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ShelbyCobraDaytona

Championship-Winning 1965 Shelby Daytona Coupe Sells for a Record $7.25 Million

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions



A new record was set this year at Pebble Beach where Mecum Auctions successfully auctioned off the famous Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, chassis number CSX2601 in which iconic racing driver Bob Bondurant clinched the world championship in 1965. The car initially crossed the auction block at Indianapolis back in May, but failed to meet its reserve price, with estimates initially placing its value in excess of $10 million. The historic racing car came back for another attempt, and sold in Monterey for $7.25 million, setting a record in the process for the highest price paid for an American car at auction.

Forty-for years after claiming the World Manufacturers Championship in this very car for Shelby American out from under Ferrari's nose, Bondurant was reunited with the car and drove it onto the stage where the Shelby Daytona made history once again.

Historic Shelby Daytona Expected to Fetch Over $10 million at Indy Auction

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, The Classicist



No matter what state the economy is in, ten million is an awful lot to spend on one single car, so it had better be one exceptional piece of machinery to be fetching that kind of price. Fortunately the 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe is just such a machine: the very first American car to defeat Ferrari in a world championship racing series in Europe.

The story goes back to the summer of 1963 when, at the eleventh hour, Enzo Ferrari called off a deal that would have given Ford 50% ownership in his company. Dejected and vindictive, Ford set out to beat Ferrari at its own game, and this is the car that made it happen. Based on the iconic Shelby Cobra roadster, the Daytona coupe featured a specially-designed aerodynamic body to give it an extra 25 mph of top speed. With a big-block, racing-tuned Ford 427 V8 under the hood, the Daytona was fast enough to beat the Italians, clinching the FIA GT title in France in 1965, and bringing the glory home to America. This beautifully restored piece of automotive history is anticipated to shatter existing records with an expected price of $10-15 million when it goes under the hammer at Indianapolis on May 15 at the Dana Macum Original Spring Classic, so stay tuned to see the Shelby Daytona make history yet again.


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