1965 Shelby Cobra 289 CSX2588

CSX2588 is the second-to-last 289 Shelby Cobra ever built and the last 4-speed 289 Cobra Roadster sold to the public. The final 289, CSX2589, was retained from new by Carroll Shelby and his family and was specified with an automatic transmission for Shelby personally, leaving CSX2588 as the last small-block Cobra collectors could acquire on the open market. The car sold at Mecum Monterey in August 2019 for $1,045,000 after a two-year run of no-sale appearances at five Mecum events.

Fast facts

• One of 56 leaf-spring 289 Cobras finished in Rouge Iris (Maroon), its original color.
• The second-to-last 289 Cobra ever built; the final example, CSX2589, was retained by Carroll Shelby and his family and was specified from new with an automatic transmission.
• The last 4-speed 289 Cobra Roadster sold to the public.
• Retains its original chassis, body, engine, and drivetrain; has never required a full restoration.
• 289 cubic inch Hi-Po V8 with aluminum intake and a Holley 715 CFM Le Mans-design carburetor.
• Optioned with “Class A” accessories from new, with original side curtains and top frame.
• Delivered new to Vel’s Ford Sales in Torrance, California, by Don McCain of Shelby American’s marketing office.
• Sold new to A.L. Gassaway of Long Beach, California; remained in California ownership until 1993.
• Acquired in 2006 by Shelby historian Colin Comer, who professionally repainted the car in its original Rouge Iris and sorted it mechanically.
• Participated in Tom Cotter’s Cobra 1000 Rally in 2010; fully documented in the SAAC Cobra World Registry.
• Sold at Mecum Monterey on August 16, 2019, Lot F139, for $1,045,000.

History

CSX2588 was constructed in 1965 at the end of the 289 small-block production run. Two cars followed it in the chassis range, but neither reached the public market. CSX2589 was specified from new with an automatic transmission for Carroll Shelby personally and stayed with the Shelby family from new, and the small-block program closed shortly after. CSX2588 is therefore the last 4-speed 289 Cobra Roadster sold to the public and the second-to-last 289 Cobra of any specification ever built. The first small-block Cobra, CSX2000, spent decades in the Shelby family before its 2016 sale at $13.75 million; CSX2588 sits at the closing end of the small-block program as the last publicly-saleable example.

The car carries a 289 cubic inch Hi-Po V8 with an aluminum intake and a Holley 715 CFM Le Mans-design carburetor, the period-correct small-block configuration. Rouge Iris (Maroon) was the original paint, and CSX2588 is one of 56 leaf-spring Cobras finished in that color. “Class A” accessories accompanied the car from new, including the original side curtains, top frame, and a tonneau cover. Shelby American’s Don McCain delivered the car to Vel’s Ford Sales in Torrance, California, where it sold new to A.L. Gassaway of Long Beach.

CSX2588 remained in California for nearly three decades. Barry Hauge of Burbank acquired the car in 1975, and Peter Sidlow of North Hollywood bought it from Hauge in 1981. In 1993, CSX2588 was sold at an FDIC liquidation auction held at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, one of 17 cars from a single collection moved at that event. The new owner kept CSX2588 for the next 13 years.

Shelby historian and author Colin Comer of Milwaukee acquired CSX2588 in 2006. Comer commissioned a professional repaint in the original Rouge Iris and sorted the car mechanically while installing new carpeting. The car was not restored; its original chassis, body, engine, and drivetrain remained, along with the original steering wheel, gauges, exhaust manifolds, and radiator. A New York collector acquired the car from Comer before it joined the Mecum Collection.

From 2017 through 2019, CSX2588 was offered at six consecutive Mecum auctions. The Monterey 2017, Kissimmee 2018, Monterey 2018, Kissimmee 2019, and Indianapolis 2019 sales each closed without a result, with high bids ranging from $875,000 to $1,100,000 that did not meet the reserve. The car sold at Mecum Monterey on August 16, 2019, Lot F139, for $1,045,000. Between the auction appearances CSX2588 was professionally maintained and participated in Tom Cotter’s Cobra 1000 Rally in 2010 without incident.

Auction documentation

Mecum’s auction coverage produced video walkarounds at three of the no-sale events. Each clip documents CSX2588 in the configuration it carried during the 2017 to 2019 auction cycle.

Mecum Monterey 2017, Lot S100.1, $950,000 high bid.

Mecum Monterey 2018, Lot S81, $1,100,000 high bid.

Mecum Kissimmee 2019, Lot F136, $1,050,000 high bid.

Sales history

• August 16, 2019: Mecum Monterey, Lot F139. $1,045,000. Sold.
• May 17, 2019: Mecum Indianapolis, Lot F166. $875,000 high bid; did not sell.
• January 11, 2019: Mecum Kissimmee, Lot F136. $1,050,000 high bid; did not sell.
• August 25, 2018: Mecum Monterey, Lot S81. $1,100,000 high bid; did not sell.
• January 11, 2018: Mecum Kissimmee, Lot T156. $1,000,000 high bid; did not sell.
• August 19, 2017: Mecum Monterey, Lot S100.1. $950,000 high bid; did not sell.
• 1993: FDIC liquidation auction at the Imperial Palace Hotel, Las Vegas, as part of a 17-car collection sale. Specific price not documented.

Authenticity and current configuration

CSX2588 is documented in the SAAC Cobra World Registry and retains its original chassis, body, engine, and drivetrain. The 289 Hi-Po V8 carries its period aluminum intake and Holley 715 CFM Le Mans-design carburetor, and the original steering wheel, gauges, exhaust manifolds, and radiator are all in place. The car has never required a full restoration; the 2006 Colin Comer refresh consisted of a professional repaint in the original Rouge Iris and mechanical sorting only.

Among the original Cobras built between 1962 and 1967, CSX2588 sits at the closing end of the 289 small-block program. Two reference points anchor the small-block program at its ends: CSX2000, the 260 prototype that opened the production run, and CSX2589, the final 289 built and retained by Carroll Shelby and his family. CSX2588 is the last of the publicly-saleable small-block production.

For wider context on the rack-and-pinion 289 cars, see the Mark II CSX 289 chassis-family page. For the broader Cobra program, see the Cobra encyclopedia and the Cobra Authority buyer’s guide. For Shelby American’s program history, see the Shelby American overview.

All images and auction documentation courtesy of Mecum.

Last updated: May 16, 2026