This the the first Cobra Shelby ever made, and while I think it’s kind of pretentious to rope off a car at SEMA?we’re all professionals?I have no problems with Ford’s decision here. It’s impossible to overstate the historical importance of this little Cobra, and amidst all the glitzy, overwrought crap peppering the show floor, its aura shone like a new dime. The story is that this baby was repainted two or three times, so the crafty Texan could make investors think he had more than one, which totally adds to its mystique.

Standing close to the gorgeous aluminum bodywork, it’s impossible not to feel in the presence of greatness.