1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe Up for Auction

A fully-restored and wearing the Reims livery 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe CSX2601 will be auctioned at the 22nd Dana Mecum Original Spring Classic Auction taking place May 13-17, 2009, in Indianapolis, Ind. High performance collector car specialists Mecum Auction says it expects the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe to be attract the highest bid ever paid at a public auction for an American automobile. The show also will be broadcast live on Friday, May 15, 2009 during the company’s series “Mecum Auto Auction: Muscle Cars & More".

To refresh your memory, the 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra was one of six models particularly built by Carroll Shelby to race against Ferrari in the FIA World Manufacturers Championship for the GT class. The car features a coupe body designed by Pete Brock and based on an older Cobra chassis, modifications that attracted a speed increase by 25 mph. Following the win it recorded in the first race, five more models were built, including the one to be auctioned in May.

“Many vintage race cars have a strong American racing history to share – including this vehicle’s sister car CSX 2299 – but no car can claim a finer race hour than the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe CSX2601,” said Dana Mecum, president, Mecum Auction. “The legacy of its World Manufacturer’s Championship win stays with us more than four decades later, reminding us of one the proudest moments in U.S. race history and a competitive spirit of victory against all odds.”

The auction will be held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and will be also open to the general public, with visitors' tickets to cost 10 bucks.