Shelby’s Cobra Daytona Coupe returns from the history books as a limited-edition model

By Ronan Glon July 17, 2015

In 1965, the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe won eight out of the eleven FIA-sanctioned races that it participated in, including both the French and the German Grand Prix. That jaw-dropping performance allowed Shelby to take home that year’s Manufacturer’s Title, marking the first time an American company won a major international race series.

Shelby American has announced that it will build a limited number of continuation Cobra Daytona Coupes to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its landmark victory.

Buyers can choose whether they want an aluminum-bodied Cobra or a fiberglass-bodied model. The aluminum-bodied coupe is identical in nearly every way to the Peter Brock-designed race car that helped Shelby win the World Championship on July 4th, 1965, while the fiberglass-bodied coupe shows what the Daytona could look like today if it had remained in production over the past few decades.

Shelby notes that both cars are being built using original blueprints and measurements, and they come with a long list of period-correct features such as leaf-spring suspension, a tubular chassis and a wood-rimmed steering wheel. Several different paint colors are available, but every car comes standard with black leather upholstery, disc brakes and a stronger frame.

Neither version of the Cobra comes with an engine. Owners can order a numbers-matching aluminum block 289-cubic-inch engine from Shelby at an extra cost, or they can choose to install anything that fits under the coupe’s long hood.

Just 50 examples of the Cobra Daytona Coupe will be built, and even though they ship without an engine they’re not cheap. The fiberglass-bodied car carries a base price of $179,995, while collectors interested in the aluminum-bodied model will need to save $349,995.

To put that figure into perspective, the 2016 Ferrari 288 GTB starts at a comparatively affordable $243,000. However, some may conclude that $350,000 is a small price to pay considering the six original Daytona Coupes that Shelby built during the 1960s are each worth millions today.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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