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In the world of classic cars, few machines are as mythical—or as dangerous—as the Shelby Cobra Super Snake. Built in 1966 by Carroll Shelby himself, the Super Snake was a one-of-two monster of a car, powered by a twin-supercharged 427 V8 with over 800 horsepower and a top speed of 200 mph. It was Shelby’s attempt to create the fastest, most brutal Cobra on Earth.
Two were made. One still exists. The other? It vanished under the most tragic and mysterious circumstances.
Shelby built the first Super Snake (CSX3015) for himself. The second (CSX3303) was given to comedian Bill Cosby, who was reportedly so shaken by a single drive that he immediately gave it back. Cosby even recorded a comedy album about the experience—called “200 M.P.H.”—where he described the car trying to “kill him.”
After Cosby returned the car, it was sold to a man named Tony Maxey. Tragically, Maxey took the Super Snake out for a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, where the throttle reportedly stuck. The car went over a cliff and into the ocean. Maxey later died from his injuries.
The wrecked Super Snake was pulled from the sea—but then disappeared. There are no confirmed records of a restoration. Some say it was destroyed. Others claim it was secretly rebuilt and hidden in a private collection. But to this day, CSX3303 has never been seen in public again.
Meanwhile, the surviving Super Snake—CSX3015—was auctioned in 2007 for $5 million and remains one of the most valuable and revered Cobras in existence.
Carroll Shelby once joked the car was “too much for anyone not named Carroll Shelby.” Cosby feared it. Maxey died in it. And the second Super Snake vanished forever.
So, where is CSX3303? Is it gone for good—or is it quietly resting in a collection, waiting to make a ghostly comeback?
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