Shelby Daytona Coupe History

The open Cobra's aerodynamics limited it on fast circuits like Le Mans, so for the 1964 season Shelby had Pete Brock design a sleek closed coupe body — inspired by late-1930s aerodynamic principles — over the 289-powered Cobra chassis. Named for its debut at Daytona, only six Daytona Coupes were ever built.

The car was an immediate success: it won its class (and finished fourth overall) at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans driven by Dan Gurney and Bob Bondurant, and in 1965 Shelby took the GT class of the FIA International Championship for GT Manufacturers — making Shelby American the first American constructor to win a world championship title, beating Ferrari. The six surviving cars are among the most historically significant American race cars ever built.