Published on July 28, 2026
Gooding Christie's
If this legendary race car was good enough for an automotive icon, it’s good enough to add to your own collection.
A 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona once owned by Carroll Shelby himself will be auctioned off by Gooding & Christies next month at Pebble Beach. The stunning example was one of the fastest vehicles of its era and is expected to fetch an eight-figure gavel price.
Shelby had a hand in building some of the greatest performance vehicles of the 20th century, but even among such an elite group, the Cobra Daytona is near the very top. The coupe, which was based on the Cobra roadster, was designed and engineered specifically to help Ford beat the Ferrari 250 GTO, the reigning GT car of the time. The Detroit giant began racing the car in 1964, when it came in second to Ferrari in the FIA GT championship, but would claim victory the next season, making it the first American to win a title on the international scene. Ford and Shelby would move on to the GT40 soon after, because of which just six examples of the Cobra Daytona were built.
