Report: 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe Sells for Record $7.25 Million Bid at Mecum Auction
One of six 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupes set a record at the Mecum Auction today in Monterey, California, fetching a bid of $7.25 million. The price is the highest amount ever paid for an American car at auction. Mecum’s auction took place at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort & Spa on the Del Monte Golf Course, just one of many such auctions occurring around the Pebble Beach Concurs d’Elegance.
The Cobra Coupe, CSX2601, is one of just six models build by Carroll Shelby to compete against the dominating Ferraris in the FIA World Manufacturers Championship. This particular car captured the World Manufacturers Championship in 1965 in Reims, France with legendary racer Bob Bondurant behind the wheel.
Bondurant was on-hand today and drove the Cobra Coupe onto the auction block in Monterey.
“This hand-built car beat the fastest cars in the world and has now added another ‘win’ to its list of accomplishments. It certainly finished in record form again,” said Dana Mecum, president of Mecum Auction.
“Truly the best part about auctioning the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe has been sharing the stories of its amazing history with millions of people across the country. This race car’s greatest moments and its legacy as America’s world champion will be cherished for generations to come.
GALLERY: 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe
Official release after the jump:
1965 SHELBY DAYTONA COBRA COUPE SELLS FOR .25 MILLIONMecum Auction Sets Record for Highest Bid for an American CarMARENGO, Ill. - The championship-winning 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe CSX2601 hasmade history again, selling for a record-breaking .25 million at Mecum's inauguralMonterey Auction on August 15, 2009. That price tag sets the record for the highest price paid for an American car atpublic auction. High performance collector car specialists Mecum Auction promoted the Daytona CobraCoupe - American racing's Crown Jewel - for months leading up to the auction. "Selling this amazing piece of American race history at our first Monterey auctionhas been the crowning achievement of my career and Mecum Auction's 22 years ofselling collector cars," said Dana Mecum, president of Mecum Auction. "This hand-built car beat the fastest cars in the world and has now added another'win' to its list of accomplishments. It certainly finished in record form again." The 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra was one of six cars built by Carroll Shelby to competeagainst the dominating Ferrari in the F.I.A. (Federation Internationale del'Automobile) World Manufacturers Championship for GT race class. An experimentalcoupe body designed by Peter Brock was built on an existing Cobra chassis,immediately increasing the top speed by 25 mph. That car won its first race, the1964 Daytona Continental (prompting Shelby to adopt the name), and five more coupeswere built, including CSX2601. After competing at Daytona, Monza, Spa and Nurburgring, CSX2601 made history when itclinched the 1965 World Manufacturers Championship for the United States and ShelbyAmerican on July 4 in Reims, France. Driving the car - and America - to victory waslegendary race car driver Bob Bondurant. Bondurant drove the Daytona Cobra Coupe across the Mecum auction block as it set thenew high-bid record. "Truly the best part about auctioning the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe has beensharing the stories of its amazing history with millions of people across thecountry," Mecum said. "This race car's greatest moments and its legacy as America'sworld champion will be cherished for generations to come." Mecum's Monterey Auction took place on Saturday, August 15, 2009, at the HyattRegency Monterey Resort & Spa on the Del Monte Golf Course. In addition to theShelby Daytona, Mecum offered an eclectic mix of more than 200 cars ranging from a1931 Rolls-Royce to a 2007 Saleen S7. The Mecum Auction Company has been specializing in the sale of collector cars for 22years, offering more than 5,000 collector cars per year - more than any collectorcar auction company in the world. Auction information and results are availableonline at www.Mecum.com or by calling 815.568.8888.
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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