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Chassis:
Finished in Princess Blue, this was one of the last leaf-sprung Mk II Cobras produced. It was acquired by War hero and legendary jazz musician through Norman Ford in Pomona. This was not actually his first choice but the local Chevrolet dealership refused the business of a Black man during the height of the Civil Rights movement. Thanks to a much more welcoming salesman at Norman Ford, Williams bought a Cobra instead of the Corvette he had originally earmarked to replace the Austin Healey he had raced previously. It proved to be a fortunate turn of events as Williams would own the Cobra for the rest of its life and no one else drove for the next 60 years. He drove the car on the road during the week and then raced it on the weekends, competing in nearly 400 events. Williams befriended Carroll Shelby and earned the nickname ‘Snake Charmer.’ At some point, the car was re-painted in the period Lincoln colour Silver Mink, the interior was re-upholstered and the engine rebuilt but the Cobra was never restored. Williams covered over 140,000 miles in the Cobra, with the last miles completed during this 98th birthday celebrations in June of 2022. He passed away the following year and the legendary one-owner Cobra was consigned by his estate to the 2024 RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale.
| Chassis details |
| Manufactured in |
1964 |
| First owner |
Hank Williams |
| Most recent auction(s) |
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Shelby Cobra Mk II 289
