Review: 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C from LEGO® Icons

A balance between a big engine and a lightweight chassis is the recipe for a nimble race car. Racer-turned-engineer Carroll Shelby and his team took those ingredients, wrapped them in British style, and the Shelby Cobra roared to life. LEGO® Icons pay homage to one of the most legendary cars in American motorsport with set 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C.

The roadster's body reveals new curvaceous LEGO moulds which make its accurate shape possible, but even further improvements to LEGO colour formulations ensure consistency too. Read on to see all the new pieces and improvements to dark blue elements, from bumper-to-bumper.

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C

• Release date: 1 July 2025
• Pieces: 1241

Price: 

• US$ 159.99 on LEGO.com US
• CA$ 199.99 on LEGO.com Canada
• GB£ 139.99 on LEGO.com UK
• AU$ 249.99 on LEGO.com Australia
• NZ$ 269.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
• DE€ 149,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
• NL€ 149,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
• FR€ 149,99 on LEGO.com France
• PLN 669.99 on LEGO.com Polska
• NOK 1999,90 on LEGO.com Norge
• DKK 1299.95 on LEGO.com Danmark

Other countries click here

 

 

If you're into cars, it's hard to beat the thrill of a roadster. Two seats, four wheels, and a gob of go are all it takes to have a good time. I grew up in a racing family, always surrounded by big-block engines like the 427 cubic-inch Ford powerplant of the Shelby Cobra 427 S/C, but I never saw any real Shelbys at the track. Of course not! The scarce original 998 Cobras are considered by many collectors to be an "investment"—one they would never risk on-track with its lack of power steering, anti-lock brakes, air bags, not even a roof.

Thankfully several modern auto builders are blessed with the rights to build accurate "continuation" cars: Shelby Cobras with less historic sentiment but all the same stuff mechanically, sometimes with even more modern amenities. Those cars, the ones drivers care to risk the perils of the racetrack with, are the Cobras which truly get my heart pumping. Today I've stepped into the tiny plastic shoes of a LEGO continuation car builder, and built a timeless design with modern materials from The LEGO Group.

New moulds

Shelby bows

A tremendous amount of curved slopes have been introduced by The LEGO Group in just the last year, with several of them examined by Tom Loftus in New E's 75409 Jango Fett's Firespray-Class Starship parts review. Apart from straight curved slopes which reach new heights and lengths, several new wedges across LEGO® Speed Champions and other themes are making curvy cars more accurate.

To create the dark blue Shelby Cobra (based upon AC Ace bodywork), a pair of new compact wedge slope moulds were needed. 

• 11x Slope, Curved Wedge 1 x 4 with Stud Notch Right (6554238 | 7205)
• 11x Slope, Curved Wedge 1 x 4 with Stud Notch Left (6554239 | 7206)

These small 1 x 4 curved wedges are nearly half-scale "Porsche bows" (77180 & 77182). Named for the Porsche 911 car they first appeared in, they weren't the first elements with two rounded corners rotated 90° from each other, but they were the first to stretch such a shape into a sleek, aerodynamic wedge. 

It's no surprise this shape keeps appearing in automotive builds, and this new one, which seems appropriate to nickname "the Shelby bow", reduces the small curved ends to a 1-module radius, and the long curved top cleanly matches the long-standing 1 x 4 curved slope profile.

READ MORE: a deep dive into the development of the Porsche bows

Mudguards, fenders... or are they curved windscreens?

• 4x Wheel Arch, Mudguard 8 x 4 x 1 (6558310 | 7207)

Specialized fender elements are no strangers to LEGO Icons vehicles, but these dark blue fender flares have more in common with curved windscreens than the more specialized fenders found in 10317 Land Rover Classic Defender 90 or 10304 Chevrolet Camaro Z28.

