Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
Although the Cobra roadster dominated the international GT racing scene in the early ’60s, Shelby noticed that the roadster body was only suited for some tracks and races. Even with the hard top mounted, the Cobra lacked top speed due to poor aerodynamics. In long straights like on Le Mans, it was slower than the competition. The answer was to redesign the car and turn it into 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 managed to construct a more extended chassis and relocate the suspension. This led to the design of a new, longer, sleeker, and much more aerodynamically efficient body. Called the Daytona Coupe, it was a pure racing car barely suitable for street driving and intended to destroy the competition. The car was finished just in time for the legendary 1965 racing season. It was shipped to Europe, where it continued dominance of American engineering and won the 1965 GT Championship. It was an extraordinary success for Ford, Carroll Shelby, and his talented drivers and mechanics team.