Shelby raffles off last 50th-anniversary Cobra

Shelby is celebrating its 50th anniversary in style, first at the Detroit auto show with a few black-and-gold Shelby Mustangs, and now at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona with the last example of the 50th-anniversary Shelby Cobra.

The car won't be sold to the highest bidder though; it will be raffled. Tickets cost $25 apiece or five for $100. The winner will be announced next January. All proceeds will be donated to the Carroll Shelby Foundation, a charity that Shelby started to provide financial support for children battling life-threatening diseases.

Shelby American built 50 of these anniversary cars to celebrate five decades of high performance. All sold out within hours, but this one was repurposed for charity. All were painted in Shelby black, with a wine-colored interior, special badges and wire wheels.

The Cobra is powered by a 289-cubic-inch V8 that makes 475 hp and 435 lb-ft of torque. That power will motivate the small roadster that weighs in at just 2,200 pounds.

Of course, the winner of the Cobra will get his or her name on the Shelby registry with all the other owners who have ever put their hands on a Carroll Shelby creation.

The car is also scheduled to appear at the Boca Raton Concours d'Elegance, the Dana Point Concours d'Elegance and the Barrett-Jackson auction in Orange County, Calif. Check out www.winashelby.com for more details.

By Jake Lingeman