The Shelby Cobra as we know it was born in January 1962 when AC Cars assigned the very first prototype with chassis number CSX2000. Not long after that, automotive designer Pete Brock was tasked with shaping the open-top roadster for maximum speed on the three-mile Mulsanne Straight.
Engineered specifically to beat Ferrari at Le Mans, the Daytona Coupe numbers a total of six examples. A seventh car, the so-called Type 65, was never completed. CSX2469 isn’t one of those cars either, but a high-quality replica that was commissioned by Carroll Shelby on a ‘60s Cobra in 1997.
Previously owned by the Texas-born entrepreneur who took the overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959 alongside Roy Salvadori, the bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful Daytona Coupe in the following video and photo gallery was purchased by the current owner from none other than Carroll Shelby. Documented with a clean title in the first owner’s name, FIA paperwork, and a bill of sale, the vehicle has been driven by many racing legends, including the likes of Phil Hill, Derek Hill, and Derek Bell.
Valued at $1.5 million back in the year 2000 or $2,380,000 when adjusted for inflation, this car relies on a 289 engine bored to 297 cubic inches or 4.9 liters for better performance. A four-speed manual transmission in the guise of the Borg-Warner Super T-10 sends the goodies to the rear axle and stopping power comes courtesy of Girling disc brakes up front and out back.
Further spruced up with four Weber 48 IDA carburetors, rack-and-pinion steering, lower wishbone, and upper leaf spring transverse suspension, as well as telescopic dampers, CSX2469 is offered for sale at the Auburn Auction on September 4th by Worldwide Auctioneers in tip-top condition.
It is almost impossible to say for certain how much this Daytona Coupe is worth, but it’s more than obvious that we’re looking at more than one million Washingtons at the very least. The most expensive Daytona Coupe sold at auction is CSX2601, the chassis that won the GT class of the World Manufacturers Championship in 1965 in the hands of Bob Bondurant. That particular example of the breed sold for a cool $7.25 million back in 2009.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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