David Karpik's 1963 Shelby Cobra That Made History
As near as anyone can tell, David Karpik set a first when he took his Cobra for short spin in Alaska in 2018.
In the summer of 2018, David Karpik of Kenai, Alaska, nosed Shelby Cobra chassis CSX2060 out of his garage and onto the road. The drive was a short one, the 289-cubic-inch V-8 rumbling as the car circled the block only a couple times. However, history was made: A Cobra had finally arrived in the northernmost state.
According to club records, until Karpik, no one had ever registered a Cobra in Alaska. Ford had brought a GT40 up as part of its Total Performance promotional tour in the '60s, but not a Cobra. CSX2060 could very well be the first example to turn a wheel on Alaskan tarmac.
Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Karpik restored a 1967 Mustang GTA fastback in his early teens with his father. He eventually sold that car to buy a rough 1967 Shelby GT500. It cost him less than what a new Honda Civic goes for now. "When you have a Mustang, the ultimate is to have a Shelby," Karpik says. "When you have a Shelby, the ultimate is to have a Cobra."
(photo credit: Hannah Eckert - Car and Driver)
