The 1966 Shelby Cobra that once was the personal car of the racing veteran who developed the iconic sports car, has sold for $5.5 million at auction, a record for an American car. It was sold on Saturday at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction after a pair of bidders drove the price up.

The "Super Snake" is powered by a twin superchargers on a 427 cubic inch V8 engine that delivers 800 hp.

Barrett-Jackson said the $5.5 million price tag for the Cobra was not an overall world record car price, since others have sold at auction for more than $11 million. However, it is a world record for American cars, said Steve Davis, Barrett-Jackson president.

"It's a special car. It would do just over three seconds to 60 (mph), 40 years ago," Shelby told the crowd before the sale.