28 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 14-20, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Bruce Meyer loves to drive his small, two-door convertible in the canyons above his hometown of Los Angeles, winding through the corners and admiring the rumble of the exhaust. Nothing unusual here. Car enthusiasts love to go on a weekend canyon carving, especially those in L.A. looking for an escape from the chronic gridlock that plagues the city. Meyer, though, isn’t driving any sports car. He’s sitting behind the wheel of a 1962 Shelby Cobra, a car that very few others have matched in terms of legacy and prestige. It’s also the very first production Cobra ever sold to a customer not named Carroll Shelby, the race car driver-turned automotive designer who has become synonymous with performance vehicles still to this day. Cobras can easily breach seven figures in value. Carroll Shelby’s personal Cobra, known by its VIN number of CSX 2000, sold for nearly $14 million at auction in 2016. Meyer’s Cobra was produced right after that, with a VIN number of CSX 2001. Meyer doesn’t hesitate to answer when he’s asked if he drives his Cobra. “Absolutely,” he says, noting that the car is invited to many events. “I’m happy to share it. When you have something that’s historically important, you have an obligation to share it.” Meyer will soon share it on the Monterey Peninsula. This year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, taking place Sunday, Aug. 17, will honor the 60th anniversary of the Shelby Cobra 427, the upgraded version of the original Shelby Cobra in 1962 that went on to dominate the racing circuits of the era. The Cobra 427 will be a judged class, but many other Cobras with the small block 289-cubic-inch Ford engine will also be on the green at Pebble Beach, including Meyer’s historic example. “I just find them to be entertaining to drive,” he says. “It’s not a car that’s particularly showy. It’s an enthusiast car. You have to love it and love what it does.” Meyer is no stranger to Concours. He’s been attending since 1974—“I’ve never missed a year,” he says—and has been showing vehicles here since the 1980s. In addition to the Cobra, Meyer is also bringing his 1966 Gurney Eagle, as part of Concours marking the 75th anniversary of Formula 1 racing. Jack Bell of Texas, meanwhile, is making his showing debut at Pebble Beach—and to be judged, no less. Bell says he first got into Shelby cars in 1989, buying, restoring and selling them for a profit. He eventually helped form a Cobra club in Texas that later became a dealer, becoming good friends with Shelby himself. Bell eventually sold his car collection in the early 2000s, but he got the itch again in 2008 when he and his wife Debbie bought a Shelby Mustang GT500. His current collection of seven cars includes the 1967 Cobra 427 that will be shown at Pebble Beach. He says when he got the call inviting him to show it, it changed his life: “I would have never thought I would be at Pebble as a participant. We’re pretty excited about it.” Bell is essentially out of room at his house for more cars, and he insists he won’t buy anymore, “but my friends would tell you I’m a liar.” “I’ve got a real bad car problem,” he adds. “Modern medicine has not been able to cure it.” Shelby’s story is legendary among car enthusiasts—and brought to larger audiences in the 2019 blockbuster Ford v Ferrari, albeit in dramatized form. He won the final edition of the Pebble Beach Road Race in 1956 and the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. Due to health reasons, he retired as a driver and instead focused on building a racing team and forming his own auto manufacturing company, Shelby American, which is still going strong today. Shelby died in 2012 at age 89. Carroll Shelby’s grandson Aaron Shelby says the Concours’ celebration of the Cobra “really speaks to Carroll’s legacy in the automotive world. “For him to be recognized in this way is a great honor for the family,” he says. Shelby will be well-represented during Car Week. At The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in Carmel Valley on Friday, Aug. 15, the Shelby Mustang GT350 will be a featured class in recognition of its 60th anniversary. A new Shelby Mustang was also unveiled at Motorlux on Aug. 13. Living in Dallas, Texas, Aaron Shelby serves on the Carroll Shelby International board and is also co-president of the Carroll Shelby Foundation, in addition to his full-time job in banking. He’s a frequent attendee of Car Week—“There’s always such great food to be had,” he says of Monterey—and adds he loves to meet with car owners and get up close with their vehicles. “The cars are awesome, but it’s the people you meet, the stories you hear and the friendships you make—that’s the takeaway for me,” Shelby says. Meyer was a good friend of Carroll Shelby for 25 years, saying “there was only one like him. “He was just a very entertaining guy and full of stories,” he says. “He was fascinated by history. Having a friendship with Carroll Shelby was like living with history.” Bell chokes up when asked about Shelby. He first met him while his Cobra club organized the Texas Shelby Nationals in the early 1990s, and his responsibility was to take Shelby on a tour of the event for a couple of years. “He was just a special guy,” Bell says. “He was somebody you could get a hold of. He didn’t just sit in his office, he was part of the group. “I don’t believe he would’ve ever imagined that they would have a 427 class at Pebble. He would be pleased. That’s a wonderful thing for them to honor him.” Car Week 2025 Snake Smitten The Shelby Cobra adds another notch to its impressive résumé—a judged class at Concours d’Elegance. By Erik Chalhoub Bruce Meyer stands next to his 1962 Shelby Cobra after a drive in the hills above Los Angeles. The vehicle is the first Cobra ever sold to a customer, and once competed in the Tour de France Automobile. EVAN KLEIN
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