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These Shelby Cobra Continuation Models Honor Bob Bondurant's Driving School

Aged 84, Bob Bondurant is a legend in North America and beyond for his career as a racing driver. But in 1967, Bob turned to instructing other drivers following a 150-mph crash in his McLaren at Watkins Glen. And thus, the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving came to be.
Bob Bondurant Edition Shelby Cobra FIA Roadster 11 photos
Photo: Shelby American
Bob Bondurant Edition Shelby Cobra FIA RoadsterBob Bondurant Edition Shelby Cobra FIA RoadsterBob Bondurant Edition Shelby Cobra FIA RoadsterBob Bondurant Edition Shelby Cobra FIA RoadsterBob Bondurant Edition Shelby Cobra CoupeBob Bondurant Edition Shelby Cobra CoupeBob Bondurant Edition Shelby Cobra CoupeBob Bondurant Edition Shelby Cobra CoupeBob Bondurant Edition Shelby Cobra CoupeBob Bondurant Edition Shelby Cobra Coupe
2018 marks the 50th anniversary since the facility opened for business at the Orange County International Raceway, although it’s now headquartered at a purpose-built location in Chandler, Arizona. Marking half a decade since the grand opening, Shelby American took up the challenge to come up with not one, but two special editions of the Cobra.

The first replicates CSX2345 to the finest of details, the Shelby Cobra Roadster in which Bondurant won America’s first title in the FIA GT Championship. The original tallied five first-place finishes, relying on the Ford 289 small-block V8. The modern-day tribute will be supplied with a CSX2000-series serial number, though minus the engine and transmission.

Similar to the original, the Bob Bondurant Edition roadster is fitted with a driver’s door knee pad, laid-back windshield, roll bar, and high-beam switch. Leaf springs, rack and pinion steering, period gauges, and a 14-gallon fuel tank are also included, with the customers making the choice between aluminum and fiberglass for the body shell. Decal options include the numbers #3 and #21, marking the 1964 and 1965 victories.

The Daytona Coupe, meanwhile, is a historically-accurate reproduction of the car that won the GT class at Le Mans in 1964 with teammate Dan Gurney. Available in #26 Viking and 1965 Guardsman Blue liveries, the continuation features tube frames and a wooden-rimmed steering wheel.

Now it’s time to talk pricing, and as expected, neither comes cheap. The Roadster in fiberglass starts at $149,995, with prices for the aluminum-bodied model kicking off at $249,995. The Daytona Coupe, which is exclusively available in aluminum, retails at $394,995. 50 vehicles will be built as a nod to the 50th anniversary of Bondurant’s driving school.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

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.
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