Rare Shelby Coupe sets record

At Pebble Beach in August 2026, a 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe with chassis number CSX2300 sold for about 40 million euros, breaking the American auction record. The car was sold by Gooding Christie's during Monterey Car Week 2026.

Historical significance of the car

This CSX2300 is the third of the six Daytona coupes built by Shelby American in the mid-1960s. It is also the only example ever personally owned by Carroll Shelby, the driver and designer behind the Cobra program. The car had an impressive racing career in the 1960s.

Previous American auction record

Until now, the American auction record was held by a 1935 Duesenberg SSJ, which sold for 22 to 20 million euros at Pebble Beach in 2018. The CSX2300 sets the bar almost twice as high for an American car, though this record applies only to U.S. auction sales.

Unique pedigree of the car

The CSX2300 reached such a high price due to its unique history. The Cobra Daytona was designed by Peter Brock to compete with the Ferrari 250 GTO. With only six coupes built, each is considered highly valuable. The CSX2300 adds to this its status as the third chassis produced and the only one ever owned by Shelby.

Racing career and legacy

In 1964 and 1965, the car competed in major events like the Daytona Continental, Sebring, and the Nürburgring. It also participated in the Tour de France Automobile and the 12 Hours of Reims. After the factory program ended, it continued racing in Japan and later became a road car in the late 1960s.

Rising value of Daytona coupes

The previous public sale of a Daytona coupe, chassis CSX2601, was in 2009, when it sold for 7 million euros. In seventeen years, the value of a Daytona has increased more than fivefold, showing strong collector interest in 1960s American prototypes.

Monterey Car Week's success

The 2026 Monterey Car Week generated 690 million euros in sales, with Gooding Christie's earning about 145 million euros. The sale of the CSX2300, the most expensive American car ever auctioned, highlights the growing value of American racing models, which are now competing with Ferraris and Mercedes-Benz in the collector market.