This AC Cobra Has a Rich Race History and Could Now Fetch $2.7 Million

One of the greatest sports-car models of all time was, not surprisingly, the direct result of one of the most influential automotive collaborations to date. The Cobra, the result of a partnership between British marque AC Cars and stateside racer-turned-entrepreneur Carroll Shelby, quickly captured the imagination and admiration of motoring enthusiasts on both sides of the pond. Its popularity was propelled by its success on track, and one example that played an important part in forging that winning legacy will cross the auction block through Bonhams|Cars on September 13.

With a name seemingly longer than the vehicle itself, this 1966 AC Cobra 4.7-Liter Two-Seat Competition Hardtop Coupé has a backstory that’s both convoluted and captivating. Anchoring its provenance is not only the fact that it was campaigned prolifically into the 1980s, but that its foundation is the chassis of the seventh-place finisher at the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans.

According to the auction house’s lot description, “only five early pre-November 1963 right-hand drive AC Cobra chassis are known to have been built.” The chassis on offer, chassis No. CS 2131, is among that initial number and, as Bonhams reports, one of just two sent to race at Le Mans in 1963, each fit with an aluminum hardtop roof to bolster aerodynamics. Of that pair, chassis No. 2131 was raced by Ninian Sanderson and Peter Bolton of the AC Cars factory team. As stated in the detailed history currently found on the AC Cars website, that class-winning Cobra “proved a tough customer, covering 2,592 miles at an average speed of 108 mph and touching 160 mph on the Mulsanne Straight.”

The next year, John Willment Automobiles Ltd. took ownership and had it compete extensively, including contests at Goodwood and Silverstone. After it crashed at the Nürburgring, though it reportedly wasn’t seriously damaged, chassis No. 2131 was sold, subsequently restored with a new body, and given a new life in 1966 with “13 COB” as the car’ identifier. The lot description from Bonhams also mentions in detail how the vehicle then went through a series of owners and registration numbers.

This Cobra’s real acclaim was earned when under the stewardship of Martin Colvill, who returned it back to its previous official recognition of “13 COB” and had it become a mainstay at competitions, compiling 12 overall wins and finishing first in class a total of 44 times through over 100 races, according to Bonhams. After changing hands a couple of times after Colvill, it has currently been with the same owner since 2000, and has been a frequent participant in bygone-era motorsport events, such as the Modena Centro Ore and Le Mans Classic.

As for whether or not the chassis can be verified to be the one that took seventh place at Le Mans back in 1963, Bonhams notes: “In September 2024, Neil Bainbridge of BS Motorsport conducted forensic magneto-photographic analysis of the barely visible stamp on ’13 COB’s right-side front member, confirming beyond doubt it reads ‘CS 2131’  . . .”

Fit with a 440 hp, 4.7-liter Hi-Po V-8, the storied Cobra is now presented as it was dressed when racing under the auspices of the Bell & Colvill team. And with its serpentine saga of provenance lost and found, it’s expected to fetch as much as $2.7 million when offered at Bonhams’ Goodwood Revival: Collectors’ Motor Cars and Automobilia sale.

“The Bell & Colvill Cobra, ‘13 COB’ embodies all that today’s discerning collector/driver seeks—period originality, eligibility, very long-term responsible and discerning ownership, contemporary design, and perhaps above all—wins . . .” says Mark Obsorne, global director of motorsport for Bonhams|Cars. “With originality and period-correct prep increasingly vital at Historic racing’s most prestigious events, ‘13 COB’ stands ideal for Historic Le Mans, the Goodwoods, and other such eligible premier-league events.” 

Click here for more photos of this 1966 AC Cobra 4.7-Liter Two-Seat Competition Hardtop Coupé.