Shelby Cobra Daytona became the most expensive American car in history

A 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona coupe went under the hammer at an auction during Monterey Auto Week in the United States. The cost of the car was $42.9 million. It turned out to be the most expensive American car ever sold at public auction, Carscoops reported on August 17. Initially, the sports car was estimated at $25 million.

The Daytona Coupe was designed by Carroll Shelby to compete with Ferrari, which dominated racing at the time. The coupe is based on the British AC Ace roadster, which Shelby had previously converted into a Cobra by equipping it with a V8 engine. To combat the Ferrari 250 GTO, an enclosed body with improved aerodynamics was required, which led to the development of the Daytona Coupe.

The CSX2300 chassis sold at auction was the first coupe built in this series (six in total). He made his debut in the final stage of the 1964 FIA GT Championship, where he was immediately successful. Subsequently, the car participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans marathon, where it was in the lead until it withdrew from the race due to a crankshaft failure.

In 1965, the car went to the start of races in the American Daytona and Sebring, as well as the "1000 km Nurburgring" in Germany and the "12 hours of Reims" in France. Despite the lack of victories, it was these performances that helped the Shelby American team win the FIA Manufacturers' Championship. In 1966, the coupe was sold to a private collector from Pennsylvania, then resold and shipped to Japan, where it continued to race. Later, the car returned to Shelby himself, was restored and later changed several owners. It has been owned by collector Larry Bowman since the late 1990s and for more than two decades. The identity of the new buyer has not been disclosed.

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At the same auction in Monterey, the very first copy of the new Ferrari Luce electric car was sold under the hammer for $ 40 million. As it became known on August 17, the buyer was 87-year-old American billionaire Herbert Wertheim, who made a fortune through long-term investments in stocks, as well as scientific and entrepreneurial activities in the optical industry.