The prototype Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe (CSX2287) designed and developed by Carroll Shelby’s racing team, Shelby American, in 1964 is the first automobile to be recorded under the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Heritage Documentation. The Historical Vehicle Association announced that honor recently, unveiling the car in its “survivor” state at a press conference in Washington, D.C.
“We’re honored that a Shelby car is the first vehicle to attain the same status as American icons like the Golden Gate Bridge, the spacecraft ‘Enterprise’ and Mount Vernon,” said Neil Cummings of the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust and Carroll Shelby International. “This Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe represents the hopes, dreams and monumental effort of a group of hot rodders who changed the way the world perceived American cars. Conceived by Carroll Shelby and created by his team, it captured the public’s hearts when it captured the World Championship.”
HVA chose CSX2287—the first of the six Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupes that helped Shelby American win the FIA World Manufacturers Championship in 1965—to be the first car in its groundbreaking program because it is among the most historically significant automobiles in America, based on its association with important persons and events; its construction and aerodynamic design; and informational value as one of the few racecars from the period that has not been completely restored. The Shelby is part of the collection at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia.
