators. Original block and heads. Excellent all around.

Extensive history since new. This one brought adult money, but there is only one "first" and this was it in the Cobra world. Well sold.

289-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp. The third of three factory competition examples, and another patina plus car. Older race car paint job, which is to stay done to a poor quality. Large dent in the driver's door, interior is worn and dirty. Cleaner under the hood than in the interior, but not by much. Race history includes events at Daytona, Watkins Glen, and Elkhart Lake among others.

The market is currently gaga for old race cars, so why not pay up for a rather well known ex-factory comp car? Why not indeed, as someone did. A great history trumped a great paint job, and that's a good thing.

289-ci V8, 4x2-bbl, 4-sp. Shelby American team car, as well as Ed Leslie's '64 SCCA A/Production National Champion. Very good paintwork overall, now with some stone chips to the rear fender. Minimal brightwork, but what's there is good. Good leather and carpets. Glovebox vinyl is loose, the only flaw to an otherwise excellent dash. Dunlop racing tires look to be re-treads.

$1.65 million and all I got was a lousy set of retreads? The catalog presentation on this car was well done, complete with period racing photographs and a chart showing this chassis's history as a factory team Cobra. A substantial premium was paid for this car's race history, but with this much documentation, it's quite understandable. Not cheap, but possibly a very good buy.

289-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, 4-sp. Chips, bubbles, and small cracks int the paint. Hard top paint doesn't match the rest of the car. Windshield is delaminating, and the weatherstripping is cracked. Sun tach screwed onto the dash. Hurst shifter. Turbo headers. Halibrand wheels. Somewhat tattered in this as-raced condition.

If you looked closely, you could see remnants of the original red color beneath the metalflake. Designated initially as a Shelby PR car, it was the first of only six Dragonsnakes built, turning the 1/4 mile in 11.73 seconds. Subsequently seen in the movie "Viva Las Vegas," wearing the number 98. Far too important to restore, the battle scars gave it much character. And the sale price gives it a place in history, fully $900k more than the last recorded sale of a Dragonsnake, S/N CSX2472 at RM Boca 2006 (SCM# 40899).

427-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Very nice paint, but the poor lighting made the trunk lid hue appear mismatched to the rest of the body. Nice panel gaps, good glass and knock-off wheels. Excellent brightwork, leather, and carpets.

There's no ignoring the upward movement in the AC Cobra market—just six months ago this car would likely have brought $250,000 less. How high seems to be the question on everyone's mind, and while there's likely more upward movement before the top is hit, the answer will only be found over time.

427-ci V8, 4-sp. Fitted with racing seats, fire system, side exhaust, and dual racing fuel fillers. Tinted sunroof. No glass, all Lexan, Halibrand knock-offs missing one center cap. One of one. Hourmeter on dash shows 15 hours run time. A race car, and as such, all buisness and no frills.

Last seen at Russo & Steele's Monterey sale in ’05, where it sold for $1,457,500 (SCM# 39059). Peter Brock ran this special project for Carol Shelby to put a 427 in a Daytona coupe. When Ford pulled the plug and put all its funding into the GT40 project, this wasn't completed, but it was eventually assembled as it was envisioned in 1965. Looked track ready and fresh. The most famous and rare non-raced Cobra on the planet, well bought at this price.

One of the first chassis completed by AC, built as full competition car. It is still mostly original after many campaigns. Some small dents in the fender and portions of the paint look worn down. Interior is in great condition, along with the engine, which is clean. Very original.

This car received a great deal of attention during the viewing. That translated to enthusiastic bidding, which was appropriate given the strength of its long competition history from 1963 to 1979.

289-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. The winningest Cobra in history, documented from new. Paint to high standard with minor swirls and scratches. Drivers seat is two-tone, passengers black. Engine compartment clean and tidy. Stated to be in perfect mechanical condition.

CSX2473 has won races spanning five different decades. Purchased for $3778 in ’64. Cobra values continue to escalate, and the documented history put this one near the top of the food chain. The condition and race winning history justify the seven figure selling price.