CSX2300 - Daytona Coupe - Gooding Christies Auction - Monterey 2026

[silverton_ford]

Wow!  CSX2300 going to Gooding Christies Auction in Monterey this year!

Link to auction:
CSX2300 auction link

[mark p]

better get some popcorn ready for this one 😮

[98SVT - was 06GT]

I do not recommend this car. I have personally driven this car. I found it to be hot, cramped with no amenities like A/C or radio. Albet I drove it for only 1/2 lap at Willow Springs at about 30 mph from turn 6 where it was being photographed for a Sports Car Graphic article back to the pits. It was a fresh McClusky restoration at that time. Later CS used it as collateral to buy the building at Las Vegas Speedway. He was behind on the payments and forced to sell it to pay off the building. When we took it to Willow Petersen had to put a million dollars of insurance on the car. I think CS got 4 million when it was sold.

[JohnSlack]

I do not recommend this car. I have personally driven this car. I found it to be hot, cramped with no amenities like A/C or radio. Albet I drove it for only 1/2 lap at Willow Springs at about 30 mph from turn 6 where it was being photographed for a Sports Car Graphic article back to the pits. It was a fresh McClusky restoration at that time. Later CS used it as collateral to buy the building at Las Vegas Speedway. He was behind on the payments and forced to sell it to pay off the building. When we took it to Willow Petersen had to put a million dollars of insurance on the car. I think CS got 4 million when it was sold.

Thank you for your drive report, I think IF I could afford the car I'd be willing to endure the lack of A/C and creature comforts that I would be inclined to give it a try. Even though I am sure nobody at Cars & Coffee would ever be convinced that it was real.


John

[98SVT - was 06GT]

... I'd be willing to endure the lack of A/C and creature comforts that I would be inclined to give it a try. Even though I am sure nobody at Cars & Coffee would ever be convinced that it was real.

How true. It's always assumed when you see a Cobra in the wild it's a replica. When Pete Brock re engineered the Coupe for Superformance he made it a little bit bigger (wider & longer in the passenger compartment). You can tell when it's parked next to a real one. His red one is actually powered by a crate LS which is why he never lifts the hood at Ford events. A new Superformance is about 1/4 million+ out the door while you can build a Factory 5 for about 200 grand less.
I'm still amazed that Daytona Coupes pull less than 1/2 what a Ferrari GTO brings. It's the only American car to win the World Manufacturers title and it beat the GTO to do it.

[JohnSlack]

... I'd be willing to endure the lack of A/C and creature comforts that I would be inclined to give it a try. Even though I am sure nobody at Cars & Coffee would ever be convinced that it was real.

How true. It's always assumed when you see a Cobra in the wild it's a replica. When Pete Brock re engineered the Coupe for Superformance he made it a little bit bigger (wider & longer in the passenger compartment). You can tell when it's parked next to a real one. His red one is actually powered by a crate LS which is why he never lifts the hood at Ford events. A new Superformance is about 1/4 million+ out the door while you can build a Factory 5 for about 200 grand less.
I'm still amazed that Daytona Coupes pull less than 1/2 what a Ferrari GTO brings. It's the only American car to win the World Manufacturers title and it beat the GTO to do it.

The area where we lived in Western Washington one of our neighbors owned a GT40 MkII, along with some of my friends we knew he owned the car, however never expected ever to see it. One day when my wife and I were out in our Honda Odyssey running errands she said "you want to look out your window there is a car coming up your going to want to look at. At the next light there was a snarling beauty that was obviously not a street car, the more I looked at it I was sure it was NOT a kit car. The car drove off and I was thinking, nah, it has to be a kit. That weekend I heard from one of our neighbors friends that he had the MkII out and it was where we were at. Magic, just magical.

[SunDude]

The pre-auction estimate for CSX2300 is "in excess of $25 million USD".

Does anyone believe it will reach this price? Seems pretty ambitious to me...

[pbf777]

     If it were to "NO SALE" at that, I'd have to say: "it didn't".   

     Scott.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

....... one of our neighbors owned a GT40 MkII,.... however never expected ever to see it. ....... At the next light there was a snarling beauty that was obviously not a street car,

In that era FIA required that they be "street" cars. Room for luggage and a spare tire. Tom Ford owned a MKII in the 70s and would drive it from LA down to Anaheim for the COCOA meetings. One time the cops followed him into the parking lot. He had been attracted by the minimal mufflers but was going to write him a ticket for no windshield wipers. Tom explained that they were off a Boeing 707 and quite expensive so he kept it behind the seat in case it was needed.

[Bobby Crumpley]

I remember seeing CSX2300 at the DFW Shelby meet in 1987. I was in awe and thought to myself that even though I was obsessed with the Daytona Coupes that I'd never be able to afford one.

And boy was I right.

[rhjanes]

I remember seeing CSX2300 at the DFW Shelby meet in 1987. I was in awe and thought to myself that even though I was obsessed with the Daytona Coupes that I'd never be able to afford one.

And boy was I right.

Was that in College Station and used the Texas World Speedway?   The Coupe was there as was Rick Nagel with a GT40.  They went out on the track together.  I got photos somewhere.  Shelby drove the coupe. 
Years later I helped my friend Frank R get the coupe out of Shelby's McKinney chili factory so Jerry Heasley could photograph it.   Took some doing to get it out of the foyer and then messing with it for 20 minutes to get it started.  Frank drove it around the parking lot with me in shotgun. 

[daltondavid]

My thoughts are this car will blast past $25,000,000 Dollars. It is time they get recognized for what they truly are. They beat Ferrari on the track. time to Beat them on the Block as well!

[Bobby Crumpley]

Was that in College Station and used the Texas World Speedway?   The Coupe was there as was Rick Nagel with a GT40.  They went out on the track together.  I got photos somewhere.  Shelby drove the coupe. 
Years later I helped my friend Frank R get the coupe out of Shelby's McKinney chili factory so Jerry Heasley could photograph it.   Took some doing to get it out of the foyer and then messing with it for 20 minutes to get it started.  Frank drove it around the parking lot with me in shotgun. 
[/quote]

No, not at the late great Texas World Speedway, and I can't remember exactly where it was. What I do remember is getting pulled over about half way between Dallas and Houston by a state trooper for 4 MPH over the limit. After a couple minutes he admitted that he just wanted to look at my '70 GT500 and I was free to go!

[Rickmustang]

I was a college student at Texas A&M when a coupe was in town and at TWS. I showed someone how to start a flooded 289 in that coupe one evening at a hotel in College Station. Back then, I didn't even know what it was.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

....... I was obsessed with the Daytona Coupes that I'd never be able to afford one.

I was in the same boat. I've ridden in 3 and driven 2 of those. At the Cobra Experience event during SAAC 50 I was talking to Mike Shoen (drove one of his coupes and rode in the other) about the Lone Star. The last time I had seen it in the 80s parked outside missing parts. I think the Agapou brothers owned it at that time. Mike bought and restored it. He said he loves driving it compared to the Coupes. I think it may be my new favorite. I like the Mirage-ish roofline.