1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe
By 1963 Carroll Shelby’s new Cobra had established its supremacy on the short road courses of America, but Shelby and Ford shared a more ambitious goal: to beat Ferrari on the world stage and become the first American team to win the coveted F.I.A. (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) World Manufacturers Championship for GT cars.
An experimental coupe body designed by Pete Brock was built on an existing Cobra chassis, immediately increasing its top speed by 25 mph; the new car won the GT class at its first race, the 1964 Daytona Continental, prompting Shelby to adopt the name.
Building on that initial success and another class win at Sebring in March 1964, another Daytona Coupe was built in Modena, Italy at Carozzeria Grand Sport, which would go on to build the rest of the six Coupes. The first two Daytonas then competed in Europe, winning important victories at Le Mans and Goodwood. The ’64 Monza Coppa Inter-Europa, which the Daytonas were almost certain to win, was cancelled by race officials. Team Shelby thus narrowly missed winning the 1964 Championship, prompting Shelby to famously declare, “Next year, Ferrari’s ass is mine!”
In February 1965 the season began once again at Daytona. Shelby entered four coupes, among them the recently completed CSX2601. Driven by Bob Johnson and Tom Payne as #12, it retired in the eighth hour with a blown engine, but another Coupe would win the GT class and finish second overall, the best yet for a Daytona in a race open to prototypes. Shelby would then have his revenge at Monza where, on April 25, Bob Bondurant and Allan Grant took 2601 to 8th overall and first in GT. A 2nd and 1st in GT followed at Spa and the Nurburgring respectively, while the Le Mans 24 Hours in June proved disastrous for the entire Ford contingent.
While the Ford GT40s regrouped after Le Mans, Shelby’s dedicated crew of drivers and mechanics, some of whom had devoted their lives to the effort for more than three years, readied the Daytonas for the 12 Heures du Reims, the World Championship within their grasp. Ferrari was there with seven prototypes and a trio of GTOs but Team Shelby was not to be denied and, on July 4th, 1965, Bob Bondurant drove this Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe, CSX2601, across the finish line at the 12 Heures du Reims in France to secure the F.I.A. Championship.
Bondurant drove 2601 one last time at Sicily’s Coppa di Enna, taking 3rd overall and first in GT. After being shipped back to Los Angeles, the car was then leased to Paramount Pictures for use in the Howard Hawkes cult classic movie “Redline 7000”, then purchased by Bondurant, who sold it in 1969.
Against the most feared force in international motor racing, the Cobra Daytonas gave Carroll Shelby and the United States its first World Manufacturers Championship. Now fully restored and wearing its famous Reims livery, CSX2601 survives with its five brethren as one of the most famous Cobras of all, with the best competition record of all the Daytona Coupes, which together embody the American competitive spirit of victory against overwhelming odds.
1965 Season Race Record
- Daytona, US: DNF
- Sebring, US: 2nd GT III
- Monza, IT: 1st GTIII
- Spa, BE: 2nd GTIII
- Nurburgring, DE: 1st GTIII
- Le Mans, FR: DNF
- Reims, FR: 1st GTIII
- Enna, IT:1st GTIII
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