| CARROLL SHELBY
was a pioneer in the marriage of a British chassis and a powerful
American V-8 engine. He proved that a man with big ideas could indeed
challenge the giants in racing: Ferrari, Maserati and Porsche. His
original car, the SHELBY
289 COBRA , immediately became a legend
on
the street and track. The 289FIA *
COBRA was
the most successful of those small block cars, creating quite a stir
when they appeared at Daytona and Sebring in 1964. | With
their flared fenders
and cut-back
doors, the FIA version become the next logical step in the development
of the competition Cobra. Named after the official international
sanctioning organization, the "FIA" was a street car converted to race,
with compromises only to meet the letter of the rules. After
thirty years, the original Shelby 289 Cobras have become collectors'
items, with some of the FIA factory race cars worth more than $400,000! |
