Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
Even though the Cobra roadster dominated the international GT racing scene in the early ’60s, Shelby noticed the roadster body was unsuitable for all tracks and races. The Cobra lacked top speeds even with the hard top due to poor aerodynamics. On long straights like the Le Mans, it was slower than the competition. So his answer was to redesign the car and make a racing missile capable of insane top speeds (via Shelby American).

To do that, Shelby needed to modify the Cobra entirely. So with the help of his talented team of engineers and hot rodders, he constructed a longer chassis. Also, he relocated the suspension and design for a longer, sleeker, and more aerodynamically efficient body. They called it the Daytona Coupe. It was a pure racing car barely suitable for street driving with the intent to destroy the competition. They finished the car just in time for the legendary 1965 racing season. So they shipped it to Europe, where it continued the dominance of American engineering. The Daytona Coupe won the 1965 GT Championship. That was an extraordinary success for Ford, Carroll Shelby, and his talented drivers and mechanics team.