Ford Mustang Cobra SCCA Trans-Am Road Race Car, 1997
Auction: Nashville 2026 Auction date: September 26, 2026 Lot No.: V463 • Engine: V-8 • Transmission: Manual • Exterior: Black/Green • Interior: Black • Body: SCCA Trans-Am Road Race Car • Roush Racing Chassis no. 33 • The culmination of Jack Roush’s racing experience in the SCCA Trans-Am racing series • Represents the final season of road racing for Roush Racing • Roush Racing and Tommy Kendall claimed their third consecutive SCCA Trans-Am Championship together in 1997 • Kendall won the first 11 of 13 races that season, setting the current record for the longest winning streak in professional road racing • Kendall’s record-breaking streak broke Mark Donohue’s previous record of eight back-to-back Trans-Am wins set in 1968 • Roush’s dominance in road racing in the late 1980s was the driving force behind Ford asking him to make the switch to NASCAR • Attended the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2003 as part of Ford’s centenary celebrations • Attended the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2004 to celebrate 40 years of the Ford Mustang • Roush-built 310/650 HP Ford small-block V-8 engine • 5-speed manual transmission • 9-inch Ford rear differential • Racing bucket seat with Sabelt TRW Sparco racing harness • AutoMeter Pro-Comp Ultra-Lite gauges • AutoMeter Pro-Comp 2 Ultra-Lite Memory tachometer • 4-wheel disc brakes • 16-inch Gold two-piece BBS wheels • Goodyear Eagle race tires A centerpiece of the Roush Automotive Collection, this Roush Racing-built 1997 Ford Mustang Cobra SCCA Trans-Am road racer was the most dominant car in the history of Trans-Am. Roush Racing Chassis No. 33, it took Roush Racing and American road racing ace Tommy Kendall to their third consecutive Trans-Am series championship in 1997 and the fourth overall. Their supremacy was virtually complete; Kendall won the first 11 of that season’s 13 races to secure the title, setting the record for the longest winning streak in professional road racing, a feat that remains unsurpassed to this day. Kendall’s record-setting streak broke the legendary Mark Donohue’s previous record of eight back-to-back Trans-Am wins set in 1968 in the Penske-Sunoco Camaro. The No. 11 Roush Racing Mustang Cobra ultimately represented the sum of Jack Roush’s knowledge and experience gained in the SCCA Trans-Am racing series. The last of 33 so-called “silhouette” racers designed and built by Roush together with Ford’s Special Vehicles Operation (SVO), Chassis No. 33 featured a sturdy yet lightweight tube steel space frame chassis incorporating Roush’s sophisticated adjustable front and rear suspension and 4-wheel disc brakes with large, vented rotors and Alcon calipers. Riding on Goodyear Eagle racing radials on 16-inch modular BBS wheels with gold centers, the No. 11 All Sport Body Quencher-liveried Mustang Cobra retains the custom-built removable composite body panels and is powered by a Roush-built 310/650 HP Ford small block V-8 teamed with a 5-speed manual transmission and Ford 9-inch rear differential. The no-nonsense interior features a roll cage, a racing bucket seat with Sabelt TRW Sparco racing harness, AutoMeter Pro-Comp Ultra-Lite gauges and an AutoMeter Pro-Comp 2 Ultra-Lite Memory tachometer. Roush Racing’s dominance in American road racing in the late 1980s was the driving force behind Ford’s invitation to form a NASCAR team, which began operation in 1988 and has remained immensely successful, most recently evolving into Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing. The 1997 Roush Racing Mustang Cobra stands as the pinnacle of Roush’s years with Ford in Trans-Am competition. It appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2003 as part of Ford’s centenary celebrations and again in 2004 to celebrate 40 years of the Ford Mustang, demonstrating the performance that established the longest winning streak in the history of professional road racing. https://www.mecum.com/lots/1173897/1997-ford-mustang-cobra-scca-trans-am-road-race-car
