Culture|Garage

E-Bay isn’t exactly Barrett-Jackson, and nor is a ‘93 Mustang Cobra R a Shelby. Still, one particular example of Fox-bodied fangedness has brought some serious coin- and managed to remain unsold.

Regardless of the public’s general perception of muscle cars and those who lust after them, there is no doubt that it is a segment of the car hobby that has taken off in the past decade. Boomers with heads full of memories and pockets full of pre-recession cash have been ponying up for some of their favorites; Chevelles, Torinos, Chargers and the like. Cars like this hearken back to a time when gas was cheap, insurance was minimal, and companies catered to more than the bottom line- they also built cars for enthusiasts. The 80’s and early 90’s are not remembered as fondly for muscle car lovers, as fuel injection had wholly supplanted the carbureator, crash test concerns had eliminated trim, sinewy bodywork, and import brands meant that Detroit automakers had to begin to focus on volume sales, not niche markets. Thus, when one thinks “muscle car,” a Fox Mustang is most likely not the first vehicle that springs to mind.

In actuality, there were a few good old-school style muscle cars available during this period, but they lacked the sexy sheetmetal and creative engine names, badges and callouts of their forebears, though most of them could run rings around their original namesakes. Included in this generation of American performance machines was the Mustang Cobra R.

Available in Vibrant Red Clearcoat only, the Cobra R was Ford SVT’s racing-only special, shipped sans back seat, sound deadening or air conditioner. Built specifically using the slightly weighty (when compared to the notchback) hatchback body, each R model originally featured black wheels, and cost $25,000- $5,000 over the standard Cobra, it in itself a good performance value. R models are the reincarnation of the GT350R, and proved themselves capable on drag strips and road courses nationwide- much like the original Shelby cars. So how would an original, limited-production, racing-only special fare, lurking in the auction-house shadow of it’s fastback paternity? As it turns out, very, very well.

Even in the midst of a financial crisis not seen in the States for the better part of two decades, disposable income is still out there- possibly oil dollars *snort*- and thus, a market for collectible items of great value exists. But who woulda thunk it- a performance car from the non-”muscle car era” era? It boggles the mind, but the Cobra R pictured here not only didn’t meet reserve, it didn’t meet a reserve while reaching a lofty $80,100! If this is any indication, and you have a T-Bird Super Coupe of the same vintage hiding in your garage, or a police package Camaro parked in your backyard, you may have a small fortune on your hands. Really!

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Now then, it does bear mentioning that this particular Cobra has not been used or taken out of it’s packing material- which is actually kind of neat, granted. However, this car could still be taken to a Ford dealership for maintenance, so is the high reserve price really warranted quite yet? This seems to be a subjective question, but as they say, beauty, like value, is in the eye of the beholder. See the wallet-melting auction results HERE.

via: The Mustang Source

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