1964 Shelby 289 Cobra CSX2257 – Incredible UNRESTORED Time Capsule

by

I am honored to have SOLD one of the most absolutely incredible unrestored Shelby Cobras I have ever seen. CSX2257 is a true unicorn- a benchmark level, original rack & pinion 289 Cobra that remains virtually untouched since 1964 other than nearly 60 years of fastidious care and maintenance.

Sold new right here in Milwaukee at Northwestern Ford to its original owner Dick Waldo, within a few months and by the end of 1964 CSX2257 was purchased as a 17th birthday present for Carl Liebich, who lived on the outskirts of Elkhart Lake (and Road America) by his father. Yes, a birthday present! But Carl was no normal 17 year old, and his history in motorsports to this day speaks highly of that. For example, today Carl maintains F1 cars, to give you an idea. Carl owned 2257 through 1974, when he placed an ad in Competition Press to sell it. As he recounted recently “at $7,000 it was the most expensive of the three 289 Cobras advertised. The others were in the $5k range. But my car was nicer!” 2257 had 18,000 miles on it at this time. The buyer was Neil Lucht from nearby Kaukauna WI. And Neil would go on to own 2257 for 42 years before I purchased it from him in 2016 with 26,000 miles on it. In 2017 I sold the car to its current caretaker, on whose behalf I am offering it for sale now, some 6 years later. It remains a 26,000 original mile car today.

But why is 2257 a unicorn? Beyond the impeccable history above 2257 has attributes that so few original Cobras do today. 100% original and undamaged skin. 100% original drivetrain and nearly every single component and fastener on the car. Never modified. Never raced. Never cut for a rollbar or hood scoop. All original weather equipment. Original interior. And, even better, documentation and paperwork that is simply mind-blowing, right back to the original window sticker, owner’s manual, the incredibly rare Shelby Warranty paperwork, and handwritten maintenance notes and service documentation from new.

I brought CSX2257 to the one and only show it has ever been in this past July when I entered it into the Road America/ Weathertech International Challenge with Brian Redman concours in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. It only seemed fitting to have CSX2257 on display on the very same streets it “grew up” on! At the end of the day this little old unrestored 289 Cobra walked away with a 1st place trophy. And, passed a close inspection from my friend Peter Egan who also deemed it entirely righteous.

I could go on and on but suffice it to say if you value a truly important and incredibly preserved piece of history as opposed to a loose assemblage of parts or a car of questionable authenticity and origin, and you’ve wanted a proper 289 Cobra, well, CSX2257 might just be your 289 Cobra.

Because, not to point out the obvious, but CSX2257 was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime Cobra, and she has been sold!

Year: 1964
Mileage: 26,000 mi
VIN: CSX2257
Condition: Benchmark Unrestored
Exterior Color: Blue
Interior Color: Red
Transmission: T10L1 4 speed
Final Drive: 3.77
Engine: Original matching numbers 289 HiPo
Drivetrain: RWD