Skip to main content

First Ford Shelby Cobra sold for ridiculous amount of money

There were a ton of absolutely insane cars at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction at Pebble Beach, but by far the most monumental was the first Ford Shelby Cobra prototype built on a CX2000 chassis.

The 1962 Cobra, which went on auction last Friday night, sold for a record-breaking $13.8 million, making it the most expensive American car ever to be sold at auction.

Recommended Videos

This 1962 Cobra holds with it an insane amount of history. Firstly, it was the first. It’s what launched Carroll Shelby’s career and his partnership with Ford. Shelby then went on to develop the Ford GT Le Mans race car, which went on to win four consecutive championships.

This 1962 Cobra is the predecessor to the GT, which was the hallmark for American automotive engineering on the world stage.

For the past five decades this 1962 Cobra was within Carroll Shelby’s estate,  and was part of his personal collection. Even the torn up driver’s seat only added to the cars history, and probably had little to no influence on its value. After Shelby’s death in 2012, it was incorporated to the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust before it was moved over to the auction block.

The last record-holding American car to sell at auction was a 1968 Ford GT 40 Gulf/Mirage Lightweight. Yes, it was the same Ford GT 40 to win at Spa and Le Mans and was driven by Jacky Ickx. It sold back in 2012 for $11 million.

Even today, Shelby’s influence is permeating through Ford design. Ford recently brought back the Ford GT to compete in Le Mans once again. And for years Ford has slapped the Shelby badge on its Mustang, but this year’s Shelby GT 350R is a monster of a machine and an even more miraculous drive. Shelby’s attention to detail is clearly alive within Ford.

Imad Khan
Imad has been a gamer all his life. He started blogging about games in college and quickly started moving up to various…
Toyota unveils 2026 bZ: A smarter, longer-range electric SUV
toyota bz improved bz4x 2026 0007 1500x1125

Toyota is back in the electric SUV game with the 2026 bZ, a major refresh of its bZ4X that finally delivers on two of the biggest demands from EV drivers: more range and faster charging.
The headline news is the improved driving range. Toyota now estimates up to 314 miles on a single charge for the front-wheel-drive model with the larger 74.7-kWh battery—about 60 miles more than the outgoing bZ4X. All-wheel-drive variants also get a boost, with up to 288 miles of range depending on trim.
Charging speeds haven’t increased in terms of raw kilowatts (still capped at 150 kW for DC fast charging), but Toyota has significantly improved how long peak speeds are sustained. With preconditioning enabled—especially helpful in colder weather—the new bZ can charge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Also new: Plug and Charge support for automatic payment at compatible stations and full adoption of the North American Charging Standard (NACS), meaning access to Tesla Superchargers will be standard by 2026.
Under the hood, or rather the floor, Toyota has swapped in higher-performance silicon carbide components to improve efficiency and power delivery. The AWD version now produces up to 338 horsepower and sprints from 0–60 mph in a brisk 4.9 seconds.
Toyota didn’t stop at just the powertrain. The exterior has been cleaned up, with body-colored wheel arches replacing the black cladding, and a sleeker front fascia. Inside, a larger 14-inch touchscreen now houses climate controls, giving the dash a more refined and less cluttered appearance. There’s also more usable storage thanks to a redesigned center console.
With the 2026 bZ, Toyota seems to be responding directly to critiques of the bZ4X. It’s faster, more efficient, and more driver-friendly—finally bringing Toyota’s EV efforts up to speed.

Read more
Cheaper EVs ahead? GM and LG say new battery cells are the key
2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV front quarter view.

General Motors and LG Energy Solution have announced a new phase in their ongoing partnership: developing a new battery cell chemistry that could significantly lower the cost of electric vehicles. The joint effort centers on lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) battery cells, a variation of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) that’s gaining popularity for being more affordable and less reliant on expensive materials like nickel and cobalt.

This is a big deal because battery costs are still the single largest expense in producing EVs. According to GM and industry experts, LMFP cells could help bring the cost of electric vehicles close to — or even on par with — gas-powered cars. The goal? Making EVs accessible to a broader range of drivers without sacrificing range or performance.

Read more
Waymo recalled 1,200 robotaxis following collisions with road barriers
Waymo Jaguar I-Pace

Waymo’s autonomous-car technology has made great advances over the years to the point where it’s now allowed to offer paid robotaxi rides in select locations in the U.S.

But the development of the technology is ongoing, and the robotaxi rides continue to gather valuable data for Waymo engineers to pore over as they further refine the driverless system to make it as reliable and efficient as possible. Which is why glitches will sometimes occur.

Read more