The most successful racing Cobra of all time is going to auction. The Essex Wire 427 Cobra Competition was born as an advertising campaign. Essex Wire was going public on the New York Stock Exchange, and company president Walter Probst arranged the partnership with Essex Wire’s largest customer — the Ford Motor Company. Cobra driver Robert L. “Skip” Scott was recruited and arranged the purchase of chassis number CSX3009 — the car pictured here. CSX3009 finished fourth in the 1965 US Road Racing Championship, Essex Wire’s first season. The car continued to be successful up until 1975, when it was sold to collector George Stauffer, who kept the car in as-raced condition until 1995, when the next owner commissioned a restoration to its current, original condition. CSX30009 is expected to bring as much as $6 million when it crosses the block January 18th at Mecum’s Kissimmee event.