Original Shelby Cobras are some of the most valuable cars in the world. Within that already awesome group there is a sub-set of machines, the so-called “Dragon Snakes” that are even more pricey. Shelby built eight drag race specific Cobras during the years he was in full production, mostly at the behest of his workers who were going and drag racing their own cars on the weekends, 

One of these cars, which was auctioned for more than a million dollars last year, is at the 2011 SEMA show. In fact, the Dragon Snake at the show is the winningest Dragon Snake in history and it was driven (to most of its wins) by noe other than Bruce Larson, the Pennsylvanian who raced Nitro Funny Cars into the 1990s. 

Built in 1963, this is the 93rd Cobra ever built. It was hugely expensive at the time, costing around $9,000. That was giant money in 1963. The car was raced by the team of Larson and Costilow and later by a man named Ed Hedrick. The little 289ci Ford engine was worked by Shelby and his guys for maximum RPM capability and horsepower. In terms of major event wins this car racked up, the list is long. It includes the NHRA Springnationals, US Nationals, Winternationals, and the 1967 points championship amongst others.

The car is painted in a brilliant hue that is on the purple-ish side, with lots of metal flake in it. Seeing the car in the natural day light would be something because we can fully envision the light bouncing off all that flake!

Interestingly, this car was sold as a normal Cobra and then sent back to Shelby for the Dragon Snake conversion which changed spring rates and other features of the car to optimize it for the drags. Drag cars usually get the hell pounded out of them and are tossed into the proverbial trash heap. This car, thankfully, did not get that treatment. Amazingly it is all original and full intact.

To give you an indication of the value these specialized Cobras bring, this very car sold at auction last year…for more than a million dollars. Yowza!

Here’s a small collection of photo of the Costilow and Larson Dragon Snake Shelby Cobra –