One fan favorite from this year’s Autofest in Springfield, MO, was a red 1967 Shelby Cobra replica belonging to Robert Ahland. This Cobra is set up just as Carroll Shelby would have wanted it for the road and track, which is why the face of the glove box is autographed by the legend. Its owner went the extra mile when it came to the authenticity of his Cobra by making sure to provide a date coded 427 c.i. engine from 1966, as well as a set of date coded four-barrel Holley carburetors from 1966. This car was harder to photograph than any other at the show because of the large gathering of spectators around it for the majority of the day.

As you take your first look at this 1967 Cobra one of the first things you notice, besides the house of colors blue blood red paint, is the look of raw power and pure performance these cars have. Whether it’s the unrestricted exhaust coming almost straight out of the headers, the dual 10” aluminum anodized fans beautifully mounted in front of the radiator, or the extremely wide tires on all four wheels, one thing is clear: this is a racecar and it could go to the track today and stick it to almost any car out there. That is, if it didn’t have to sit and look pretty all weekend.

The classic Shelby Cobra was designed with one main purpose: to be the fastest. Carroll Shelby had won the 24 hours at Le Mans as a driver for Aston Martin, but due to a bad heart was forced into an early retirement. So he decided to win Le Mans again but this time with his ideas and design, not his driving. So the Cobra was designed to have a lower center of gravity and less drag than its competitors. The design was successful and the car won at the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1965. These two qualities of its great design are front and center anytime one is looking at a classic Cobra, but especially when looking at Robert Ahland’s race-ready 1967.

Permanent Link to this Blog Post: