A “fat” red, 1960s Shelby Cobra, “red as blood and fantastic” (129) is Tom’s dream car. In all Tom’s imaginary adventures, he rescues Courtney and the two of them roar off together in a red Cobra. Tom shows genuine enthusiasm for the Cobra: He studies up on it in car magazines and looks for it at car shows. Tom originally thinks it a sign of Jeff’s friendship that the one thing Jeff knows about Tom is how important the Cobra is to him.

The car is symbolic of the private, slightly selfish side of Tom’s personality before he meets Jessica. Tom values the Cobra for its power, physical appearance, and the status it conveys both in his imaginings and in real life. Tom knows that Courtney will be impressed when he and Jeff drive by her house in the Cobra.

After meeting Jessica, Tom’s outlook on life changes. Tom values the example Jessica sets, prioritizing what is important in life, as she endures her treatments and continues with life and school against all odds. Tom also values Jessica’s friendship. He can talk with her, which he cannot do with Jeff. The Cobra is Jeff’s attempt to keep Tom as his friend, rather than lose him to Jessica, whom Jeff despises.