1963 Superformance MKII FIA Cobra

Superformance MKII FIA Cobra — 1963 Shelby 289 FIA Cobra Recreation

Brand New Build — Delivery Miles Only - Licensed Shelby Replica 

This is a true ground-up, brand new Superformance MKII FIA Cobra, faithfully recreating the race-bred 1963 Shelby 289 FIA Cobra. The car has never been driven beyond delivery — no history, no wear, just a fresh build ready for its first real miles under a new owner. Finished in Aston Martin Silver ceramic paint with a blacked-out treatment, this is a Cobra built to be driven hard and looked at even harder.

The MKII-FIA is the competition-spec version of the original 1962 Cobra street roadster — the car that Shelby developed into the Daytona Coupe and used to chase Ferrari across the world's toughest circuits. It rides on the original-style 3" DOM steel frame with a composite fiberglass body, and keeps the transverse leaf spring suspension front and rear that gave the 1960s cars their distinctive, visceral driving feel. Wilwood racing brakes, an aluminum radiator, a stainless steel fuel tank, and an aluminum cockpit interior round out a chassis built for real performance, not just looks.

The Engine — BluePrint Engines 347 c.i. Small Block

Under the hood sits a BluePrint Engines 347 cubic inch small block, rated at 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. This is a stroked Ford-compatible small block — 4.000" bore combined with a 3.400" stroke cast crankshaft and forged 5.400" connecting rods — built on a high-strength cast iron block with a 4-bolt main and priority main oiling for durability under hard use. Forged pistons and BluePrint's aluminum cylinder heads (2.02"/1.60" valves) bring the compression to a pump-gas-friendly 10.0:1, while a hydraulic roller cam keeps the power band broad and streetable rather than peaky. Fuel delivery is handled by a Holley Sniper 2 EFI system, so this Cobra starts on the first crank, idles smoothly, and drives like a modern car — no carburetor fussiness, no choke, no drama. Every BluePrint engine ships with its own dyno printout, so the horsepower and torque figures on this car are proven, not estimated.

Options & Equipment

• Black 15" Knock-Off Wheels — Period-correct Halibrand-style pin-drive wheels finished in black, staying true to the look of the original factory FIA race cars while giving the car a more purposeful, blacked-out stance than polished aluminum.
• Raw Stainless Steel Spinners — The three-eared knock-off spinners that secure each wheel are left in raw, polished stainless rather than painted or coated. Beyond the visual pop against the black wheels, these are functional hardware, hearkening back to the quick-change wheel spinners used in period pit stops.
• Aston Martin Silver Ceramic Paint — The car wears a two-stage, show-quality paint finish in Aston Martin's Silver ceramic — a deep, metallic silver with real depth under light, rather than a flat or pearl finish. It's a color chosen to complement the blackout treatment rather than compete with it.
• LED Headlights — Modern LED headlight units housed in the classic round Cobra headlight buckets, giving significantly better output and reliability than a period-correct sealed beam while preserving the correct vintage look.
• Electronic Gauges — In place of purely mechanical instrumentation, this car runs an electronic gauge cluster styled after the classic FIA dash layout. You get the vintage look on the dial faces with the accuracy and simplified wiring of modern electronic senders.
• Black-Out Package — Trim, hardware, and brightwork throughout the car have been finished in black rather than chrome or polished metal, giving the silver bodywork a more aggressive, monochrome presence — a deliberate departure from the chrome-heavy look of a traditional Cobra.
• Harrison Expansion Tank — A dedicated coolant expansion/overflow tank that manages coolant volume as the engine heats and cools, reducing the risk of boil-over and keeping the cooling system properly pressurized — good insurance for a car that's meant to be driven, not trailered.
• Tremec TKX 5-Speed Manual — A modern, fully synchronized 5-speed gearbox in place of a vintage-style unit. The TKX offers closer gear ratios, smoother and more precise shifting, and considerably more torque capacity than the transmissions available when the original 289 Cobra was built — all while keeping the manual, three-pedal experience the Cobra demands.
• Avon CR6ZZ Cobra Radial Tires — Purpose-designed for Cobra and Cobra-replica applications, these tires combine a period-correct tread appearance with the grip and stability of a modern radial construction, striking the right balance between vintage character and real-world handling.

The Original 289 FIA Cobra — Carroll Shelby's Racing Legacy

The Shelby Cobra legend was built on the track. From 1962 through 1965, Carroll Shelby's 289 Cobras terrorized road courses around the world, and the FIA-spec competition roadsters were the tip of that spear. Shelby built only a handful of true factory FIA competition cars — around six Le Mans-trim cars in 1963, five dedicated FIA roadsters for the 1964 World Sportscar Championship, and six additional USRRC team cars for 1964–65. Alongside the six Daytona Coupes that grew out of the same program, these cars delivered Shelby the 1965 FIA World Manufacturers' Championship, beating Ferrari at its own game and becoming the first American manufacturer to claim the title. Fewer than twenty of these genuine factory competition 289 Cobras were ever built, making the originals among the rarest and most coveted sports racers in American motorsport history.

Superformance — The Only Licensed Manufacturer

Superformance is the sole manufacturer licensed by Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. to build authentic recreations of the 289 FIA Cobra. That license isn't a marketing footnote — it means every MKII-FIA is built to Shelby's own specifications and standards, not just styled to resemble one. Each chassis is hand-built with the original-style 3" DOM frame, correct suspension geometry, and a two-stage show-quality paint finish, then finished to order with the level of fit, panel gap, and mechanical integrity that has made Superformance the benchmark in the component car world. This isn't a kit car or a tribute — it's the closest thing to owning an original 289 FIA Cobra without the seven-figure price tag or the fear of driving a piece of irreplaceable history.

MKII Cobra Information