Iconic 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe Could Fetch $15 Million at Auction

Mecum Auctions will be holding its 22nd Dana Mecum Original Spring Classic Auction from May 13th to the 17th in Indianapolis, Indiana and will be putting up for sale a 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe CSX2601. Expectation is that it will sell for between 10 and 15 million US dollars.

The CSX2601 is an iconic championship racer which took the manufacturers crown in the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) GT race class in 1965, holding the distinction of being the first American car to beat a Ferrari in world championship racing in Europe.

The 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra was one of only six built by Carroll Shelby to compete in FIA GT. It also features an experimental coupe body fitted to the Cobra chassis designed by Pete Brock which helped increase the car's top speed by 25 mph (40 km/h).

The car has also spent some time on the real streets of the USA, once belonging to a North Dakota businessman who would use it daily for long road trips. The car has since been fully restored, one has to assume with original parts, given the ballpark selling-price figures cited here.

The car will be placed on the auction block on May 15th at 8pm and will likely fetch one of highest prices every paid for an automobile.

Press Release

MECUM AUCTION PROUDLY PRESENTS AMERICAN RACING’S CROWN JEWEL

1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe Beat Ferrari to Capture First U.S. Victory in World Manufacturer’s Championship

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 company’s 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 l’Automobile) 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 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.”

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 world’s best drivers. Winning that World Championship was the crowning achievement of my career. I think it’s wonderful that the car is being showcased 40 years later.”

The Daytona Cobra Coupe didn’t just race, however. At one point, a North Dakota businessman with six gas stations owned the car, and each day, he’d 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 America’s past when driving a full-blown race car on the roads didn’t 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 Mecum’s 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.

The Mecum Auction Company has been specializing in the sale of collector cars, muscle cars and Corvettes for more than 20 years. In spring 2008, the company sold its 50,000th car. Consignment, Bidder, event and accommodation information is available online at www.Mecum.com or by calling 815.568.8888.