Hank Williams short in his Shelby Cobra to the end. He died in 2023 at the age of 99. Now the car must find a new owner.
Former racer Hank Williams' Shelby Cobra is looking for a new owner. The car was Williams' last until he passed away at the age of 99 in 2023.
The car was built as Cobra number 289 in 1964. The following year it was bought by Hank Williams. According to RM Sotheby's, which is running the auction, the 'Snake Charmer' is in almost perfect condition.
'It has never been restored, only maintained,' writes the auction house.
In 1965, Hank Williams used to drive around in an Austin Healey 3000. But he immediately fell for the Cobra when he saw it on display at Riverside International Raceway.
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Subsequently, he used the car in 394 races, of which he won 35 of them. Hank Williams made other history when he was the first African-American to compete in a race at the Indianapolis Speedway in Indiana.
Known as 'The Gentleman Racer', Williams was close friends with the car's creator, Carroll Shelby, who himself left this world at the age of 89 in May 2012.
One of the reasons why the Cobra holds up so well today is that Williams had a custom-built trailer for it, which he shorted it in between the nearly 400 race laps. But the car was also registered, and it can get back on the road without any problems.
The number plate 'No Kit' otherwise refers to the car's authenticity. Over the years, the Shelby Cobra has become something of a role model for the so-called kit cars that look similar but are not originals.
