Gooding Christie’s has published its estimate for lot 39 at the Pebble Beach Auctions, and the number is not a range. It reads “In Excess of $25,000,000.”
The car is a 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, chassis CSX2300. If it sells anywhere near that figure, it becomes the most expensive American car ever sold at auction.
The record it would break is $22 million, paid for a 1935 Duesenberg SSJ that Gooding sold at Pebble Beach in 2018. The record that Duesenberg broke belonged to CSX 2000, the first Cobra Carroll Shelby ever built, which brought $13.75 million in 2016.
The American auction record has changed hands twice in a decade.
Now a Shelby is trying to take it back from the car that took it away.
Key Takeaways
- The Pebble Beach Auctions run Friday, August 14 at 4 p.m. and Saturday, August 15 at 11 a.m. at Parc du Concours, corner of Stevenson Drive and Portola Road.
- Lot 39, a 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, is estimated in excess of $25,000,000. The American auction record is $22 million.
- Lot 26, a 1963 Ferrari 250 P, carries $15,000,000 to $20,000,000, making the top two lots worth potentially $45 million between them.
- The catalogue runs 169 lots across the two sessions, with ten cars promoted as headline consignments.
- General admission is $50, covers viewing and both sessions, credit card only, with under-12s free.
- The buyer’s premium is 12% on the first $250,000 and 10% on anything above that.
- One of the star cars, a Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, was raced by Ken Miles, whose own specials appear on the Concours field the same weekend.
The Car Carroll Shelby Kept
Shelby American built six Cobra Daytona Coupes. The brief was narrow and specific: beat the Ferrari 250 GTO, which the open Cobra roadster could not do on the long straights at Le Mans because it pushed too much air.
Peter Brock’s closed body fixed the aerodynamics. The cars took the FIA International Championship for GT Manufacturers in 1965, the first time an American constructor won a title at that level, clinched at Reims on July 4 of that year.
CSX2300 made its debut at the 1964 Tour de France Automobile with Bob Bondurant and Jochen Neerpasch driving, and it was part of that 1965 championship season. Coachwork was by Carrozzeria Grandsport.
CSX2300 kept racing after Shelby American shut the factory program down, competing in Japan through 1968. None of the other five did. Carroll Shelby then owned it personally from 1975 to 1998, the only Daytona Coupe he ever kept for himself.
That last part is most of the estimate.
Six cars exist, they rarely trade, and exactly one of them sat in the collection of the man whose name is on the badge.
The Ferrari Behind It Is Not Far Behind
Lot 26 is a 1963 Ferrari 250 P, chassis 0810, estimated at $15,000,000 to $20,000,000.
It is the first “P” car Ferrari built, the original mid-engine V12 sports-racing prototype, and Scuderia Ferrari kept it for the 1963 season rather than selling it on. It finished second overall at the 12 Hours of Sebring with Willy Mairesse, Lorenzo Bandini and Nino Vaccarella sharing the drive, and third overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Mike Parkes and Umberto Maglioli.
In 1964 and 1965 it ran for Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team and for William McKelvy’s Scuderia Bear at Sebring, Le Mans, Bridgehampton, Mosport and Nassau.
Put the two top lots together and Gooding is asking somewhere between $40 million and $45 million for two cars out of 169.
The Ten Star Cars
Gooding promoted ten lots as the headline consignments. Estimates come from the published catalogue.
| Lot | Car | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe | In excess of $25,000,000 |
| 26 | 1963 Ferrari 250 P | $15,000,000 to $20,000,000 |
| 44 | 1968 Porsche 907 Langheck | $4,500,000 to $5,500,000 |
| 139 | 1931 Bentley 4½ Litre Supercharged “Blower” | $3,500,000 to $4,000,000 |
| 20 | 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage | $3,000,000 to $4,000,000 |
| 52 | 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing | $2,500,000 to $3,000,000 |
| 25 | 2024 Ferrari 812 Competizione | $2,000,000 to $2,400,000 |
| 132 | 1931 Stevens-Miller “Bowes Seal Fast Special” | $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 |
| 146 | 1930 Packard 734 Speedster Runabout | $1,400,000 to $1,800,000 |
| 42 | 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS | $750,000 to $1,000,000 |
On session assignment: Gooding has published the two session times but not which cars cross the block on which day. Lot numbers run 1 to 70 and then 101 to 199, which usually indicates a Friday and Saturday split, though the house has not confirmed it. Anyone traveling for a specific car should call before booking a day.
