Whether you’ve watched the entire “Ford v Ferrari” or not, all you probably know about Carroll Shelby is that he wasn’t a guy who willingly walked away from becoming a world-famous driver. Despite his health setbacks, Shelby’s unwavering passion for racing (and winning) provided him with a convenient next step in his career, leading him to become an important figure in the automotive field. may be a key to his success and notoriety This stunning 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe is going to auction with Gooding Christie’s At Pebble Beach in August.
Shelby’s forced career pivot resulted from the pairing of Shelby American and AC Ace European bodies with America’s Ford V8 to create the Shelby Cobra. It was a machine on American race tracks that soon became a shaker and competitor among its peers. But Shelby was tempted to take the car overseas and test its toughness there. He hired Peter Brock, who was one of the youngest designers employed by General Motors at the time and was instrumental in the design of the second-generation Corvette, which saved the nameplate. Brock was tasked with designing a discontinued coupe version of the Cobra, and the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe was the result.
This particular Daytona, chassis CSX2300, is the third of six models ever built. Shelby was particularly focused on defeating Ferrari’s 250 GTO, so they turned their attention to Europe, and the CSX2300 was prepared to meet FIA specifications including a lightweight aluminum body fitted in Modena, Italy. Then, it was off to France for its first race.
building a car to beat ferrari
The CSX2300 was assigned to American Bob Bondurant and German Jochen Neerpasch for its first race, the final round of the 1964 FIA GT Championship: Tour de France Automobile. Right out of the gate the Daytona won the first two stages, putting space between it and Ferrari. The early victories in the long race were short-lived, as it suffered a number of problems including a broken crankshaft, gearbox mount failure and accelerator cable problems. At least Shelby knew it could beat Ferrari. It just needed to get to the finish line in one piece.
1965 is when the CSX2300 earned itself and Shelby a place in history. Its FIA season got off to a poor start on American soil, finishing sixth overall and third in its class at the 24 Hours of Daytona. At its next race, the Sebring 12 Hours, Daytona stalled at the start of the race, making it an open goal. It was briefly knocked out of the race after a Volvo hit it from behind, but the car was quickly repaired and re-entered to finish thirteenth overall and third in class.
It then returned to Europe, where it was wrapped in white with red and blue stripes to represent Ford of France, remaining the only Daytona coupe to wear the livery. The CSX2300 went into the final race at Reims with a chance to win the championship wearing Guardsman blue and number 27. It almost lost the title after a connecting rod failure, but mechanics quickly made repairs that helped the car cross the line brilliantly and quickly and finish ninth overall and second in class. With that result, the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe not only defeated Ferrari, but won the entire championship.
From championship-winning car to exhibition darling to the auction block.
The win meant a lot to Shelby, who was quoted as saying, “I don’t think anything in my own racing career, including winning Le Mans, was more gratifying than winning that championship.” He added, “I’m especially proud that it was our car that gave the United States its first international manufacturer’s championship.”
There is much more to the story of this car, including a few race winning stints in Japan before being retired from racing a few years later in 1968. But it was the 1965 victory that helped Shelby prove that Americans could take on the best of what Europe had to offer, and especially the always victorious Ferrari 250 GT. It also proved that Shelby was not only adept at racing, but could also build a great car. After living in Japan for more than a decade, which included regularly driving the car in Tokyo, Carroll Shelby himself purchased it in 1975, making it the only Daytona actually owned by the man. He had it completely restored and kept it until 1998; It was acquired by Larry Bowman in 2000 for $4.4 million, who then restored it, with the car resurfaced in 2003 and later sold to its current owner.
Since then in its retirement, chassis CSX2300 has seen “conscientious management and regular use”, says Gooding, with the car making several exhibition appearances including Monterey Historics in 2003; Goodwood revivals in 2004, 2011 and 2015; And in 2018 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and this year. This would be the 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe Hit the Auction Block with Gooding Christie’s Due on Friday, August 14 during Monterey Car Week, the current estimated price is at least $25 million. Last time one in six cars were publicly auctioned back in 2009When produced for the 1965 Daytona, chassis CSX2601 was priced at $7.25 million (about $11.7 million today).
