Here’s why the new LEGO Shelby Cobra includes a $100 bill

Wondering why the newly-revealed LEGO Icons 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C includes a $100 bill on the dashboard? The answer lies in an urban legend…

Nestled among the accessories in 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C – which also include a brick-built toolbox, fire extinguisher and trophy – is a crisp $100 bill, fashioned from the classic printed green 1x2 tile that’s been in circulation since 1995 and has appeared in nearly 300 sets. But while Cobras are indeed expensive today (a 1966 example sold at auction last year for an eye-watering $3 million), this piece is actually a nod to a specific slice of Shelby mythos.

The story goes that Carroll Shelby, who was responsible for creating one of the most coveted cars of all time by jamming a Ford 427i engine into the body of an AC Cobra, would regularly use a $100 bill to either test the power of his car or otherwise convince civilians of its might. Whatever his purpose – the story is not exactly written in stone – Shelby would place the note on the car’s dash, then challenge a passenger to pick it up.

The catch was that they could only attempt to do so while the car was at full acceleration. The 427 S/C (which was tweaked from the regular 427 to fit semi-competition requirements, hence the S/C label) was capable of reaching 60mph in around four seconds, so the forces that pushed passengers back in their seats during take-off would prevent them from reaching the dash.

Whether this was simply great PR from a man who started a company in his own name, or really was used in testing to guarantee the 427 S/C was as powerful as Shelby desired, it’s a story that has since gone down in legend – to the point that Autocar even tested the theory with modern motors in 2017. And it’s intertwined closely enough with the Cobra’s mythos that the LEGO design team saw fit to reference it in 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C with a single piece.

You’ll be able to get your hands on 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C from July 1 if you’re signed up to the LEGO Insiders program, while you’ll have to wait until July 4 to buy it if not. The 1,241-piece set will be available exclusively at LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores for at least the first few months of its shelf life, and will retail for £139.99 in the UK, $159.99 in the US and from €149.99 in Europe.

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