Shelby No. CSX2161, this 1963 Shelby Cobra’s well documented history includes the magic of association with Hollywood legend Steve McQueen, who maintained personal possession of it from 1965 to late 1967. Billed to Shelby American on July 16, 1963, and shipped to Los Angeles on July 22 aboard the SS Pacific Fortune, CSX2161 was originally finished in silver with a red interior and equipped with the Class A Accessories package comprising a chromed air cleaner and valve covers, chromed front and rear bumper guards, a chromed luggage rack, wind wings and tinted sun shades, competition seat belts, a Smith heater and whitewall tires. It was originally invoiced on October 30, 1963, to Wolper Productions of Los Angeles and registered to noted film producer David L. Wolper, who produced such films and documentaries as “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Thorn Birds,” “Roots” and “L.A. Confidential.” Conductor/composer Elmer Bernstein acquired the Cobra from Wolper in 1965 and loaned it to his friend, McQueen, who maintained possession for more than a year. The Cobra was then purchased in 1967 by Manhattan Beach, California, resident Richard A. Mathis, who allowed McQueen to continue using the car “for several more months before Mathis pried it from his grasp.” In 1969, Mathis sold the car to Wayman McCoo, brother of singer Marilyn McCoo and road manager for her group “The Fifth Dimension.” In 1983, the Cobra was seen for sale at the Monterey Historic Races, where it was painted red with black upholstery and 6-inch painted wire wheels. In 2003, after several more documented owners, CSX2161 was exported to Switzerland, where it was repainted in black and fitted with an FIA-style driver’s roll bar, 15x6.5-inch FIA Halibrand wheels, a hood scoop and chrome quick jacks. The Cobra then resided in the United Kingdom from 2006 to 2024. Of major significance is the fact that CSX2161 still retains its original body and engine; it presents with the overall patina of a car that has been well cared for and restored as necessary, a historic time capsule that is both suitable for driving enjoyment as is or as a candidate for further sympathetic restoration. This early production Cobra displays the Smiths gauges, dropped-center dashboard and other signature features common to the so-called Mark II rack-and-pinion cars while also showing a select few underhood upgrades (braided stainless steel lines, electronic ignition) for enhanced performance and reliability. CSX2161 is listed in the Shelby Registry and further documented with MOT test certificates, a FIVA identity card, a copy of the UK registration certificate, UK homologation paperwork, copies of previous registrations, a CD of restoration images and an AC Club owner’s card.
