Ford's Advanced Product Creation team designed and built the Shelby Cobra concept in five months.

The first Cobra featured a large, high-performance Ford Windsor engine inside a small roadster that AC Cars had modified at Shelby's request.

The lubrication system is the dry-sump type, which relocates oil from underneath the engine to a remote tank.

The placement of the transmission in the rear allowed for the driver and passenger seats to be placed closer together, adding to the compactness of the Cobra.

The car appears as a playable vehicle in Asphalt: Urban GT and Midnight Club: Los Angeles.