A group of four student-built 1965 Factory Five Shelby Cobra Roadster replicas will cross the block at Mecum Harrisburg 2026, giving bidders the chance to buy more than a custom performance car. Offered from the Winners Circle Project Collection, the cars support nonprofit STEAM education programming while showcasing hands-on automotive craftsmanship from student builders.
The collection includes four Cobra-style roadsters, all scheduled for Thursday, July 23. Each car will be offered at no reserve, meaning they will sell to the highest bidder.
The lineup includes Lots V31, V32, V33, and V35, with the final car listed as a Factory Five Shelby Cobra Replica Mk5 Roadster. Each is powered by a 347-cubic-inch V-8 rated at 415 horsepower and paired with a five-speed manual transmission.
Factory Five Cobra replicas have long appealed to enthusiasts because they blend classic roadster proportions with modern kit-car engineering and strong performance potential. These examples add another layer of interest because they were built through an educational program rather than simply commissioned as private projects.
The Winners Circle Project focuses on student involvement in hands-on automotive learning, giving young builders direct experience with mechanical systems, problem-solving, fabrication, and performance-car assembly. For bidders, that means these cars carry a story that reaches beyond horsepower numbers and auction-day excitement.
The Shelby Cobra shape remains one of the most recognized forms in American performance history. While these are replicas rather than original Cobras, Factory Five has built a strong reputation in the enthusiast world for producing roadster kits that capture the spirit of the original while allowing builders to tailor the finished car to their own goals.
Here, the appeal is twofold. Buyers get a V-8-powered, manual-transmission roadster with classic Cobra presence, while the sale also helps support future education and nonprofit STEAM programming. That gives the collection a different kind of value, especially for collectors who like their purchases to carry a broader mission.
With all four cars offered at no reserve, the Winners Circle Project Collection should draw attention from both Cobra replica buyers and bidders who want to support student-built automotive education. When these roadsters cross the block in Harrisburg, they will represent not only the enduring appeal of the Cobra shape, but also the next generation of people learning how machines like this come together.
Shawn Henry