Limited and Lengthened Shelby Daytona Coupe Going Into Production With 427 Big Block
In 1964, Carroll Shelby asked his staff to lengthen the chassis of one of the six Daytona Coupes so he could outfit a 427 cubic inch Ford engine based upon its NASCAR big block. The vehicle was intended to race at Le Mans for 1964 but the truck transporting the motor was involved in a wreck and the Daytona Cobra Coupe returned with a 289, never to make use of the big block Ford.
Now, Shelby American is reimagining history bringing it back for an extremely limited run of heritage cars. “We’re taking care of some ‘unfinished business’ for Carroll Shelby,” explained Joe Conway, Co-CEO of Carroll Shelby International and CEO of Shelby American. “It was sometimes called the ‘car that never was’ because a lone big block Daytona prototype was built but never raced. We plan to complete this amazing program by offering six turn-key 427 powered Daytona Coupe race cars, which is the same number as the small block versions built in the 1960s.”
The company says the cars are built to period-correct specifications. The 550 horsepower engine is mated to a four-speed manual transmission and is alleged to be capable of 200 mph. Heroically nude, it comes in glorious bare aluminum but Shelby says they’ll paint it in whatever racing livery the buyer wants.
As incredible as it would be to own a genuine Daytona Coupe with the #13 livery, something about using one of the original racing numbers feels slightly sacrilegious. The initial car (CSX2603) debuted in polished aluminum wearing the number 4 and a pair of white stripes. Shelby says this is the number and paint scheme that CSX2286 would have worn for the 1964 Le Mans race.
Each subsequent car will also be assigned a CSX2000 series serial number for documentation in the official Shelby registry. No pricing has been announced but expect it to be astronomical and discussed in private.
“This is an incredible opportunity to own a very rare collectible Shelby heritage race car,” said Gary Patterson, president of Shelby American, in a statement. “Like the six small block cars built in the 1960s, these 427 powered Daytona Coupes will be a lasting tribute to another innovative Shelby racecar that would have caught the racing world off guard. These Coupes will be every bit as much a ‘secret weapon’ as Carroll had hoped for in 1964.”
[Images: Shelby American]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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But does it come with Bluetooth and Apple Carplay? Its also a deal breaker if I can't get it with at least 3 cupholders.
I was under the impression that the original 427 Daytona Coupes were supposed to have a Kamm-back tail, as shown here: https://www.supercars.net/blog/1965-shelby-cobra-daytona-427-super-coupe/