Unlike the existing 2 x 4 and 3 x 6 curved windscreens (81911 & 35299), the 4 x 8 Shelby Cobra fenders wraps completely around a half-circle footprint. It slopes at 45°, and its ends taper at a 24° angle (or 76° when attached sideways as shown above), matching 2 x 4 wedge pieces.

Even the underside looks identical to the current versions of the 2 x 4 and 3 x 6 curved windscreens.

I sought a method within LEGO® System of layering a matching 4 x 8 curved plate on the upper rim, but my solution leaves the curved edge of the plate a few millimeters short of perfect alignment. Howev er, this is only scratching the surface of this part's potential. 

Even the wacky fender pieces from the LEGO Icons Camaro and Defender found later uses in LEGO® NINJAGO® and LEGO® City Arctic, so this less-specialized shape may outshine them both.

American racing-style wheels

• 4x Wheel 30.4 x 20, 6 Spokes (6550931 | 7301)

Similar to the bespoke wheels crafted for 10337 Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole, the Shelby Cobra receives its own set of wheels which perfectly match its 1960s muscle-car styling. These light gray wheels have six spokes topped with a 3-spoke center cap, as seen on many Shelby Cobras, though they are often seen fitted with similar 10-spoke or wire wheels too.

Unlike the Lamborghini wheels which have a distinctive holey design, this new design instead applies broadly to many American race cars. Car customisers have been outfitting everything from Chevrolet Corvettes and Dodge Challengers in similar wheels for decades, so MOC builders recreating classic American muscle may find a set of these wheels handy.

428 Earth Blue V.3

It's now apparent The LEGO Group are taking the initiative to update inconsistent colours, as we've already received updates to white and bright light yellow this year. Now it's the turn of a colour which has been noted for its inconsistencies for years: 140 Earth Blue [TLG], a.k.a. Dark Blue [BrickLink] and Metru blue [Bionicle fans]. Take a look at the upper parts in the photo below—these are parts from my collection predating 2025.

In comparison to the lower row, there are a few discrepancies. Most notable are the 2 x 4 plate and 1 x 6 brick, the former of which is lighter than any other piece here, and the latter is darker.

Side-by-side comparisons are good, but a completed model is better, so while we're still examining parts, here's a preview of the finished build:

The large swaths of bricks in front of the doors show more consistency than Metru blue has in the past, but a few parts still stand out in this particular set. Notice the door hinges, each with a light and dark half? They're still moulded in the old dark blue formula, and I'm grateful the set as a whole doesn't show such irregular colouring.

52 unique dark blue elements in just this set have been assigned new element IDs, meaning nearly every bit of this car's bodywork is moulded in the new dark blue formulation.

Decorations

• 1x Slope Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 with Dark Blue Stripe print in White (6524430 | 111098)
• 2x Slope Curved 4 x 2 No Studs with Dark Blue Stripe, Red Cobra Badge print (6524431 | 111099)
• 2x Brick Curved 2 x 4 x 1 with Dark Blue Stripe print (6524429 | 111097)
• 1x Tile 1 x 2 with Dark Blue Stripe print (6545396 | 113423)
• 3x Tile 4 x 4 with Dark Blue Stripe print (6533233 | 111936)
• 1x Tile 2 x 4 with Dark Blue Stripe print (6533232 | 111935)

The double center stripe on the Cobra is achieved with printed white slopes and tiles, similar to the 10265 Ford Mustang which is one of two other LEGO Ford vehicles with the same paint scheme. The 2 x 2 curved slope could be considered a returning part, but this version is presumably in the recently-updated white plastic formulation, and unlike the Mustang, these stripes are all perfectly centered and align perfectly regardless of orientation. There are small gaps at the ends of the tiles, but these simple designs have been executed better than before.

• 1x (+1 extra) Tile Round 1 x 1 with Red Cobra Badge print in Silver Metallic/ Flat Silver (6524433 | 111101)

One printed round tile forms the center button of the steering wheel, and I won't tell anyone if you use the spare in a G.I. Joe COBRA build.

