1965 Shelby Cobra 289 Dragonsnake CSX2427

CSX2427 is one of five factory-built 289 Cobra Dragonsnakes, and the only Stage III Dragonsnake Shelby American built for a customer. The car was delivered new in August 1964 to Don Reimer of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, who specified a custom yellow paint to match the Reimer brothers’ Thunderbird tow vehicle. A concours restoration by the late Steven Juliano and Dave Riley took CSX2427 to the Division 1 Premier Award at SAAC-34 in August 2009 with the highest points score in SAAC judging history up to that point.

Fast facts

• One of five factory-built 289 Cobra Dragonsnakes Shelby American produced, and the only Stage III Dragonsnake built for a customer.
• Stage III 289 cubic inch V8 with quadruple Weber carburetors, paired with a four-speed manual transmission.
• Delivered new in August 1964 to Don Reimer of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, through Adams County Motors Corp.
• Custom yellow paint chosen to match the Reimer brothers’ Thunderbird tow vehicle.
• Raced in 1965 by Mike Reimer (driver) and Don Reimer (team manager) at York U.S. 30 Drag-O-Way and the Indianapolis Nationals, in A/Modified and AA/Modified Production classes.
• Advertised for sale in the December 1965 issue of Car and Driver at $4,650 when Mike Reimer returned to college.
• Concours restoration by Steven Juliano and Dave Riley, completed circa 2009, with consulting input from original driver Mike Reimer and using NOS and original components throughout.
• Awarded the Division 1 Premier Award at SAAC-34 (Wampum, Pennsylvania, August 2009) with the highest points score in SAAC judging history up to that point.
• Selected by Ford for the Cobra 50th Anniversary celebration at the 2012 Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca.

History

Don Reimer of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania ordered CSX2427 from Adams County Motors Corp and took delivery in August 1964. The car was finished in a custom yellow that matched the Reimer brothers’ Thunderbird tow vehicle, a paint-to-tow-rig match that signaled the Reimers’ intent from the start. The car was a Stage III 289 Cobra with quadruple Weber carburetors and a four-speed manual transmission, the sole Dragonsnake of that specification ordered by a private customer.

The 1965 racing season went through York U.S. 30 Drag-O-Way following early test runs at a local airfield. Mike Reimer drove while Don managed the team, and the program ran in A/Modified and AA/Modified Production classes including the Indianapolis Nationals that year. A small crew worked the car in matching yellow uniforms, and an aluminum car hauler with Cobra livery moved CSX2427 between events. At the close of the 1965 season, Mike Reimer returned to college and CSX2427 was offered for sale through the December 1965 issue of Car and Driver at $4,650.

The Reimer-era sale set off a long ownership chain. Doug Casey of Chesterton, Indiana acquired the car after the Reimers, though documented racing under Casey’s tenure is unclear. Dodge Olmsted of Arlington, Virginia became the third owner in July 1966 and modified the Cobra for road racing, competing in several SCCA events and repainting the car Candy Apple Red after an on-track incident. Harold Hammond of Ohio bought CSX2427 in May 1969 and shortly after sold it to Howard Heath of Columbus, Ohio, who repainted the car yellow, fitted spline-drive wire wheels, and relocated the car to Canada, where it was repainted silver.

Peter Klutt of The Shelby Shop (later Legendary Motorcar Company) discovered CSX2427 at a car show and acquired it in 1988. Klutt showed the bare body and chassis at SAAC-18 in Watkins Glen, New York in July 1993. The completed car appeared at SAAC-20 in Atlanta, Georgia in July 1995, finished in yellow over a black interior with American Racing five-spoke wheels, a hood scoop, a chromed roll bar, and the correct Dragonsnake rear wheel-well configuration. CSX2427 took a Silver award in the Cobra Concours class at SAAC-20.

Klutt subsequently listed the car for sale, and Chris Cox bought it in 1996. Richard Scaife held it next, then auctioned CSX2427 in January 2001 to Harry Yeagey, who traded the Cobra to Rich Mason in April 2004. Mason converted the car back to road-racing specification and competed in vintage events before selling CSX2427 to Steven Juliano in February 2007.

Under Juliano’s ownership, Dave Riley led a concours-level restoration that returned CSX2427 to its original Dragonsnake configuration, using NOS and original components throughout. Juliano consulted with original driver Mike Reimer during the restoration to lock in the correct period details. CSX2427 won the Division 1 Premier Award at SAAC-34 (Wampum, Pennsylvania, August 2009) with the highest points score in SAAC judging history to that date, and the Premier Award at SAAC-27 the same year. Ford featured the car in its tent at the Cobra 50th Anniversary celebration during the 2012 Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca.

Sales history

• August 1964: Original delivery to Don Reimer, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, through Adams County Motors Corp.
• December 1965: Advertised for sale in Car and Driver at $4,650 after the 1965 racing season.
• (post-Reimer through 2001): Doug Casey, Dodge Olmsted (July 1966), Harold Hammond (May 1969), Howard Heath, Peter Klutt (1988), Chris Cox (1996), Richard Scaife. Specific sale terms not documented for these transfers.
• January 2001: Auctioned by Richard Scaife to Harry Yeagey. Auction house and lot not documented.
• April 2004: Yeagey traded to Rich Mason. Trade terms not documented.
• February 2007: Mason sold to Steven Juliano.

Authenticity and current configuration

CSX2427 is the sole Stage III 289 Dragonsnake built for a private customer. The Stage III specification carries a 289 cubic inch V8 with four Weber carburetors and a four-speed manual transmission. The Juliano/Riley restoration returned the car to its original Dragonsnake configuration, using NOS and original components throughout and consulting with Mike Reimer for period-correct detail. The current presentation finishes the car in yellow over black, with the correct Dragonsnake rear wheel-well configuration restored.

Five factory Dragonsnakes exist, and CSX2427 is the only one of the five built for a customer at Stage III specification. The sub-variant sits inside the broader Mark II 289 Cobra production. For comparison, CSX2208 is a Mark II 289 road car from the same era documenting the standard rack-and-pinion build, and CSX3015 is the headline 427 Super Snake from the Shelby American original program. The wider Cobra encyclopedia covers the chassis-prefix and engine-spec conventions across the full 1962-1967 program.

Last updated: May 16, 2026