Carroll Shelby’s personal Cobra Daytona Coupe is ready for the track—and its next owner

The 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe hardly needs an introduction. Built by Shelby American, Inc. the Daytona had but one purpose: beat Ferrari in the FIA International Manufacturers’ GT Championship Series. It did.

Led by a team that included designer Peter Brock, racing director Ken Miles, fabricator John Ohlsen, and chief engineer Phil Remington, six original Daytonas were constructed on the same chassis, suspension, engine, transmission and mechanical components used for Shelby Cobra 289 roadsters. Success came almost immediately, most notably with a class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965.

Carroll Shelby was so impressed by the cars that he commissioned one for his personal use, built by Shelby American with a McCluskey Daytona Coupe body on an original Cobra roadster chassis. That car, CSX 2469, is being offered for sale by The Salon at Worldwide Auctioneers in Auburn, Indiana. While it may not be one of the original six Daytonas—which have an average value of $30.6 million in #1 (Concours) condition—we all know what happened the last time one of Shelby’s personal cars was offered for sale. (Spoiler alert: It sold for big money.)

In addition, the first Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe built (CSX 2287) was the first car added to the National Historic Vehicle Register in January 2014, and Daytona Coupes have been hot commodities since the blockbuster movie Ford v. Ferrari was released two years ago.

According to Worldwide, CSX 2469’s current owner purchased the car directly from Carroll Shelby, and the sale includes a well-documented paper trail, including a title in Shelby’s name. It competed at Laguna Seca and the Goodwood Revival in 1999, and has been driven by the likes of Phil Hill, Derek Hill, Derek Bell, John Morton, and Brian Redman.

“It is track ready … race ready … (and) has been invited everywhere,” says Ron Egan, Worldwide principal and chief auctioneer. “It’s a phenomenal car if you are of the mind to have one of the most iconic cars ever built.”

Worldwide has not listed a sale price—it’s available upon request—in an absolute best-case scenario CSX 2469 could reach a million dollars. That’s a benchmark never been achieved by a McLusky Daytona, but considering the 1964 Shelby Cobra 289 rack and pinion roadster beneath its skin is valued at $1.4M in Concours condition, and Carroll Shelby’s personal ownership is kind of a big deal, this Daytona Coupe is one to watch.