Martinez museum showcases Shelby Cobra memorabilia and history

MARTINEZ, Calif. (KRON) — In the East Bay, the City of Orinda is hosting a classic car show on Saturday. But if you’re a fan of Mustangs and Cobras, there’s a museum in Martinez you might want to check out.

There’s nothing quite like the sound and style of a classic race car, like the Shelby Cobra. It’s one of America’s most iconic muscle cars.

If you’re a fan of cars like this, you’ve got to check out The Cobra Experience Museum in Martinez.

“When you first walk in, you’re going to see 25,000 square feet of Shelby memorabilia collected over about 55 years,” explained Drew Serb, who created this shrine to the Shelby Cobra in 2014.

But his love for the car started way before that.

“I fell in love with the Cobra from the ‘Hot Rod’ magazines and ‘Car & Driver’ magazines,” Serb said. “I was in high school at the time, and I had an English book on the outside and a ‘Road & Track’ on the inside. And I said, ‘someday I’ve got to get me one of these.’”

And then, one day, he did.

“In about 1974, the spring of ‘74, my brother-in-law was a UPS driver; and he came to me, and he said, ‘You know, there’s a Cobra place out in Pacheco and they got a lot of Cobras in there. So, I went out and looked and, of course, the guy that owns the place put his arm around me and said, ‘Look I got a deal for you, $1,500 bucks and you can have this car,’” Serb recalled. “Of course, it had hit a guardrail down in Riverside and the front, the nose, was all bent up. And I went home and thought about it. As fate has it, I bought the Cobra – $1,500 bucks.”

“My parents were livid,” Serb continued. “My mom said, ‘That car doesn’t even have door handles or roll up windows. What are you thinking?’ So, it was about three and a half years later I got the car all fixed up. I got it painted. And I sold the car for $38,500. Set the check on the kitchen table. Showed it to my mother. Not another word about cars.”

That car would be the first of many over the years that Serb would buy and restore. His passion grew to the point that in 2002, he bought a business called Cobra Performance.

“It was the remains of Shelby American,” he explained. “It was Shelby American’s inventory. It was chock-full of parts.”

With more parts came more rebuilds and eventually the need for more space, which is what inspired him to create The Cobra Experience.

“This museum is here to tell the next generation about what Shelby did back in the ’60s. People don’t realize how important it was, ‘cause he created a whole generation of Ford enthusiasts – all because of Carroll Shelby.”

“This one here is probably the most favorite car in the museum,” he said, pointing to a white Shelb. “We purchased it from Ken Miles’ son.”

The car was featured in the film, “Ford v Ferrari,” in which actor Christian Bale played Ken Miles

“It’s a favorite because all the little kids get to come and sit in the seat and pretend like they’re going fast,” Serb said.

“Most important to us is that everyone that walks through the door has a great experience. That’s why we called it The Cobra Experience. There’s a lot of hardware here. There’s a lot of stuff. But the people behind it is where the stories are,” Serb said.

That is the magic of this museum. It’s more than a collection — it’s a connection — to a bygone era of automotive genius.

“I don’t know how I ended up being in charge of carrying on the legacy,” Serb said. “I feel that it’s very important that it does happen – and this is part of it. Showing all the stuff and telling people about the stories – about the different personalities – that story has to be told. And for some reason I have to do it, and I don’t know why. It’s a, you know, ‘build it and they will come.’ Here we are.”

If you want to see more cars like the Shelby Cobra, check out the Orinda Classic Car Show this Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. This year they’re celebrating the Shelby Cobra and will feature 15 of those amazing cars.

​MARTINEZ, Calif. (KRON) — In the East Bay, the City of Orinda is hosting a classic car show on Saturday. But if you’re a fan of Mustangs and Cobras, there’s a museum in Martinez you might want to check out. There’s nothing quite like the sound and style of a classic race car, like the […]