Only three stickers are in the set, with all other details printed.

Recoloured pieces

• 2x Brick Curved 2 x 4 x 1 (6554243 | 5842)
• 2x Wheel Arch, Mudguard 2 x 3 x 1 1/3 with 2 x 2 Plate (6554245 | 49097)
• 2x Brick Round Corner, Curved 2 x 2 x 1 2/3 Quarter Dome with 1 Cutout (6558309 | 5906)
• 6x Plate Round Corner 2 x 2 with 1 x 1 Cutout (6554241 | 79491)
• 2x Plate Angled 3 x 3 with Heart Shape (6554242 | 39613)

Mostly of the 'true' recolours in this set are recently introduced moulds, but technically almost every dark blue piece in this set is recoloured in an updated version of Metru blue.

• 23x Brick Curved 1 x 2 x 1 with Curved Top (6554240 | 5841)

I love this piece. Lopping off the unnecessary plate of vertical height off the bottom of the old 1 x 2 x 1⅓ curved slope (6091, 32807) makes this new version more versatile, and a whole handful of them arrive in dark blue with the Cobra.

• 2x Brick Curved 1 x 1 in Black (6539387 | 7126)
• 2x Tile Round 1 x 2 in Transparent Red/ Trans-Red (6489990 | 1126)
• 1x Technic Steering Wheel Small (3 Studs Diameter) in Dark Orange
  (6539382 | 2819)
• 3x (+1 extra) Tile Round 1 x 1 Special with Clip-Bar in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6539381 | 77813)
• 1x (+1 extra) Equipment Cup / Teacup Saucer with Recessed Stud on Top [PLAIN] in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6531935 | 3576)
• 1x (+1 extra) Equipment Cup / Teacup in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray
  (6539385 | 38014)

Most of these last recoloured parts make up details around the Shelby, such as its wood-rimmed steering wheel and small taillights which are represented by showing just a fraction of the trans-red discorectangle tiles. Plenty of chrome details like hood latches, the fuel cap, and side mirror are flat grey instead of silver. As much as I'd love to will chrome parts back into existence, metallic or ink silver would add accuracy to the car model more than plain grey.

Rare parts 

• 2x Slope Inverted 33° 3 x 1 with Internal Stopper and No Front Stud Connection (6554231 | 4287)
• 4x Slope Curved 2 x 2 Inverted with 1 x 2 Cutouts (6554236 | 1750)
• 4x Tile Special 1 x 2 with Handle (6554199 | 2432)
• 6x Brick Curved 2 x 1 with Inverted Cutout (6554234 | 78666)
• 2x Slope Curved 1 x 4 with Stud Notch Right (6558853 | 5414)
• 2x Slope Curved 1 x 4 with Stud Notch Left (6558908 | 5415)
• 4x Slope 18° 2 x 1 x 2/3 (6536137 | 5404)
• 2x Wedge Plate 6 x 2 Right (6554226 | 78444)
• 2x Plate Special 3 x 2 with Rounded End, Hole (6554244 | 3176)
• 2x Wedge Plate 6 x 2 Left (6554225 | 78443)
• 6x Plate Special 1 x 2 with Pin Hole On Side (6554235 | 3172)

A solid mix of new and old parts have been in three or fewer sets. Some of the classics here include the 3 x 1 inverted slope (one of those surprised-that-didn't-exist recolours in 10331 Kingfisher Bird) and the rounded 2x3 plates that return after a single appearance 20 years ago.

• 2x Brick Curved 1 x 1 in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6522869 | 7126)
• 2x Tile Round 2 x 2 with Bottom Stud Holder in Cool Silver Drum Lacquered / Metallic Silver (6371606 | 83056)
• 2x Tile Round 1 x 2 in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6531562 | 1126)

In spite of my gripes surrounding the use of grey in place of metallic details on a premium car model, there are indeed quite a few metallic ink details. These metallic round tiles form the tops of engine air filters.

