In the mid ‘60s the Shelby Daytona Coupe was built to beat Ferrari’s 250 GTO. Loosely based on his earlier car designs, Carroll Shelby was able to achieve a higher top speed with the Daytona than with the AC Cobra because of the better aerodynamics of a closed cockpit. It’s a slick car that was the fastest of its day, but there were only six Daytona Coupes built, and the lower cost versions sell in the $4 million range. So, what does the average person do if they want that kind of car but are limited to a realistic budget? Buy a replica, of course.
Karen Salvaggio built a replica with a Factory Five Type 65 Coupe as the foundation of her build. Her car is primarily used for racing but it’s still legal on the street. It’s equipped with a 2017 Ford Coyote 5.0 under the hood with 435hp at the crank and period correct side-pipes. “The exterior keeps the vintage look I love, but it’s all modern underneath,” Salvaggio said.
It was also running on Nitto NT01s during the latest Driver Battle, where it went up against a Viper ACR. Click here to learn more about the Type 65 Coupe and Karen in our full feature article.