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(All photos originally uploaded by buildcobra

It could be said that in many ways the Shelby AC 427 Cobra is much more appreciated today than it ever was during its introduction to the American muscle scene in the 1960’s. The Shelby 427 was designed out of a very simple equation:

Large Engine + Small European Roadster body = Hold onto your toupee!

The Cobra 427 was a very impressive vehicle back in those days, but it is even more impressive today. Part of the reason the modern enthusiast loves the Shelby 427 so much, is that we have been stuck in an era of multitudes of electronics, safety features, bells, and whistles for awhile now.

It is nice to actually sit in a vehicle that cuts out all that unnecessary stuff and brings it down to just the essentials. A seat, steering wheel, a few gauges, four wheels, and plenty of raw horsepower.

The 425 horsepower version of the Cobra was made up of a the awe-inspiring 427 cubic inch V-8, capable of achieving 0 to 60 times in 4.3 seconds, and top speeds of up to 165 mph. The 427 could also do 0 to 100 in a scant 8.8 seconds. If that wasn’t enough, the true enthusiast could order the S/C, which boosted the horsepower to 520.

Everything of beauty has at least one ugly cousin named Mildrid, and the Shelby 427 had its 428 cubic inch police interceptor package cleverly disguised as a 427. The 428 offered only 340 horsepower, could manage 0-60 in 4.8 seconds, and had a top speed of 140. We would see this very engine again in the infamous Shelby Mustang GT-500.

The funny thing about the 428, is most drivers back in the day had no concept of the difference between that one cubic inch and were happy all the same. There were few people who could really take full advantage of the Shelby Cobra’s 420 or 520 horsepower.

It may be hard to believe that such a classic beast could ever fall out of favor of the muscle car crowd, but the 427 Shelby didn’t have much of a rein during its first years of production. It died out rather early having only made just a few examples of itself. You would be hard pressed to find an original model of the Shelby AC 427 Cobra, and even if you did, you would have to hand out some serious cash to buy it.

Thankfully for us regular folks with moderately sized bank accounts, the popularity of the 427 Cobra has brought about the reproduction of replications of these beasts, allowing more people to relish the history of these beautiful automobiles. The best things in life are not always free, but at least with replicas they can be affordable.

If you have never had the pleasure of taking one of these out on an open highway, I highly recommend that you do. There are faster cars out there to be had… but none of them feels quite as fast as the Shelby AC 427 Cobra!