Carroll Shelby built no shortage of special cars throughout his tenure in the automotive industry. It’s easy to list some of the more iconic models off, but one that may escape some enthusiast minds is the Dragonsnake Cobra, a series of specially-prepared track-ready models that would go on to notch victories across some of the more prestigious racing circuits. A total of five cars with the 289 engine were built, and a sixth was equipped with the monstrous 427 mill. This yellow with white stripes example is the only customer-ordered Dragonsnake, which would be used extensively for drag racing in Pennsylvania. After being retired, rescued, and restored, it’s now going up for auction in January and is listed here on Mecum Auctions website.

As we noted the other day, most older racing cars and track vehicles don’t have much value if they’re not historic or affiliated with a significant driver and/or team. That’s not to say they’re not fine to use as a track car, but it’s not likey to become much of an investment vehicle (unless you happen to be the next Michael Schumacher in the making.) Cars like this Cobra are on another level because the factory put it together with the best parts they could get their hands on, and this one is the only “Stage III” example fitted with quadruple Weber carburetors among other upgrades. The distinctive yellow paint was special-ordered by the customer to match their tow vehicle.

Like those abandoned former track cars found in old garages, this Cobra was also retired after years of hunting down Corvettes on the local dragstrip. What’s harder to wrap your head around is just parking it after a few seasons, like any other used car. The Cobra cost $9,000 in 1965, which works out to about $80,000 in today’s money. The description contains a mention of a classified ad placed for the Cobra when it went up for sale along with numerous desirable spares and the owner’s motivation for selling was due to his son returning to college. It’s hard for me to imagine someone who has the means to blow the equivalent of $80K on a track toy didn’t also have the means to pay the quarterly tuition bill, but I digress. The Cobra would pass through several hands, even ending up in Canada for a spell, and seemingly always being used as a track car.

Today, the Cobra has been extensively restored by a household name in the business of preserving original Shelby Cobras. The car is supposedly correct down to every last critical detail and has held the title of attaining the highest points score in SAAC judging history. The Cobra is a blue-chip investment at this point, as it’s believed to be the finest Dragsonsnake in existence. The Cobra is said to have only used NOS or otherwise factory parts throughout its restoration, and while it’s unlikely that it will ever be used for going fender-to-fender on the track anytime soon, it’s nice to know it led a full life on the road course circuit before becoming someone’s piece of static garage art. There’s no estimate offered by Mecum, but it’s safe to say it will not be cheap.