1963 Shelby Cobra 289 CSX2128 0402-5113

Shelby Cobra 289 CSX2128 in black, carrying number 15, lit against a black studio ground so only the car's edges describe its shape.

What Is in This Photograph?

Profile, slightly forward of side-on. The wire wheels, the aero screen in place of a windscreen, the exposed roll bar, the side exhaust and the competition roundel on the door are all visible. Sponsor and scrutineering decals sit on the front wing. Because the background is black and the paint is black, the car is defined almost entirely by reflected highlights along the wing line and nose.

What Is CSX2128?

One of the best-documented Cobras built. It was one of the Shelby American team cars entered at the Sebring 12 Hours in 1963, where Dan Gurney took his first drive in a Cobra, and it won repeatedly on the West Coast in the hands of Dave MacDonald, including back-to-back victories at Pomona. It also appeared on the cover of the Rip Chords' 1963 record Hey Little Cobra, and it has one of the longest continuous ownership and competition records of any Cobra.

What Made the 289 Cobra Work?

Very little car around a large engine. AC Cars in England supplied a light aluminium-bodied chassis; Ford supplied a small-block V8. Shelby American assembled the two in California and then went racing with them, which is how an operation of a few dozen people came to beat Ferrari in the GT class within three seasons.

Who Is This Print For?

This Cobra print suits Shelby collectors, Cobra owners and registry members, sports car racing historians, restoration shops and dealership showrooms. Because the car is identified by chassis number, it carries provenance a generic Cobra image cannot, which matters to collectors and to anyone displaying it alongside a car of their own. Choose framed print, stretched canvas, ChromaLuxe metal or Giclée.

Photograph Details

• Vehicle: Shelby Cobra 289, chassis CSX2128
• Year: 1963
• Race number shown: 15
• Period history: Shelby American team car, Sebring 1963, Dan Gurney's first Cobra drive, West Coast wins with Dave MacDonald
• Setting: Studio, black ground
• Archive reference: 0402-5113

This archival photograph is made available through Fordimages.com, the official Ford archive imagery licensee operated by Richard Weedn LLC. Each image is digitally restored before printing and handcrafted to order.

Available as:

• Framed Print — museum-quality paper, archival inks, Acrylite glazing, hanging hardware included
• Stretched Canvas — hand-stretched over 1.25-inch pine bars, heavy cotton poly matte finish
• ChromaLuxe Metal Print — image infused directly onto sheets of alloy metal for maximum vibrancy and durability
• Giclée Art Print — 260gsm satin finish paper, finest archival inks, white border

Made in the USA or Europe depending on your location.

About the Artwork

Artwork in this collection comes from the Ford Motor Company Archives, The Henry Ford Museum, the Carroll Shelby Archives, and the collections of acclaimed photographers and painters from around the world. Reproduction rights are reserved by the respective copyright owners.

Our framed prints feature a black, hand-stained solid wood frame with a white mat, museum-quality paper, archival inks, Acrylite glazing, and hanging hardware. The frame features a slim 0.8-inch face and projects 1.3 inches from the wall, creating a clean, contemporary shadow-box effect. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

Our stretched canvas prints are produced on acid-free, pH-neutral, and fade-resistant canvas. Each canvas is hand-glued to solid wood stretcher bars and stretched over 1.25-inch-thick pine bars. Mounting brackets are included. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

Our Giclée prints are produced using premium 200gsm semi-gloss paper and high-quality archival inks. Each print includes a white border around the perimeter.

For the 40 x 60 size, we use 250gsm museum-quality archival paper with an off-white, uncoated finish.

The listed size refers to the overall paper dimensions. The image is printed proportionally within the selected paper size. Made in the USA or Europe, depending on your location.

ChromaLuxe prints use a state-of-the-art coating process that infuses the image directly onto sheets of alloy metal. The result is photography with an exceptional combination of vibrancy, clarity, and durability.

Each print arrives ready to hang. An alloy subframe on the back allows the artwork to float away from the wall for a sleek, modern appearance. This is the finest-quality print we offer. Made in the USA.

All images are digitally restored before printing. Production location varies by product and destination. Shipping is calculated at checkout.