Superformance Coupe Brings $270,000
at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction

 Text of Barrett-Jackson Offering Announcement

PALM BEACH 2006

1964 SHELBY COBRA DAYTONA COUPE SEBRING TRIBUTE CAR
LOT #720 - NO RESERVE
2006 PBCCA CCA

Full Size
OPTIONS
COLOR - BLUE
TRANS - 6 SPEED
CYLINDERS - V8
ENGINE SIZE - 427
HORSEPOWER - 560

The Cobra Coupe was designed in order to make Shelby's Cobra competitive with Ferrari on higher-speed European and North American circuits. Its debut at Daytona in '64 was cut short when the 1st place #14 Cobra Coupe burst into flames on pit lane. The first win would instead come in March at the 12 Hours of Sebring with Shelby American legends Bob Holbert and Dave McDonald in the #10 car. This win heralded a changing of the guard in international sports car racing as the Cobra Coupe fought Ferrari's 250 GTO for supremacy in GT racing throughout the '64 season. This battle included a Cobra victory at Le Mans, and only a conspicuous cancellation of the final race of the season in Italy would keep Shelby from taking the Manufacture's Championship for '64. Ferrari would famously bow out of GT racing altogether for 1965 leaving Shelby to dominate the championship including a follow-up win at Le Mans.

This car is a tribute to the legendary 1964 Sebring winner - the #10 Shelby Cobra Coupe. It is the final car in a limited run of 100 Coupes produced by Superformance. This is the only tribute car built, it has the personal endorsement of Carroll Shelby, and it will be included in the Shelby Registry. It's powered by a Roush 427 with 560hp / 550lb-ft and backed by a blueprinted Tremec 6-speed. 1 of 1 Shelby Cobra Coupe #10 Tribute will be represented by Carroll Shelby himself on stage with the original designer Peter Brock.

*TITLED AS 2005 KIVT*

 

Commentary

SPC0100 on display before the auction.

The auction was held on April 1, 2006, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Carroll Shelby and Peter Brock were on stage together to promote the car. Bidding was brisk. The winning bidder was so pumped he was literally jumping up and down. The sales price - an amazing $270,000.

The car, SPC0100 shown with Gayle and Peter Brock, is Portofino Blue with Wimbledon White roundels and half cover with the number 10. The engine is a Roush 427 Windsor with the Roush 8-stack electronic fuel injection. The transmission is a Tremec T-56 6-speed. In the Barrett-Jackson photo (top) the  wheels and mirrors are BRE (Brock Racing Enterprises) items.  As sold the car had factory wheels and mirrors. The car was offered by Park Place, Ltd, the Washington Superformance dealer. It was prepared by Olthoff Racing, the North Carolina Superformance dealer.

From left to right: Craig Jackson (Barrett-Jackson), a happy bystander,
David Bingham (Park Place)  and Butch Bockmeier (Park Place)

The most asked question has been about the "limited run of 100" in the Barrett-Jackson announcement material. As I understand it, production of the Coupe was stopped at SCP0100 so that a number of engineering changes could be incorporated. Production will resume later this year.

Mike Stenhouse