Even without seeing every scene in Ford v Ferrari, most enthusiasts recognize Carroll Shelby as a driver who refused to step away from the spotlight after health issues ended his racing days. His drive to keep winning led him into car building, where one standout result is this 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe now consigned to Gooding Christie's Pebble Beach sale in August.

Shelby American paired AC Ace shells with Ford V8 power to create the Cobra, a dominant force on U.S. tracks. Shelby wanted to prove the car in Europe, so he commissioned young designer Peter Brock, fresh from shaping the second-generation Corvette, to craft a closed coupe body. The resulting Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe became the weapon aimed squarely at Ferrari's 250 GTO.

CSX2300, the third of only six Daytonas built, received special preparation for FIA rules. An aluminum body fabricated in Modena, Italy, kept weight down, and the car headed next to France for its debut event.

Engineering the car to top Ferrari

American Bob Bondurant and German Jochen Neerpasch took the wheel for the 1964 Tour de France Automobile, the final round of that year's FIA GT Championship. The Daytona claimed the first two stages and opened a gap on the leading Ferrari before crankshaft, gearbox mount, and throttle cable troubles ended its run. Shelby had seen enough to know the car could beat its Italian rival if reliability improved.

In 1965 CSX2300 secured its lasting place in racing lore. Early results included sixth overall at the 24 Hours of Daytona and a thirteenth-place finish at Sebring after a late-race repair. Painted white with red and blue stripes for Ford of France, the only Daytona to wear that scheme, the car arrived at the decisive Reims round in Guardsman Blue carrying number 27. A connecting-rod failure nearly cost the title, yet a quick field fix allowed the car to finish ninth overall and second in class, clinching the championship for Shelby American.

From title winner to showpiece and now the block

Shelby later recalled that the manufacturers' crown meant more to him than his own Le Mans victory, calling it the moment America first claimed an international championship. After additional wins in Japan the car retired from competition in 1968. Shelby purchased it in 1975, the only Daytona he ever owned personally, restored it, and kept it until 1998. Subsequent owners included Larry Bowman, who paid $4.4 million in 2000 and commissioned another restoration before selling to the present caretaker.

Since then the coupe has appeared at Monterey Historics in 2003, Goodwood Revival in 2004, 2011, and 2015, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2018 and 2024. Gooding Christie's will offer chassis CSX2300 during Monterey Car Week on Friday, August 14, with an estimate of at least $25 million. The last public auction of any Daytona occurred in 2009, when CSX2601 realized $7.25 million.