Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe - FCaminhaGarage

Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe  -  FCaminhaGarage

1/18 1964 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe in Standox Daytona Paradise by Exoto

The first and only American made car to win the World Manufacturer’s Championship for Grand Touring Racecars, the Daytona Coupe transformed American road racing. Originally referred to as the "Daytona Car," the coupe officially earned its name while being built for the Daytona race. 

In 1963, the Shelby Cobra roadster had already proven itself by smashing the Corvette on the short tracks of America. Shelby also took the roadster to Europe and prepared a hardtop version for Le Mans but placed 4th in class behind the Ferrari GTOs. The turning point came with the Daytona Coupe, a hand-made supercar that would put America at the forefront of sports car racing.

Convinced by Pete Brock, Shelby gave the go-ahead to rebody his 289 Cobra to include a closed cockpit for better aerodynamics. This resulted in a Cobra having a much lower center of gravity and less aerodynamic drag. By October 1963, early tests at Riverside showed positive results with 186mph which was some 20 mph more than the 286 Roadster.