1964 Shelby Cobra 289 - Sports Car Market

Chassis Number: CSX2227

Hank Williams was a decorated World War II hero who had taken part in the invasion of Normandy Beach, and was also a medical professional and a jazz musician who played drums. An Austin-Healey had been his original mount, but it was rapidly becoming outclassed on the track. He originally planned to replace it with a Corvette, and so went to his local Chevrolet dealer.

This was March of 1965, however, and Williams was a Black man at the height of the Civil Rights movement. Not a single salesman at the Chevrolet dealership would acknowledge or approach him. He left without a word and drove straight to the closest Ford dealership, Norman Ford in Pomona, CA. There he found both a young salesman, eager to make his first sale, and a Shelby 289 Cobra, chassis number CSX2227 — one of the last leaf-sprung Mk II versions, finished in Princess Blue.

It may have been fate, but it was still not a seamless transaction. The exuberant salesman wrote up a sales agreement and Hank paid him a deposit on the spot. When he returned to complete the sale and collect his Cobra, however, the car was missing; the sales manager informed him that not only was it no longer at the dealership, but it was never supposed to have been sold in the first place, having actually been on loan from another dealer (or so the line went). Hank calmly responded that he had a signed contract for the Cobra, and that they could either honor his contract and produce the car within 24 hours, or he would return with his lawyer. The Cobra magically reappeared in short order, and Hank took delivery of his new car.

Hank’s racing career with the Cobra was legendary up and down the West Coast. Man and car were together in nearly 400 races (394, by his count): SCCA, Solo 1, rallies, slaloms, and private club events. He became good friends with several luminaries of the scene, most prominently Carroll Shelby himself. After Shelby won at Le Mans, he appeared at a California race wearing one of the team shirts from that event. Hank literally talked Shelby into giving him the shirt on his back, earning him the well-deserved and celebrated nickname that would persist for the rest of his years: “Snake Charmer.”

As reproductions and Shelby’s own continuations began to flood the scene, Hank was very proud that he had always owned an original Cobra and acquired California license plate “NO KIT” to advertise that fact.

The “Snake Charmer” Cobra is sold today from the Hank Williams Trust, still in Hank’s name on the original 1965 title, in the original envelope. Following Williams’ passing, his Cobra was exhibited at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles, CA — further testament to its significance to automotive history.

(Introductory description courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.)

SCM Analysis

Vehicle:	1964 Shelby Cobra 289
Years Produced:	1963–65
Number Produced:	580
SCM Valuation:	$850,000–$1,200,000
Chassis Number Location:	Tag in engine compartment
Engine Number Location:	Stamped on left side of engine block
Club Info:	Shelby American Automobile Club
Website:	http://www.saac.com
Alternatives:	1956–59 Porsche Carrera GT Speedster, 1966–69 Lamborghini Miura P400, 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88
Investment Grade:	A

This car, Lot 341, sold for $2,287,500, including buyer’s premium, at RM Sotheby’s Monterey, CA, auction, on August 17, 2024.

What’s a good story worth? What if it involves a car and that car happens to be a Cobra? That was the question on everyone’s mind at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction this year. On the block, this one-owner Cobra, referred to as the “Snake Charmer,” brought $2,075,000 on the hammer. The SCM Pocket Price Guide lists a 289 between $850,000 and $1,200,000. So, what accounts for the extra million for this car?

Original owner, modified car

A story about the owner is the simple answer. But first, let’s look at the car. I really like 289s. In my opinion, they are the best-driving Cobras, well-balanced, nimble and with ample power. They are certainly more comfortable than the 427s, both in interior room and passenger’s-compartment temperature.

A one-owner car is a rarity in the Cobra world today and a definite plus. It also retains its original engine, another plus, though not nearly as rare as the one-owner factor.

The car accumulated about 140,000 miles since new — high mileage for a Cobra. This car was also modified over the years. The single 4-barrel intake and carb had been switched to a dual 4-barrel setup. Although that was a factory option, it is not the original configuration.

Next, a sidemount exhaust was installed, like the one found on a 1965 GT350. Again, not the original specification. Additionally, the wire wheels originally on the car were replaced with five-spoke mags. Perhaps most notably, this Cobra was repainted from the original and rare Princess Blue to Silver Mink, from Lincoln’s 1964 catalog. The repaint was done quite a while ago and there are now many chips and dings on the car.

While it was being painted, a hood scoop was added, another change from its original spec. Finally, the interior was changed. Hank Williams had the red leather replaced with red Naugahyde and added an unusual Naugahyde trim to the transmission tunnel.

From an objective viewpoint, this was a tired Cobra with several modifications performed over the years and without its original paint or interior. It did include a removable hard top, which you don’t see very often today.

Along with CSX2227, several other items were included: the shirt that reportedly was worn by Carroll Shelby at Le Mans and then by Hank for many years, the original build sheet, the Cobra new-car warranty, the original buyer form, a 1968 “pink slip” in the name of Williams, and over 250 trophies that Hank won with the car at various competition events over the years. The dash is also covered with plaques earned at a variety of autocrosses from 1965 to ’67, along with a couple of SAAC convention dash plaques from 1986 and 1987.

Selling the story

Now to the story. We know from RM Sotheby’s catalog description that Williams tried to buy a Corvette but could not get anyone to help at his local Chevrolet dealership because of the color of his skin. So, he went to the Ford dealership and bought a Cobra that was then used as a daily commuter as well as a “weekend warrior.”

He brought the car to over a dozen SAAC conventions and various other car shows, as well as the grand opening of Shelby American in Las Vegas. At one of the events he attended, he struck up a friendship with Carroll and even talked Carroll into giving him the crew shirt from Le Mans. Williams was the only one to ever drive the car prior to his death. His final drive in his beloved Cobra was in 2022 at the age of 98, when he drove it to his birthday celebration.

It’s certainly an interesting story of a man and his car, and a nice piece of Cobra history. But is it worth the extra million bucks? Obviously, the buyer thought so, as did several other bidders. When the auctioneer opened the bidding at $700k, bids came quickly in hundred-thousand-dollar increments until a brief pause at $1.8m. Bidding picked up once again with smaller increases until the final hammer bid was made.

For that money, the new owner bought a great story to tell along with the Cobra. Yet, from my perspective, CSX2227 was definitely better sold than bought. ♦

Evan Williams

Evan Williams is the production supervisor and digital content director for “What’s My Car Worth?”(www.whatsmycarworth.com) and has spent more than a decade producing automotive television programs.