Daytona Coupe Le Mans Edition

The Shelby Daytona Coupe is a legend, and certainly one of the top American sports cars ever produced. Carroll Shelby's creation rocked the racing world in 1965 when it dominated the circuit and went on to win the FIA GT World Championship. It was the first and only American car to ever do so.

Exotic Auto Restoration out of Southern California has come up with it's own interpretation of the Shelby, the Daytona Coupe Le Mans Edition. Based on the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe built by Superformance (also designed by Peter Brock), the Le Mans Edition package sports fender flares, wider 18-inch wheels and tires, heavy-duty suspension, billet aluminum hood vents, Alcantara seating, brushed aluminum dash with aircraft-style toggle switches, "Daytona Le Mans" gauges, and a suede Momo steering wheel. Powertrain options include any Ford V8 based on the Windsor 351 block, like the 530-horsepower Roush 402R in the car pictured.

Exotic Auto Restoration is also offering a track-oriented version that also gets a 6-point roll cage, A/C and carpet delete, quick-release steering wheel, upgraded brakes, carbon fiber front splitter and rear diffuser, Shelby aluminum block 427ci V8with 560 horsepower, and more. Only six will be built, to commemorate the six original racecars.

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The Daytona Coupe Le Mans Edition by Exotic Auto Restoration - the spirit of Le Mans in your driveway

In 1964, Shelby took the motorsports world by storm with the Daytona Coupe. With a revolutionary design by Peter Brock, the car was capable of reaching an incredible 187 mph on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans. In 1965, the Daytona Coupe became the first and only American car to win the FIA GT World Championship, cementing its legacy in motorsports history. Now Exotic Auto Restoration of Costa Mesa, CA is allowing car enthusiasts to bring the legend of Le Mans to their own driveway. Based on the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe built by Superformance and also designed by Peter Brock, the Le Mans Edition has been upgraded in the spirit of the original racecar.

To enhance both the looks and performance of the Daytona Coupe, Exotic Auto Restoration has designed new body and interior components that blend seamlessly with the rest of the car. "I wanted to give the car a wider, more aggressive stance as well as the capability of turning better lap times," explains George Cunha, owner of Exotic Auto Restoration. Named for the Le Mans 24 Hour race that the Daytona Coupe won in 1965, this package includes the following:

- Group 5 fender flares front and rear
- Wider 18-inch wheels and tires
- Heavy duty Bilstein shocks and H&R springs
- Functional billet aluminum top and side hood louvers
- Reclinable Alcantera suede seats with "Le Mans Edition" embroidery
- Brushed billet aluminum dashboard with aircraft-style toggle switches
- "Le Mans Edition" gauges with 200 mph speedometer and 10k rpm tachometer
- Suede Momo racing steering wheel

Customers can choose from a variety of motors based on the Ford 351 Windsor block. Powering this particular Daytona Coupe Le Mans is a Roush 402R V8 producing 530 horsepower and 515 lb-ft torque mated to a Tremec T56 6-speed transmission.

In addition, a track-oriented version is also available. Only six will be built (two have been pre-sold, leaving four available) in this configuration to commemorate the six original racecars, each featuring an authentic Shelby-built V8. Adding to the standard Le Mans Edition components, this package includes the following:

- 6-point roll cage
- Lightweight wheels with 2.5-inch locking nut
- 14-inch, 6-piston brakes front, 13-inch, 6-piston brakes rear
- Carbon fiber front splitter and rear diffuser
- A/C delete
- Carpet delete
- Full race seats with 6-point harnesses
- Quick-release steering wheel
- Dash-mounted programmable ignition module
- Dash-mounted brake bias controls
- Shelby aluminum block 351 V8 bored and stroked to 427ci
- 560 horsepower and 530 lb-ft torque
- Tremec TKO-600 transmission
- Full dry sump lubrication system

The Daytona Coupe Le Mans Edition can be seen in person at the Pasadena Art Center Car Classic on Sunday, July 19. For additional information on the Daytona Coupe Le Mans Edition, contact Exotic Auto Restorations at 714-979-7100, on the web at www.carsbyexotic.com or by email at exoticauto@sbcglobal.net .

Shelby Daytona Coupe up for auction in May

A copy of the legendary 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe will hit the block on May 22 at the 22nd annual Spring Classic auction in Indianapolis. The auction will be shown live on Discovery's HD theatre, with the Daytona Coupe selling at 8:00pm on Friday, May 18. Mecum fully expects the car to exceed the highest amount paid at a public auction for an American automobile, which is, to our knowledge, the Shelby Cobra Super Snake sold at Barrett-Jackson in 2007 for a total of $5.5 million. The auction house even hopes to reach the eight figure mark. The current record holder for any car is a 1961 Ferrari California Spyder that sold for $10.89 million at RM's auction last year.

The Daytona Coupe being sold, chassis CSX2601, is the fourth of just six built, winning three of eight FIA races it competed in. One of those victories was at Reims in France that earned the points needed for Shelby to clinch the World Manufacturers Championship in the GT III class. The car has been fully restored to its original condition and sports its Reims livery. Bob Bondurant, who piloted the Daytona Coupe to its wins back in 1965 and also owned it shortly thereafter, was reunited with the car at his high performance driving school in Chandler, AZ this weekend. He was joined by Peter Brock, who designed the Coupe, and the two shared stories of the development and racing of the car. Afterwards, Bondurant even put the car through its paces on the track, the first time he had driven it in more than twenty years.

[Source: Mecum Auction]

PRESS RELEASE:

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 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.