What Is Behind the Top Two
The 907 Langheck at lot 44 has the strongest competition record of anything in the catalogue after the two leaders. Chassis 907-005 anchored the 1-2-3 finish at the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona that gave Porsche its first outright win in a 24-hour race, and it took second overall at the Monza 1000 Km that year. It runs long-tail bodywork over a four-cam flat-eight, and marque specialist Joe Cavaglieri handled the restoration.
The Blower Bentley at lot 139 is one of the 50 supercharged cars the factory built, chassis MS3927, still wearing its original Vanden Plas coachwork and most of its original running gear. It took First in Class at the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours.
Lot 132 is the oddest thing in the top ten and possibly the best story. The Stevens-Miller “Bowes Seal Fast Special” won the 1931 Indianapolis 500 with Louis Schneider driving and a riding mechanic named Jigger Johnson alongside him. Riding mechanics were still required at the Speedway then. The car is offered with engine number 2 and a chain of owners running through Bob McConnell, Robert Rubin and David Uilhein.
The Packard 734 Speedster Runabout at lot 146 is one of 39 Boattail Runabouts built and has taken First in Class at Pebble Beach, with Ralph Stein, Otis Chandler and Ray Scherr in its ownership history.
The Gullwing at lot 52 keeps its matching-numbers NSL-series engine per factory records and is finished in German Racing Silver over red upholstery with plaid inserts. It comes with Rudge knock-off wheels, sport suspension, Karl Baisch luggage, belly pans and the knock-off hammer.
A Ken Miles Car Is in This Catalogue
Lot 20 is a 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, chassis 2452, the first production Tipo 61 and one of 17 built. It ran West Coast events from 1959 through 1963, and the list of drivers includes Bob Drake, Jim Connor, Jim Hall, Bill Krause and Ken Miles.
Miles is the reason that lot has extra weight this particular weekend. Both of his own specials, R1 and R2, return to the Pebble Beach Concours field for the 75th, on the same stretch of coastline where he was disqualified in 1952. A car he drove for someone else is selling a few hundred yards away.
The Modern Ferrari Is the Strangest Number
Lot 25 is a 2024 Ferrari 812 Competizione with fewer than 200 miles on it, offered without reserve at $2,000,000 to $2,400,000.
Ferrari built 999 of them. This one carries $157,099 in factory options, including carbon fiber wheels, front axle lift and Daytona rain seats, and it wears an Extra Campionario paint scheme called Bianco Italia.
A two-year-old car carrying a seven-figure estimate is a different kind of lot than a Le Mans Ferrari from 1963. It is priced on scarcity and specification rather than on race history, and offering it without reserve suggests the seller is confident the room agrees.
The Dino at lot 42 sits at the other end of that argument. Chassis 06698 is a right-hand-drive E-series 246 GTS delivered new to Steve Winwood, who has owned it for more than 50 years. It is one of five “Chairs and Flares” cars sent to the UK and the only one specified in Nocciola Metallizzato over black. Bob Houghton restored it about two decades ago and refinished it in dark blue over tan.
What It Costs to Show Up, and to Buy
General admission is $50, which covers viewing and both auction sessions. Credit card only, and children under 12 get in free. That makes it one of the more accessible tickets of the week next to the Concours itself at $650 after the August 1 increase, or the Quail at $3,800.
Viewing opens Wednesday, August 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., then Thursday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bidding costs more than the hammer. Gooding takes 12% on the first $250,000 of the final bid and 10% on everything above that, so a $25 million hammer price becomes roughly $27.5 million written on the check. Automobilia lots carry a 25% premium.
Gooding Christie’s is the official auction house of the Concours and this is its 22nd year at Pebble Beach. It is the one auction house on the peninsula that did not move venues this year, while Bonhams left the Quail for Laguna Seca and Broad Arrow took its place.
