Owning one original Shelby Cobra would put most enthusiasts’ garages firmly into dream territory. Lynn Park owns 10 of them, which helps explain why he’s earned the nickname “Mr. Cobra.”
In an interview with King Rose Archives, Park says roughly 1,000 original Cobras were built, with approximately 650 powered by the 289 and another 350 using the mighty 427. His collection therefore accounts for around one percent of the original production run.
The obsession began in 1962, when a Cobra appeared on the cover of Road & Track. Park was 19 and couldn’t afford the approximately $6,000 asking price, so he bought an AC—the British sports car that formed the Cobra’s foundation—and started creating his own version.
Before long, he was hanging around Carroll Shelby’s operation in Venice, California, learning about the cars and even obtaining parts for his home-built Cobra. More than six decades later, it’s safe to say the interest never wore off.
His First Real Cobra Cost $2,000
After serving in the Army, Park went searching for the genuine article around 1970. He eventually found an early Shelby team race car that had been crashed, taken apart, and offered for approximately $2,000.
Park borrowed the money and began rebuilding it, later working with noted Cobra restorer Mike McCluskey. Inspired by the Daytona Coupe, they incorporated side-pipe treatment into the body and created what Park calls his “Daytona Roadster.”
He raced that Cobra until around 1988 before moving to another significant car in his collection, one of five FIA Cobras. Park was also part of the Wild West Racers, a group of six amateur drivers who spent years racing their Cobras at tracks across the western United States.
His Cobras Still Wear Their Scars
Park’s collection isn’t filled exclusively with spotless cars polished within an inch of their lives. He appreciates Cobras that visibly show what they were built to do.
One is a former street car that was modified and raced at Willow Springs, among other places. Another is one of the five FIA cars, its body covered with rock chips and missing paint accumulated through years of competition.
That history is important to Park. He remembers when Cobras weren’t treated like untouchable investments and says owners drove, raced, and inevitably crashed them.
Cobras Weren’t Always Million-Dollar Cars
When Park bought his first one, serial numbers weren’t particularly important because Cobras weren’t yet major collectibles. Values began climbing during the 1970s, and whenever Park accumulated enough spare money, he’d hunt down another car—often one needing work.
Today, Park estimates an average genuine Cobra is worth somewhere around $1 million. His garage also contains replicas, including a bright yellow race car powered by a roughly 700-hp NASCAR engine and a replica Daytona Coupe.
Still, it’s the 10 originals that make this collection extraordinary. Park went from a 19-year-old who couldn’t afford a Cobra to owning roughly one percent of all the originals ever built. Yup, I’d say “Mr. Cobra” seems like a pretty appropriate nickname.