The last remaining Shelby Cobra 427 Competition, once sold for £500, will be showcased at the Concours of Elegance, Hampton Court Palace, featuring among the world's rarest cars.

One-of-a-kind classic Cobra car that once sold for £500 is now virtually priceless

The last remaining Shelby Cobra 427 Competition, once sold for £500, will be showcased at the Concours of Elegance, Hampton Court Palace, featuring among the world’s rarest cars.

A one-of-a-kind vintage Cobra sports car is back in the limelight.

The last remaining Cobra 427 Competition edition will join the world’s rarest motors on display at the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace in September.

Only 19 ‘427 Competition’ models were ever made and while it once sold for £500, it is now virtually priceless.

The Shelby Cobra was produced by the British company AC Cars in the early 1960s.

The traditional sports car body was powered by an impressive V-8 engine enabling it to roar to a top speed of 190 mph flat out.

Super fast for the time, it’s believed to be responsible for the introduction of motorway speed limits in the UK, when one was caught doing more than 180mph on the M1, as reported by Luxury Auto News.

Cobras are now among the world’s most sought-after collectable cars with F1 stars, such as Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, both proud owners.

However, despite their wealth, neither is likely ever to get their hands on this last remaining 427.

The former race car was sold for £500 in 1966 and after retiring from the track it spent 35 years in the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

It will join the 2024 line-up of the world’s rarest vehicles at the Concours of Elegance from 30 August to 1 September.

A spokesperson for the annual event said: “The Concours of Elegance is delighted to announce the latest star car that has joined its 2024 line-up: a Shelby Cobra in ultra-rare 427 Competition specification, which is the only car of its kind in existence today.