Lance Reventlow's Cobra heads to auction | Hemmings Blog ...

Photos courtesy RM Auctions.

Though he had given up automobile racing for polo and other playboy pursuits after selling his shop to Carroll Shelby in 1962, Lance Reventlow still appreciated fast cars, as shown by the Shelby Cobra that he ordered the following year and that will head to auction in January.

Reventlow, born of immense wealth, began racing in 1955 and three years later put together a team of some of the most talented race car builders, engineers, and drivers to compete on an international level with his famed Chevrolet small-block V-8 powered Scarab sports cars. While successful in sports car racing, his attempt at F1 racing didn?t fare as well, and by 1962, after having spent more than $1.5 million in his racing efforts with no legitimate business as a result (the IRS only allowed such losses to be deducted for a maximum of five years), Reventlow called it quits. Fortunately, Carroll Shelby, another racer-slash-sports car builder came along at that time and bought Reventlow?s operations (including the Fiat Series 306/2 Grand Prix transporter that sold a few months back for $990,000).

Apparently the two remained in contact afterwards, because Reventlow bought one of Shelby?s Cobras ? CSX 2032 ? in January 1963. Though Reventlow ordered it with a number of options typical of the competition Cobras ? racing tires, racing oil pan, aluminum rocker covers, aluminum intake manifold, competition ignition system, anti-roll bars, and a roll bar ? he also ordered it with several of the more ?luxury? options that Shelby offered ? wire wheels, bumper guards, wind wings, and sun visors ? leading Shelby sources to describe it as a ?factory comp optioned? car. Exactly how long Reventlow owned the Cobra remains unclear: According to the World Registry of Cobras and GT40s, Reventlow?s wife and brother denied that Reventlow ever owned or even raced a Cobra, but the registry doesn?t list another owner for CSX 2032 until the mid-1960s. As the registry points out, it?s possible Reventlow may have ordered the Cobra simply to give Shelby a helping hand earlier in the latter?s business, or it?s possible Reventlow bought it, then put it away in storage where his family never saw it.

Whatever the case may be, the Cobra then passed through a number of hands throughout the next few decades, changing colors and configurations several times. It was converted to its current general configuration ? with the Halibrand wheels, meatballs, quick jacks and yellow stripes ? since about 1997. RM?s pre-auction estimate ranges from $750,000 to $950,000.

At the same auction, RM will offer another Shelby Cobra ? CSX 3045, one of 29 semi-competition 427 Cobras. Raced when new, it was later clocked at 185 MPH at an open track event. In 2007, it sold at Barrett-Jackson?s Scottsdale auction for $1.43 million. RM?s pre-auction estimate for CSX 3045 ranges from $1.4 million to $1.7 million.

RM?s Arizona auction will take place January 17-18 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix. For more information, visit RMAuctions.com.

Source: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/11/12/lance-reventlows-cobra-heads-to-auction/

zambrano orange bowl tim howard goal ben gibbard nfl playoff schedule tim howard scores nick cannon kidney failure