Ford Daytona Cobra

Racers are always looking for an edge over the competition. That’s what makes unlimited class racing so fascinating. As stunning as the 427 Cobra was, the Ferraris were nipping at Shelby’s heels.

Cobras are tough looking, cool cars, but leave a lot to be desired in the aerodynamics department. On the long, fast tracks, Shelby needed a slipperier Cobra. Enter the Daytona Cobra.

Stylist and designer Pete Brock penned out the lines for a coupe version of the Cobra. The end result looked very much like the P2

‘63 Ferrari GTO, but Cobra lovers didn’t care. Unfortunately, the slick body was draped over an existing, slightly outdated Cobra chassis, so the car was off to a late start and was never able to be competitive. Sports car racing was moving into the direction of monocoque body/chassis design that let tube-framed cars such as the Cobra, fall by the wayside. The old guard cars were still bloody fast, but just not competitive.

And, to finish off the Cobra racing effort, Ford had its focus on the GT40 and the World Manufacturing Cup Championship.