Only six Shelby Daytona Coupes were built for racing in the 1960s, and each is today worth millions. How about an Aussie-made reproduction instead? Words and images from Iain Curry.
On an English late summer’s day in 2015, six very special blue cars assembled on the hallowed Goodwood race circuit grid. Aptly, the sky was the same dazzling colour as the half-dozen distinctively muscled machines – all Shelby Daytona Coupes – as they set off on a high-speed demonstration run. Incredibly, on parade was the complete production run of these American racers.
A mere six were built between 1964 and 1965, and here they all were, gathered for the first time in the same place, half a century after their racing debut. Victorian Peter Bartolo was at the Goodwood Revival that day, witnessing this momentous occasion. He, like no doubt the vast bulk of the crowd, will have stared slack-jawed at the sight and sound of these things. But even if he or anyone else wanted to own one, these cars are automotive unobtanium.
Last one sold at auction was in 2009 for US$7.25 million. The historic racer price boom since then would mean the same car would go for twice or three times as much today.
Some suggest even more. Whatever your thoughts on replica/reproduction cars, the above is ample reason to understand why tribute vehicles in the shape of these Shelby Daytona Coupes exist. With stratospheric prices, scarcity and practically zero chance of one even hitting the open market, how else could you possibly own such a car? Peter’s 2005 example was made right here in Australia. Victorian company Daytona Sports Cars built its first Daytona Coupe in 2001, with the intention of them being used in the likes of Targa Tasmania and Targa West. The cars use a spaceframe chassis built by successful race car constructor Borland Racing Developments, which typically specialises in single seaters. Atop is a moulded fibreglass body in that unmistakable Daytona shape, while powering it is Chevrolet’s 427cu in (7.0-litre) LS7 V8 engine, good for about 570hp and 637Nm of torque. Totally weapons grade.
“They’re a modern iteration of the original Daytonas,” Peter explains. “The LS7 Chevrolet and Tremec TK0600 five-speed were installed in the car when I bought it, and it had done four Targa Tasmanias with its original owner, Tim Hendy.”
The Queensland driver would mix it with supercars in the Modern Competition class, taking on the likes of Lamborghini Gallardos, Nissan GT-Rs and Porsche 911 GT3s. He’d more than hold his own in such company, highlighting the Daytona Coupe’s raw abilities. Sadly, the Daytona Coupe holds a darker place in Australian motor sport history. On September 8, 2006, the great Peter Brock was piloting a Daytona Coupe at that year’s Targa West Rally. The ‘Perfect’ driver skidded off on a high-speed corner, and fate cruelly decided the tree he hit lined up with the driver’s door. The great man was dead.
“The crash has given the vehicles a reputation for not being safe,” says Peter, “whereas they are very well constructed. It was just an unfortunate spot he had an impact with.” If we put aside this sad chapter, the Daytona Coupe is a car wholly worth celebrating. MoTeC owner Richard Bendall founded Daytona Sports Cars in Dromana, Victoria, and the first model was completed in 2001. The chassis may have been completely custom built, but the first engines used were the 6.0-litre LS1 V8s from the Holden Monaro, while the likes of brakes, differential, steering column and more came from an SS Commodore. Overall weight was only 1100kg – some 450kg under a Monaro of the same vintage. How’s that power-to-weight ratio looking? No wonder it’s so rapid. “The car was owned by my brother-in-law,” Peter says. “It was sitting idle in his shed, I’d seen it there many times and it wasn’t running.
I decided to buy it off him, it was in good condition, and basically just needed a new clutch and pressure plate to get it going.” He bought it two years ago, and with Covid and relocating from Victoria to Queensland, hasn’t yet had the opportunity to drive it on track. Peter has a history of racing Formula Vee, Formula Ford and Clubmans, so certainly knows which way a circuit goes. Even so, he knows he has to pick his battles with the Daytona Coupe. “I won’t hill climb it as it’d be too daunting,” he says. “I’d pick somewhere safe like Queensland Raceway where there’s plenty of runoff.” We assume that means it’s a bit of a handful? “I have to learn how to drive this style of car,” Peter explains. “It prefers being driven quicker, but needs to be constrained on the road. The steering is very heavy – there’s no power steering – so that’ll be a future project. The ride’s very stiff as it’s been set up for competition use, but the suspension is completely adjustable.” Deep-dish 18-inch Simmons wheels with Pirelli P Zero rubber hide a meaty Harrop braking system, while inside, it’s pure race car. That means clambering in and out isn’t as you’ll experience in your Toyota Corolla.
The competition driver’s seat can only be accessed by detaching the Sparco steering wheel, and you climb down to it, rather than into it. Ahead is a MoTeC dash unit to keep an eye on vitals, plus the required sea of switches and buttons beside a memorial plaque to Peter Brock. The windows? They’re Perspex with a small sliding part to let in a dash of cool air.
“They came out of the factory prepared to run in Targa Tasmania,” Peter reminds. Quite simply, these coupes look like nothing else on the road. The early-to-mid 1960s era has never been bettered on the aesthetically perfect sportscar front. The Shelby Cobra roadsters were certainly earning their stripes and wins at certain circuits in those days, but at the big one – Le Mans – a closed body was required for speed on the lengthy straights. The aero drag from the Cobra’s roadster body was crippling its terminal velocity.
Shelby employee Pete Brock (an incredible name coincidence considering what would happen in 2006) designed the Daytona’s aerodynamic bodywork, which immediately made the car around 50km/h faster (and apparently used one-third less fuel) than the open top Cobras. Key was the fastback coupe’s Kamm tail – as if the rear’s been sliced off – with large spoiler above, leading into those bulbous, muscled rear wheel arches. It was designed to take on the sublime Ferrari 250 GTOs in the GT racing class. Famed test and race driver Ken Miles (if you’ve not watched the Ford vs Ferrari movie, you really should) managed to make tweaks and adjustments to realise a 310km/h top speed. In 1964 it won the GT class at the Le Mans 24 Hours (and was fourth overall), and the next year it scored Carroll Shelby and the USA their first GT World Manufacturers Championship, defeating Ferrari.
Little wonder Peter’s reproduction example literally stops traffic, not least because the sound from that Chevy V8 is almost as evocative as the true race cars’. “I think it’s great people admire and appreciate it with those classic, unusual lines,” he says. “I’ll occasionally hop in, have a squirt and it’s a real put-a-smile-on-your-face type of car.” And, above all, a small but utterly spectacular part of Australia’s car manufacturing history.