Daytona Coupe Goes into the History Books
The Historic Vehicle Association (HVA) announced Wednesday that the 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe (serial number CSX2287) will become the first automobile to be recorded under the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Heritage Documentation.
The documentation will be part of the HVA’s National Historic Vehicle Register and Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) that is permanently archived in the Library of Congress.
The HVA and U.S. Department of the Interior collaborated on the effort and plan to document other historically significant automobiles.
The 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe was the first of six Daytona Coupes produced. The vehicle was completed fifty years ago, in January 1964 by Shelby American, Inc. in Los Angeles.
The Daytona Coupe was designed by Peter Brock and enabled the Shelby American Cobra race team to compete successfully and win the International Manufacturer’s GT Championship in 1965. This was the first time an American manufacturer won an international race series.
CSX2287, as it’s known, is among the most historically significant automobiles in America. Its historic significance is 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 vehicle is part of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia and is being displayed by the HVA at The Washington Auto Show from January 22nd – February 2nd.
