The Shelby Daytona Coupe is the best American car ever built. Maybe even the best in the world. I can say this with a fair measure of confidence as this is my 100th car design article for this publication! That’s just over eight years of articles evaluating the automotive design landscape, historically important cars, and why certain cars are exceptional and others forgettable. Which brings us to the beautiful, muscular, and commanding presence of the Shelby Daytona Coupe, a collaboration of grit, conceptual fortitude, and the courage of one of the most exceptional American car designers the world has or will ever know.
Photo: David Newhardt/Mecum Auctions
Numerous books, articles, and essays have been written about this car, but I am going to focus on the moment when conviction, risk, and talent converged almost serendipitously in Venice, California. A moment so perfectly timed and wedged into the fast-paced, high stress world of motorsports, that the unsuspecting Daytona Coupe would evolve, conquer numerous racetracks, and eventually become ensconced as an icon of motorsports history.
