You’re looking at a $25m+ classic supercar* once owned by Carroll Shelby

This is an old car once owned by a man who made really fast ones. It’s a 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe – one of only six ever made – that spent a considerable amount of time in the custody of the man who designed it. That’d be Carroll Shelby.

It’s news because – surprise! – it’s coming up for auction. Considering those factors – the astonishing rarity, superstar ownership, and the whole It’s Something Really Fast From The Sixties thing – it’s going to cost someone a lot of money.

“The consignment of this Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe – the only American-built FIA World GT Champion – represents the pinnacle of American automotive achievement,” said Gooding Christie’s boss David Gooding.

As befits such things, it’s known by its chassis number – CSX2300 – was the third of just six Daytona Coupes finished in late 1963, and was originally built “with the explicit intent to defeat Ferrari’s 250 GTO”. In 1965's over-2.0-litre category in the ‘international championship for GT manufacturers’, it did indeed beat Ferrari.

(Don’t forget, these pocket rockets came equipped with 4.7-litre Ford V8s pushing out nearly 400 horsepower, packaged within a delectable bodyshape that likely weighed about as much as a hearty American breakfast.)

This one had no time for breakfast. It raced across Europe. It raced in Japan. And in 1975 was sold to Carroll Shelby, who kept hold of it right up until 1998. Shelby commissioned a full restoration back to its 1965 spec too, and in his ownership was displayed across the US at historic races.

In 2000 it once again underwent another resto, did another world tour (Monterey, Goodwood), and has now come up for sale. And – not a surprise because you’ve read the headline – Gooding Christie’s reckons on a price north of twenty five million bucks.

“An enduring expression of remarkable vision, CSX2300 presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a true piece of automotive history,” it said. A piece of automotive history that could well become one of the most expensive ever sold…

Photography: Gooding & Company/Mathieu Heurtault