For February school break we went to Philadelphia, PA.
So, when we are in Philly, Amanda, my oldest daughter is looking through a tourist magazine. She told me there was a car museum called the Simeone Automobile Museum. It rang a bell when I heard that name Simeone. I remembered that back around 2001 a very rare Shelby Daytona Cobra was found after being in storage for 30 years and was sold to a Philadelphia neurosurgeon. I checked the website and sure enough one of the first pictures I saw was this Daytona Cobra! Not only was it there, but that Saturday the Simeone Museum was having a special event called "Daytona Cobra vs Ferrari GTO-a design evolution" comparing the 2 cars.
It was touted as
the only place possibly in the world where both of these cars would be together. The cars are usually in dioramas behind guard rails but for this event they were in a main presentation area and you could get up close to the cars. Like works of art, I know that I shouldn't have, but I could not resist running my hands on the almost 50 year old aluminum body, my hands trembling as I did. This car was legendary. It was driven by the likes of Phil Hill and Bob Bondurant against Ferrari GTOs in 1964 and 1965 to win the World Championship Manufacturers Championship that Ferrari had for 13 years. They even started both cars. To hear the roar of the small block Ford engine through dual sidepipes was amazing!
The story behind this special car is this. This is the #1 car of only 6 Daytona Cobras made by Carroll Shelby back in 1964-1965. This one was the prototype car, the only one made by Shelby American in California. The other 5 Daytonas were made in italy. Together these cars took away the World Manufacturers CChampionship from Ferrai in 1965. After racing, Phil Spector bought this car for around $7,000. He got too many speeding tickets so his lawyer told him to sell it before he loses his license. He sells it to his bodyguard, some sources say for $1, and then it goes to his girlfriend or daughter or something. Anyhow, the car ends up in a storage area in California from 1971-2001 and Dr. Fred Simeone buys it for $2.5 million if my memory serves me right. This Daytona set 23 speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats with Craig Breedlove behind the wheel in November 6,1965. It also appeared in an episode of the Monkees racing against the Monkee Mobile.
Check out the links for about 91 pictures. Lots of close close up pics!
http://s98.beta.photobucket.com/user/PEAJJ/library/1964%20Shelby%20Daytona%20Cobra%20CSX2287
Topic: 1964 Shelby Daytona Cobra #1 of 6 at the Simeone Automobile Museum in Philly (Read 3670 times)
