Monterey 2009: Shelby Daytona Coupe sells for record $7.25 million
1965 Shelby Daytona Coupe - Click above for a high-res image gallery
While many of the high-dollar auction cars are having trouble meeting their reserve prices, the Shelby Daytona Coupe that failed to sell back in May has found a new home. The price tag? $7.25 million, a new record for an American car sold at auction.
Chassis CSX2601, this particular Daytona Coupe is known as the "Championship Car" because it clinched the 1965 World Manufacturers Championship for Shelby American after it won the race in Reims, France. Its driver, Bob Bondurant, was on hand at the event to personally drive the car across the block before bidding began. More details on the sale and the auction in the press release after the jump.
Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Mecum Auctions]
PRESS RELEASE:
MARENGO, Ill. - The championship-winning 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe CSX2601 has made history again, selling for a record-breaking $7.25 million at Mecum's inaugural Monterey Auction on August 15, 2009.
That price tag sets the record for the highest price paid for an American car at public auction.
High performance collector car specialists Mecum Auction promoted the Daytona Cobra Coupe - American racing's Crown Jewel - for months leading up to the auction. "Selling this amazing piece of American race history at our first Monterey auction has been the crowning achievement of my career and Mecum Auction's 22 years of selling 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 compete against the dominating Ferrari in the F.I.A. (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) World Manufacturers Championship for GT race class. An experimental coupe 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, the 1964 Daytona Continental (prompting Shelby to adopt the name), and five more coupes were built, including CSX2601.
After competing at Daytona, Monza, Spa and Nurburgring, CSX2601 made history when it clinched the 1965 World Manufacturers Championship for the United States and Shelby American on July 4 in Reims, France. Driving the car - and America - to victory was legendary race car driver Bob Bondurant.
Bondurant drove the Daytona Cobra Coupe across the Mecum auction block as it set the new high-bid record.
"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," Mecum said. "This race car's greatest moments and its legacy as America's world champion will be cherished for generations to come."
Mecum's Monterey Auction took place on Saturday, August 15, 2009, at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort & Spa on the Del Monte Golf Course. In addition to the Shelby Daytona, Mecum offered an eclectic mix of more than 200 cars ranging from a 1931 Rolls-Royce to a 2007 Saleen S7.
The Mecum Auction Company has been specializing in the sale of collector cars for 22 years, offering more than 5,000 collector cars per year - more than any collector car auction company in the world. Auction information and results are available online at www.Mecum.com or by calling 815.568.8888.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bigbuck17 12:51PM (8/16/2009)
$7.25 million they could've just gave me that money instead of wasting it,crazy fools.
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Level 1:53PM (8/16/2009)
sorry but not piece of nostalgic metal is worth 7.25M
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rockyroad 2:53PM (8/16/2009)
Cars in the league of the Daytona Coupe are not just collector cars, they can be a smart investment if one is in a position to play in that financial league. Had someone purchased that car ten or fifteen years ago for $1 million many people would have said it was crazy to drop that kind of money on an old race car. Selling it now for $7.5 million would suddenly make it look like a pretty smart investment, certainly better than $1 million worth of GM or Chrysler stock or $1 million in a typical 401k plan over the same time period.
JDM Life 4:29PM (8/16/2009)
NO CAR is worth this much...its just a peice of metal at the end of the day..
Jrejre 1:54PM (8/16/2009)
Wonder if he'll use it as his daily driver.
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JDM Life 4:25PM (8/16/2009)
WHAT A FU**KING WASTE.
Idc car how rich i get i will never spend that much money on one thing..i could not sleep at night...theres much better things that money could have been used for....build more schools or something that would leave a mark.
What a Douche.
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Colin 6:01PM (8/16/2009)
Call the waaaaaaambulance
Mr.Oak 7:07PM (8/16/2009)
@ JDM: Dude, you need to get a grip.
This is an INVESTMENT.
mugatu 11:05AM (8/17/2009)
Seriously, listen to what the other posters are telling you. This is an investment not an extravagant gift for someone's girlfriend. Your lack of financial knowledge is why you will never be rich enough to buy something like this, you know that right?
06VistaBlueGT 11:51AM (8/17/2009)
@ JDM Life:
I guess you must totally dispise Jay Leno, Ralph Lauren, Jay Kay, Nick Mason, etc, for spending well over that amount on all their cars in their collections? Like Oak said above, GET A GRIP!!! If someone has this much money for a car, their net worth is well into the billions of dollars! Remember, only a little while ago, Chris Evans in the UK bought James Coburn's Ferrari for over $10.25 Million? Go cry about that one. These cars are like Oak said, investments, as their value will only go up, since they are so little of them left (in the case of the Cobra Daytona, only 5 others were made). If I had the money, I would have too many cars to count!! Good for the people who can afford what I only dream of owning!!!
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