The history of this Mark II 289 Cobra has become part of the Cobra legend. In storage for over 10 years (1968 to 1979), never raced or damaged, the body and chassis on this car are absolutely pristine. Tastefully enhanced with period correct upgrades such as Halibrand mag wheels, side pipes and a factory roll bar the car has been restored to the highest concours standards. The panel fit, and attention to detail are second to none. Comes complete with top, side curtains, and full tonneau cover.

History of this Cobra
CSX 2512 was invoiced to Shelby American on July 21, 1964 and shipped to LA on the 30th. Shelby invoiced the car to Hi-Performance Motors, Inc. in Los Angeles shortly thereafter. The car was delivered in Silver with black interior and “Class A” Accessories including chrome wire wheels and outside rear view mirror.

CSX 2512 has a storied past that has become part of Cobra lore. In the late 1960’s an accused felon from Los Angeles attempted to avoid prosecution by using this Cobra as his getaway car. He chose the Cobra for obvious reasons but only got as far as Nevada before being apprehended. The court seized the Cobra and he was convicted and given a life sentence. The Cobra was put into Police impound, covered with a tarp and forgotten for over ten years.

In the late 1970’s the car was scheduled to come up for police auction but was listed as a 1964 Ford convertible, not a Cobra! A local speed shop owner heard stories about a Cobra in the police impound, so on a hunch he went to the auction and to his surprise was the only bidder on CSX2512. He rebuilt the engine, flushed all fluids, repainted the car black, and added a factory roll bar. He only drove the car for a short time but was spooked by the thought of the convict possibly getting out of prison and coming to look for the car (he never did). As a result he decided to sell the Cobra to his friend Pete Smith, of Bob Smith Porsche in Hollywood, California. Smith enjoyed the car for many years. After selling his Porsche dealership in the mid 1980s Smith drove the Cobra nonstop with the top down from Los Angeles to his new home in Idaho getting two tickets along the way! One of Smith’s old friends, well known west coast collector and vintage racer, Don Orosco had expressed interested in the car on many occasions. Smith finally agreed to sell the car to him in 1992.

Orosco had Dave Miller completely restore the car upon his purchase. The black paint was stripped and the body inspected. There was no evidence that the car had ever been in an accident and the original aluminum body was absolutely perfect. Because the body was so perfect it was decided to keep the car black. A new full black leather interior was also installed. The engine, and all mechanical components were inspected and rebuilt where necessary. FIA Halibrand “knock-off” wheels were installed along with side pipes. The car was then placed in Orosco’s collection and rarely driven.

The original 289 engine has just recently been rebuilt and stroked to 348 cubic inches. It now produces 425 Horsepower and has less than 1500 miles of use. Electronic ignition and an auxiliary thermostatically controlled electric cooling fan have been added.

Engine Details
348 Cubic Inch, 425 Horsepower
original 289 block .040 over, honed with torque plate, deck set at .000
Crank, Probe Industries 4340 forged steel, 3.400 stroke (stock 2.875)
Carrillo Rods 5.315' c-c 4340 billet steel
Probe Industries Forged aluminum Pistons .040 over, 9.7-1
Total Seal Rings
Comp Cams 35.260-5 solid lifter flat tappet Cam
Comp Cam mechanical (solid) flat tappet lifters
Smith bros. 6.950 O.A.L. pushrods
Springs, K-Motion K-800 150lbs. seat 390lbs open
Heads Rousch/Windsor iron 65cc chamber, 200cc intake runner, pocket ported

About the 289 Cobra
Shelby combined the new lightweight Ford 260 V8 (only the first 75 cars) and later the 289 into an aluminum bodied roadster from AC to create the now famous Cobra in 1962.

At the end of the first year of production, Shelby American made some major improvements to the 289 Cobra including the re-design of the front suspension and the addition of rack and pinion steering. This improved Cobra became know as the Mark II and began being shipped to customers in the spring of 1963. Only 538 Mark II 289 Cobras were produced until production stopped in the summer of 1965.

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