This car is a result of a secret project undertaken by Pete Brock, the Shelby American director of special projects. After designing the 289 Cobra Daytona Coupe, Mr Brock then designed this car as a coupe version of the 427 Competition Cobra. It was designated the Type 65 Coupe and came to be known as the 427 Daytona Super Coupe or, in short, the Super Coupe.
Shelby Cobra. Those two words hardly need an introduction, but the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe has a fascinating history, one born out of America’s desire to break into the European-dominated world of GT racing
Shelby and Ferrari were engaged in an epic racing rivalry in the 1960s, one that pitted the Texan Shelby’s hot-rod tuners against Italy’s motoring aristocracy. Ferrari was dominating the F.I.A. World Manufacturers Championship GT class, but Shelby wanted to knock it off its pedestal.
They built the iconic blue-and-white coupe version of the Cobra, which featured a snarling Ford 289 cubic-inch V8. And win it did: The Daytona Cobra Coupe became the only American car to beat a Ferrari in world championship racing in Europe.
Originally started only as a 427 chassis and completed on 3/13/65, it was shipped to Slough, England for construction of a coupe body by Radford Coachbuilders. This project was canceled before fully completed. It was shipped back to Shelby American in late 1965 and stored at the Shelby facility in unfinished condition.
