Consequently, these cars weren’t approved by the FIA, so Shelby detuned 23 out of the 56 cars that were built and fitted a windshield to make them street legal. Despite being one of the fastest street cars at the time, the Shelby Cobra Competition wasn’t an easy sell back in the 1960s.
Compared to its rivals like the Corvette, the Cobra didn’t have luxuries like air conditioning or locking doors, so you had to be a true enthusiast to appreciate it. With its screaming side exhausts, roaring V8, and no side protection, Leno enjoyed the Cobra’s unrivalled visceral driving thrills. Replicas simply cannot compare. “I’ve driven many Cobra replicas. They all feel different,” said Leno. “This feels original. It feels exactly what Carroll Shelby intended it to be.”