After winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959 (in the Aston Martin DBR1), Carroll Shelby wanted to return to Europe to beat Ferrari with a car of his own design. In 1964, he began work on the 1964-1965 Shelby Daytona Coupe, a car that would solve the 1963 Shelby Cobra’s issues with aerodynamic drag, which limited its top speed on the 3-mile long Mulsanne straight. Only six were built before Shelby was reassigned to the 1964-1969 Ford GT40 project, but the Daytona Coupe went on to win 10 races during 1964 and 1965, as well as the 1965 FIA World Sportscar Championship.
Not only did the Daytona Coupe become the first car to beat Ferrari since 1959, but it also made Shelby the first American constructor to win an international title. Additionally, the Coupe set no fewer than 25 land-
speed records at Bonneville in 1965. It’s been half a decade since those tremendous achievements, and Shelby American is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its FIA World Championship with a limited series of continuation Cobra Daytona Coupes.
Though this isn’t the first continuation Daytona (Superformance already offers a licensed replica), Shelby’s is arguably the most authentic to date. The 50th anniversary Daytona Coupe is actually more than just a replica, sporting modern disc brakes and a stronger frame, and including an aluminum body option, a first for continuation cars.
Continue reading to learn more about the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe 50th Anniversary.
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