Friday 17th July 2015

Shelby Daytona 50th Anniversary

Originals are many millions but Shelby now offers a 50th special for just a few hundred thousand...

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There's not a great deal of information available on the Shelby Daytona 50th Anniversary. Arguably there doesn't need to be. Everyone knows the car and its importance by now, even if it's through the Superformance replicas.

Ally or fibreglass? Your choice!

In 1965 the Shelby won the FIA International Manufacturers' Championship for GT cars with the Daytona. It was the first time an American manufacturer had won, and it beat Ferrari in the process. Peter Brock's design made the Cobra markedly more aerodynamic and efficient, finally giving it the pace to take on the Europeans. That it made the car incredibly pretty will surely have helped the Daytona's reputation too.

To mark the occasion 50 years on Shelby is creating 50 Anniversary cars. Other than being signed by Bob Bondurant, it sounds like each one will be different. The Shelby brochure offers the choice between fibreglass ($180K) and aluminium ($350K) finishes and a wealth of engines: "289 or 427? Or perhaps 5.0? Carbureted [sic] or Fuel Injected". You would want to keep carbs, right? And as much power as possible, obviously...

That's about it really. A beautiful, very cool car, resurrected for a big anniversary. Cheaper than an E-Type Lightweight too.

 

[Sources: Shelby, HeacockClassic]

 

[gingerbeard]

That is a work of art.

I'm off to see about selling a kidney so I can afford one

[SturdyHSV]

We need something higher than 10 on the PH O' Meter for cars like this.

[DMN]

Good grief I think I've just had a little sex wee.

[designndrive62]

One of the most beautiful cars ever. Would have to be aluminium finish for me.

[xxxscimitarxxx]

well that's it isn't...I mean you sell everything you own including spare kidneys or any other body part you have two of, wife (don't have two but can live without one), maybe a spare child, do a bank heist....what ever it takes own one of these....

This Shelby weapon brings into focus the value of the last 6 of the E Type factory race cars that were recently sold for a million quid doesn't it

so for all of us who were drooling over the unaffordability of the E types....the Shelby brings the same quality dream at a fraction of the cost.

Personally I would have the Shelby...in aluminium of course not plastic... but Ive only got one kidney left, one child so that's out, wife....hmmmmmmmm

One thing for sure tho....it will be a limited run and the order book full in a heartbeat with subsequent resale prices only going up....good investment for say ten people at $35k a head

Edited by xxxscimitarxxx on Friday 17th July 14:37

Edited by xxxscimitarxxx on Friday 17th July 14:40

[aeropilot]

Lovely.......

[bermy boy]

Lordy. That'll be work finished for the day then, now researching how to import a car from America.

[Alias218]

An aloominum carb'd 427ci would be lovely. I need my kidneys so will gladly accept donors.

[Twoshoe]

The bonnet is about as long as the entire rest of the car. Bloomin' lovely!

[MikeT66]

My oh my.

[unsprung]

The Shelby Daytona is thrilling. However, as we all know, it resembles a somewhat plain interpretation of the Ferrari 250 GTO. Less well resolved.

On another site, somebody claims that the Shelby was more aerodynamic.

[aeropilot]

Alias218 said:

An aloominum carb'd 427ci would be lovely.

Daytona's had the 289, not the big block 427.

[kurt535]

$350K OR £222K in sterling? If I compare the Shelby to some Aston Martin I saw yesterday that costed £215k in a paint shop for 'correction' having being rejected by its 1st purchaser it's a no brainer. E-Type or Shelby? I'm with the previous poster, Shelby every time!

I love this car.

[JMF894]

Want, I absolutely ache with want...........

[Axionknight]

unsprung said:

The Shelby Daytona is thrilling. However, as we all know, it resembles a somewhat plain interpretation of the Ferrari 250 GTO. Less well resolved.

On another site, somebody claims that the Shelby was more aerodynamic.

I prefer the less clean lines of the Shelby - but both of those cars are just stunning, without a doubt, they really don't make 'em like that anymore (well, apart from the replicas ).

[filski666]

aeropilot said:

Alias218 said:

An aloominum carb'd 427ci would be lovely.

Daytona's had the 289, not the big block 427.

I thought the 427 wouldn't fit in the Daytona due to the lower bonnet - how will they fit it in this car if it is to exact dimensions?

[Hoofty]

Um, isn't the unpainted car pictured the Kirkham Coupe demonstrator?

http://www.kirkhammotorsports.com/products289coupe...

Ok, so an accurate replica will always look like the 'real' thing, but I can't help wondering...

289 on carbs with a 4 speed box please. You can leave it in whatever finish you want, I just don't care.

[Jacobyte]

Axionknight said:

unsprung said:

The Shelby Daytona is thrilling. However, as we all know, it resembles a somewhat plain interpretation of the Ferrari 250 GTO. Less well resolved.

On another site, somebody claims that the Shelby was more aerodynamic.

I prefer the less clean lines of the Shelby - but both of those cars are just stunning, without a doubt, they really don't make 'em like that anymore (well, apart from the replicas ).

The Daytona Coupe in that photo is the first one, which was done all wrong (although still very successful). The roofline was not executed to designer Peter Brock's specification. The next 5 cars were built in Italy and were much better resolved, but still with variations between each one. None of the 6 are the same.

The 250GTO is beautiful but with not very well optimised aero. Brock's team nailed it and beat the GTOs to win the 1965 world championship.

Brock then got together with Jim Price in the '90s to spec the car he'd always wanted to produce, ensuring they got the design and aero spot on - this resulted in the Superformance version available today, which is licensed by Shelby. It's not intended to be a replica, but the next iteration of the Daytona Coupe, essentially a MkII.

Thus the two 50th anniversary options are:
1. Replica (built by Kirkham for Shelby).
2. Modern evolution (built by Superformance for Shelby).

Regarding the 427, one of the 6 cars was secretly fitted with a 427 as an experiment to beat the nascent GT40s. It required raising the front end to take the extra weight and a bugger bulge in the bonnet. But Ford caught wind of the plan and threatened to pull all their funding if Shelby raced it. So the 289 engine was put back in before it was even tested. The funny thing is, that car never had its ride height changed back, so even today it sits about 1.5" higher at the front end than the other 5. Look at some group photos from the Goodwood Revival and you can see the difference.

There was a separate project in late 1965 for a "Super Coupe" which had a 427, but by then all Ford's efforts were with the GT40 and the project was shelved.