[Josh (PA)]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Josh, great shot.

I'll never forget, in about 1972, washing my Mazda RX-2 in a "Magic Wand" car wash, when a guy pulls in with a Daytona in full race trim. The numbers were still on the side, the aluminum fenders were full of out-dents from gravel hitting in there and the paint was scratched all over the whole car. The open pipes almost broke my ear drums.

This was in Tampa, Florida and the guy had bought off a racing team a year or two prior and was just driving it occasionally and keeping it in its "natural" condition. Nice guy, that I never saw again. I'd probably seen the car race and Daytona or Sebring or both.

Back then, you could buy those for five-figures, or less. Today, they're seven-figures. Talk about a great investment, if only....

Thanks. This car was chassis CSX2287. It has an intersting history:

Chassis # CSX2287 - The Original[edit]
Chassis #CSX2287 was the very first prototype Cobra Daytona Coupe, and is the only coupe that was built entirely at the Shelby American race shop in Venice, California. It has an extensive race history, competing at Daytona, Sebring, Reims, Spa Francorchamps, Oulton Park TT, Le Mans, Tour de France and Bonneville Salt Flats. It was driven by Dave MacDonald, Bob Holbert, Jo Schlesser, Phil Hill, Jochen Neerpasch, Chris Amon, Innes Ireland, André Simon, Maurice Dupeyron, Bob Johnson and Tom Payne.

Chassis CSX2287 won the GT class at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March 1964 with MacDonald and Holbert behind the wheel. The race at Sebring marked the first victory for a Cobra Daytona Coupe. At Le Mans in June 1964, the car was finished in Viking Blue metallic very distinctive white painted front fenders. The drivers were Amon and Neerpasch. They led the GT class until the car was disqualified in the 10th hour for an illegal jump start due to battery and alternator failure.

This coupe ended its racing career by setting 25 USAC/FIA world records at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, in November 1965, while driven by Craig Breedlove, Bobby Tatroe and Tom Greatorex during a Goodyear tire testing session. Shortly thereafter, it was reconditioned and was advertised for sale.

Slot car racing magnate, Jim Russell bought the car from Shelby in 1966 after seeing an ad in the newspaper, for about $4-$5k. Russell eventually listed the car for sale and music producer Phil Spector bought it from him. The car was not suited for street driving, however certain features were added including traditional rear-exit mufflers and interior carpeting, in order to make if more user-friendly. It is unknown if these were added by Spector or Russell.

All trace of CSX2287 was lost by the mid-1970s, with car historians and collectors fearing the car had been destroyed. In 2001 the car was rediscovered in a rental storage unit in California.[7] The owner Donna O'Hara had committed suicide by burning herself alive.[8] The car had remained undiscovered for almost 30 years. Due to its estimated worth of over $4,000,000 the car was part of an extensive legal battle between her mother who sold the car to Dr. Frederick A. Simeone, and a friend of Ms O'Hara who was the recipient in her will of the contents of the storage unit. An earlier owner of the car appears to have been music producer Phil Spector who had been known to drive it on the streets of Los Angeles.[9] Built for high-speed sprints, the cab became uncomfortably warm as the car engine heated up, among other problems. "It wasn't a street car; it was a race car", Shelby said. Still, Spector drove it on the streets, and legend is that Spector racked up so many speeding tickets, his lawyer advised him to get rid of the car before he lost his license.

CSX2287 is the only Daytona Coupe which has not been restored. It has been preserved and mechanically reconditioned. It is part of the permanent collection at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, PA, USA.[10]

In January 2014, CSX2287 became the first vehicle added to the Historic Vehicle Association's National Historic Vehicle Register in the United States.[11] Concurrently it became the first automobile to be recorded under the United States Secretary of the Interior Standards for Heritage Documentation, kept on file in the Library of Congress.[12] In November 2014, CSX2287 won the International Historic Motoring Awards "Car of the Year", which is voted on by the public. In addition to being the first American car to win the award, the Cobra Daytona Coupe is also the first American car nominated for this award.[13]