Deeper in the Book
The ten promoted cars are not the whole story. Lot 135 is a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione at $8,000,000 to $10,000,000, which would be the headline lot at most auctions and is third in this one. Lot 31, a 1966 Ferrari Dino 206 S Berlinetta, carries $3,500,000 to $5,000,000.
| Lot | Car | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 39 | 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe | In excess of $25,000,000 |
| 26 | 1963 Ferrari 250 P | $15,000,000 to $20,000,000 |
| 135 | 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione | $8,000,000 to $10,000,000 |
| 44 | 1968 Porsche 907 Langheck | $4,500,000 to $5,500,000 |
| 31 | 1966 Ferrari Dino 206 S Berlinetta | $3,500,000 to $5,000,000 |
| 139 | 1931 Bentley 4½ Litre Supercharged “Blower” | $3,500,000 to $4,000,000 |
| 20 | 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage | $3,000,000 to $4,000,000 |
| 63 | 2020 Bugatti Chiron Sport “Edition Noire” | $3,000,000 to $3,500,000 |
One lot in the middle of the book connects to the other end of Car Week. Lot 46 is a 1983 Lancia Rally 037 Evolution II at $900,000 to $1,200,000. Kimera Automobili, which is premiering two cars at the Monterey Motorsports Festival on Saturday night, built its reputation on the EVO37, a ground-up reinterpretation of that same Lancia at roughly half the price of an original.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the Pebble Beach Auctions 2026?
Friday, August 14 at 4 p.m. PDT and Saturday, August 15 at 11 a.m. PDT, at Parc du Concours on the corner of Stevenson Drive and Portola Road in Pebble Beach.
What is the most expensive car at the Pebble Beach Auctions?
Lot 39, a 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, chassis CSX2300, estimated in excess of $25,000,000. The second highest is lot 26, a 1963 Ferrari 250 P, at $15,000,000 to $20,000,000.
Would the Cobra set a record?
At its estimate, yes. The most expensive American car sold at auction is a 1935 Duesenberg SSJ at $22 million, sold by Gooding at Pebble Beach in 2018. Before that the mark was $13.75 million for CSX 2000, the first Shelby Cobra built.
Why is this particular Daytona Coupe worth so much?
Six were built. This one debuted at the 1964 Tour de France Automobile with Bob Bondurant and Jochen Neerpasch, raced in the 1965 FIA GT championship season, was the only one to keep competing after Shelby American’s factory program ended, and was the only Daytona Coupe Carroll Shelby owned personally, from 1975 to 1998.
How much does it cost to attend?
General admission is $50, credit card only, which covers viewing and both auction sessions. Children under 12 are free.
What is the buyer’s premium?
For vehicles, 12% on the first $250,000 of the final bid price and 10% on the remainder. Automobilia lots carry 25%.
When can the public view the cars?
Wednesday, August 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
How many lots are in the catalogue?
169, split across the Friday and Saturday sessions.
Which car in the sale has a Ken Miles connection?
Lot 20, a 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, chassis 2452. Miles raced it on the West Coast between 1959 and 1963 along with Bob Drake, Jim Connor, Jim Hall and Bill Krause. His own two specials appear on the Concours field the same weekend.
Is Gooding Christie’s connected to the Concours?
Yes. It is the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and this is its 22nd year selling at Pebble Beach.
Which lot is the best value story?
That depends on what you are buying. The Steve Winwood Dino 246 GTS at lot 42 has 50 years of single ownership and a unique original specification for $750,000 to $1,000,000, which is less than a modern 812 Competizione with 200 miles on it in the same sale.
Two Cars, Forty Million Dollars
A closed-body Cobra built to beat a 250 GTO is being offered a few lots away from the first mid-engine Ferrari prototype, and between them they carry $40 million of estimate in a 169-car catalogue. One of them is asking to become the most expensive American car ever sold.
The number that makes it interesting is not $25 million. It is $13.75 million, paid for CSX 2000 ten years ago. The record left Shelby for a Duesenberg in 2018, and on Friday a Shelby is trying to take it back at nearly double the price.
Michael Kahn
Michael Kahn is the writer, photographer, and publisher behind The Weekly Driver. He cares about how cars drive and what they're like to own. He covers automobile industry news, car shows and events, and new car reviews. The reviews come from behind the wheel: day trips that favor back routes, treating a good meal as half the reason to go. He directs and produces the visual media, matching each car to a setting and mood that fit it. When he's not reviewing new cars, Michael races paddleboards, camels, and ostriches, along with the occasional exotic car on the racetrack, and has driven in every state and country visited.
https://theweeklydriver.com