1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe For Auction At Mecum Spring Classic

MECUM AUCTION PROUDLY PRESENTS AMERICAN RACINGS CROWN JEWEL
1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe Beat Ferrari to Capture First U.S. Victory in World Manufacturers Championship

MARENGO, Ill. High performance collector car specialists Mecum Auction will offer collectors a chance to own a piece of American race history when they auction the 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe CSX2601 at the 22nd Dana Mecum Original Spring Classic Auction taking place May 13-17, 2009, in Indianapolis, Ind.
And when this Crown Jewel of American Racing powers across the auction block, Mecum anticipates the championship race car to garner the highest bid ever paid at public auction for an American automobile eight figures and counting. The Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe will be sold on live national TV Friday, May 15, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. during the companys series, Mecum Auto Auction: Muscle Cars & More, on Discovery Communications popular HD Theater.
The 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra was one of six cars built by Carroll Shelby to compete against the dominating Ferrari in the F.I.A. (Federation Internationale de lAutomobile) World Manufacturers Championship for GT race class. An experimental coupe body designed by Pete Brock was built on an existing Cobra chassis, immediately increasing the top speed by 25 mph. That car won its first race, the 1964 Daytona Continental (prompting Shelby to adopt the name), and five more coupes were built, including CSX2601.
After competing at Daytona, Monza, Spa and Nurburgring, CSX2601 made history when it clinched the 1965 World Manufacturers Championship for the United States and Shelby American on July 4 in Reims, France.
Many vintage race cars have a strong American racing history to share including this vehicles 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 Manufacturers 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.
Driving the car and America to victory on that fateful July afternoon was legendary driver Bob Bondurant.
I won a lot of races with this Daytona Cobra Coupe, but when I crossed the finish line at the Reims race track I yelled Yes! It was a fantastic feeling, Bondurant shared. I always wanted to race in Europe against the worlds best drivers. Winning that World Championship was the crowning achievement of my career. I think its wonderful that the car is being showcased 40 years later.
The Daytona Cobra Coupe didnt just race, however. At one point, a North Dakota businessman with six gas stations owned the car, and each day, hed drive the 300-mile round trip to collect station receipts in this race-trimmed Cobra.
This car is a true slice of Americana, representing a different time in Americas past when driving a full-blown race car on the roads didnt turn heads, added Mecum. The Daytona was also leased to Paramount Pictures for use in the Howard Hawks cult classic Redline 7000.
Now fully restored and wearing its famous Reims livery, the Shelby Daytona Cobra CSX2601 headlines the Original Spring Classis Auction, which is expected to feature 1,250 vehicles.
Held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the auction is open to the general public with tickets are available at the door for $10. It will be broadcast live on Mecums popular television series, Mecum Auto Auction: Muscle Cars & More on HD Theater Discovery Communications first 24-hour high-definition cable network, offering compelling real-world and motorized content.

Original Spring Classic Auction
Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, Ind.
May 13-17, 2009
Price: $10
Vehicle check-in: Monday & Tuesday 9 a.m. 6 p.m. Wednesday 9 a.m. 1 p.m.
Preview: Gates open Wednesday through Sunday at 9 a.m.
Vehicle Auction: Wednesday 2 p.m. Thursday through Sunday 10 a.m.
* Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe to be auctioned live on national TV May 15 at 8 p.m.
Neon Auction: Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Auction will take place in the Toyota Blue Ribbon Pavilion. Cars will be displayed in four additional buildings and outside.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• shelby
• cobra
• daytona
• coupe
• mecum
• auction
• road
• race
• lemans
• vintage
• racing
• ford
• bob
• bondurant
• peter
• brock

[rkwtinman]

5 of the 6 Daytonas had the 289 (5 liter motor). The 6th had a 427 that was later changed to a 289. Ferrari, by contrast had only a 3 liter motor, at that time. Ford spent millions to beat Ferrari with the Daytona program.

[HerrMueller93]

@kfengler hold on....aren't these the same 427's as they put in the Shelby Cobra's?? i realize they had a 289 cobra too, but i thought these were the 427

[photobart1]

I bet they want at least 15,000,000. Same price as a 250 GTO Ferrari.

[kfengler]

The car is a 289. Shelby never used the 429.

[unclewilly2]

is ist a 429 or a 289??

[awd3atms]

Bid got to 6.8million and stopped and then had a private bid of $7.5million but they didn't sell it. Going up for sale again this month in Calif.

[pault1964]

how much did it sell for