Irvine, CA - On Monday, April 21, Shelby Distribution USA presented automotive legend Carroll Shelby with a custom Superformance Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. This unique gift was made possible by Amy Boylan and the team at Shelby Automobiles in Las Vegas and Lance Stander and the employees at Shelby Distribution USA in Irvine, CA. “It was fantastic to have the opportunity to honor Carroll Shelby with this special car,” said Stander. “We hope he enjoys driving it as much as we enjoyed giving it to him.”

Painted in the same “Guardsman Blue” of the original cars, Carroll’s Daytona Coupe also features the number 98 that represents chassis #2300 that Shelby himself owned up until 1999. Power comes from a Roush 427SR V8 with 480 horsepower and 515 lb-ft torque. Unique to Carroll’s Daytona Coupe is a shifting system that utilizes paddles and buttons on the steering wheel. Developed by MasterShift (www.mastershift.com) of San Diego, the Art Carr 2004R 4-speed automatic transmission can be up shifted via paddles and downshifted using two buttons on either side of the steering wheel. The system also has safety features including a one second delay from Drive to Neutral as well as a speed sensor to prevent the car from being shifted into reverse or park unless it is completely stopped. Installation of the engine, transmission and paddle shift system was handled by Exotic Auto Restoration of Costa Mesa.

History of the Daytona Coupe

The original six Daytona Cobra Coupe factory racers enjoyed a short but impressive racing career: Originally built for the 1964-65 for the 1964-65 racing season using 289 Shelby Cobra roadster chassis, these were America's answer to Ferrari's highly successful 250 GTO. In their first year of competition, the Daytona Coupes won the GT class at Sebring and then placed 4th overall at Le Mans. They proved to be so competitive that Ferrari officials, fearing a loss of the championship, managed to get the Monza, Italy final round cancelled, knowing the Daytona’s would win the race and the Championship. Consequently, Ferrari claimed the 1964 FIA World Manufacturer's Championship. The following year Enzo Ferrari, realizing he would lose to the Daytona’s, pulled his factory support from the GT program, paving the way for the Daytona Coupe walkover. In 1965, the ex-Shelby Daytona Coupes of the UK's Alan Mann racing team won the FIA's World Manufacturer's GT title with ease.

Recreating the Legend

Almost 40 years later, Superformance has re-created this nostalgic player in American racing history. The Coupe is a Carroll Shelby licensed product and was designed by some of the original team, including Peter Brock and Bob Negstad. The Coupe boasts amazingly sleek lines and a contoured body which is slightly larger than that of the original race car. The original suspension was further engineered and improved and the interior space was optimized for more room. Addding value to this impressive Daytona is the fact that it is also eligible for the Shelby American Automobile Club owners registry, capturing each chassis number as a part of American history.

Superformance Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe Standard Equipment*

• A complete factory-assembled rolling chassis.
• Show quality PPG paint finishes with many standard colors - custom colors also available.
• Fully independent front and rear suspension.
• Bilstein® coil over progressive shocks with H&R Springs®.
• Tubular space frame constructed of mild steel.
• Power assisted rack & pinion steering.
• Four-wheel vented disc brakes, power assisted.
• PBR® calipers.
• Aluminum radiator / oil cooler with dual electric fans.
• Oil cooler and braided lines.
• Stainless steel fuel tank. 20 gallon.
• Vinylester and glass composite body.
• Custom TFE air conditioning system.
• BTR / Dana HydraTrac limited slip differential.
• 18" cast Alloy wheels and tires.
• Tinted front, side and rear windows.
• Remote door locks and immobilizer system.
• Unique under car exhaust -side pipes.
• Black leather and Alcantra interior.
• Retractable 3 point seat belts.
• Stewart Warner electronic gauges.

*Some components and features are subject to change

The original Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe is the stuff of legend. Just six of them were built between 1964 and 1965, and in ’65 the car helped secure the Constructors’ title in the FIA World Sportscar Championship, making Shelby the first American constructor to win a title on the international scene.

The originals are among the most coveted vehicles in the world, making ownership near impossible. One last sold for $7.25 million, at the height of the global financial crisis, and we bet that same car would sell for much, much more given the current state of the collector car world.

The good news is that Shelby American is still selling Daytona Coupes, as continuation models. And to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original, the company has unveiled a special version that is to be built in a run of just 50 cars. A formal debut takes place next month in Monterey, in the lead up to the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 16.

The cars feature an original-style tubular chassis, with buyers able to select either an aluminum body built to the same specs and measurements as the originals, or a fiberglass version. The aluminum version lists at $349,995 while the fiberglass version can be had for just $179,995. Note, this is the first time Shelby has offered an aluminum continuation Daytona Coupe, and we may not see another for some time, hence the steep premium.

Each is a component vehicle that is built to order and can be finished by a customer or an authorized dealer; it is delivered as a rolling chassis. An aluminum block 289 engine that can include a Daytona Coupe’s serial number is also available, meaning owners can ensure their cars have matching numbers.

Some of the standard features include period-correct leaf spring suspension, a wooden steering wheel, Shelby-branded leather trim, four-piston Wilwood brakes, 15-inch wheels, and special badging. Optional extras include additional sound deadening material and a stripe package. Right-hand drive is also available.

“After the success of our 50th Anniversary Shelby Cobra big block roadster program, we were bombarded with requests to offer a limited edition Daytona Coupe that celebrated this important milestone,” Shelby American COO Keith Belair said in a statement. “We spent the last year carefully planning an aluminum car that is faithful to the six built during the 1960s.”

The aluminum version lists at $349,995 while the fiberglass version can be had for just $179,995.