The Shelby Cobra That Vanished for Decades—Then Reappeared as a $4 Million Treasure

Only six Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupes were ever built, making them among the rarest and most valuable American race cars in history. Designed by Carroll Shelby and aerodynamicist Peter Brock, the Daytona Coupe was created with one goal: to beat Ferrari on Europe’s toughest racing circuits. The gamble paid off, as the car helped Shelby capture the 1965 FIA World Sportscar Championship for GT Manufacturers—the first time an American constructor had won the title.

One of those six legendary cars, chassis CSX2287, seemed to disappear from the public eye for decades. After its successful racing career, it was purchased by famed music producer Phil Spector, who stored it in a garage where it remained largely unseen for years. As stories about the “missing” Daytona Coupe spread among collectors, the car became one of the automotive world’s greatest mysteries.

Eventually, the rare Cobra resurfaced and was acquired by the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum for a reported $4 million, preserving one of the most important race cars ever built. Today, with only six originals in existence, each Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe is considered an irreplaceable piece of motorsport history. Their combination of rarity, racing success, and fascinating ownership stories has made them some of the most sought-after collector cars on the planet.