The build

As the LEGO Icons vehicles continue to improve, the steering mechanism has been refined to realistically pass just under the engine, leaving very little of the steering shaft visible while still transferring rotation solidly to the front wheels.

Early on in the build, the booklet explains that odd $100 bill on the dashboard. No, it's not because you'd need a lot of them to buy your own Cobra (you would), but it's a historical anecdote of how Carroll Shelby would promise passengers they could have the money, taped down, if they could grab it while the car accelerated. None could.

The side panels integrate into the rest of the build with a LEGO® Technic skeleton, and the curved doors open smoothly thanks to the use of 2 x 2 x 2 sphere octants (6558309 | 5906) at the bottom back edge.

Here are the metallic silver details I crave! Side-exit exhaust pipes do more than look cool, they also keep the driver cool by passing hot gases out of the car rather than under their seat. Getting everything to fit in the real car required solutions like this, and recreating them in LEGO bricks required ingenious unconventional attachments too.

The gaping mouth—also for cooling the big Ford engine in its tiny British roadster body—is very SNOTty, and a minifigure box wrench on each side extends the minimalist bumpers, made of minifigure ice skates. Oil cooler lines are represented by golden sausages, and they often connected with red anodized aluminium fittings. While the 1 x 1 clips are too big to properly represent the small line fittings, I appreciate the attention to aesthetics of oleic details.

One particularly impressive shaping technique involves tapering the rear fenders in toward the back slightly. These are attached with the bars of rotated round espresso handles (32828) and 1 x 4 rounded plates (77845) threaded between 1 x 1 panel corners (6231). Also note the Mixel ball joint plates which invert wedge bricks to shape the bottom corners of the back.

Another interesting build technique employs the diagonal sides of 1 x 2 handle tiles (2432) to frame engine cooling vents.

Fitting for an American icon, lots of red, white, and blue supports can be found inside.

Finished car

With all the pieces in place, it's time to take this handsome roadster into the studio.

As is usual for LEGO Icons vehicles, the Shelby Cobra features opening doors which gently pop into place when closed, thanks to rounded parts smoothing the transition. The hood and boot are double-jointed to better fit into place, and the recoloured light gray hood handles make opening it easy, as does the boot's license plate. 

Two accessories complement the car, the first of which is a small toolbox holding some of the extra tools which weren't used building the front bumper and handbrake. A golden trophy alludes to Shelby Cobras' many race wins at events like the SCCA National Championship.

Just the rounded ends of the recoloured trans-red 1 x 2 discorectangles (6489990 | 1126) stick out, to form the car's minimalist taillights.

As the instruction booklet explains, Carroll Shelby signed many glovebox covers. It's a sticker, so if you'd prefer your glovebox unblemished, omitting his signature is an option.

The "S/C" in Shelby Cobra 427 S/C stands for semi-competition, not supercharged, so don't be surprised there's no supercharger on this engine. Trust me, the real cars make enough power without one.

This is the first time inverted 1 x 1 clips (5264) have been used to build a LEGO Icons engine. These are under the engine's two banks of cylinders, angled outward thanks to a pantograph shoe (37494) in the core of the engine, which the clips are attached to.

From up high, it's easy to see the tapered shaping at the rear end of the Shelby Cobra.

Conclusion

In many ways, 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C does what has been done before. It's not rewriting the formula for the premium LEGO Icons vehicles line; instead it takes what has been done before and refines it further. The biggest improvements are perhaps the easiest to overlook, but would surely be points of contention to nitpicky fans. The LEGO Group have done themselves the favor of assuaging gripes before they arise, resolved with a consistent dark blue plastic formulation and printed stripes which stay centered.

Small details aside, the noticeable improvements from the introduction of more curved parts represent the curvaceous Shelby Cobra the way it was meant to be modeled.

Buy on LEGO.com

 

READ MORE: Review of set 21063 Neuschwanstein Castle from LEGO® Architecture

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