Some 40 years ago, the AC Cobra ruled the race tracks of North America. Carroll Shelby, the Texan who had won Le Mans for Aston Martin in 1959 was not content with simply dominating in his own back yard. He had gone to Le Mans in 1959 in the face of apparently overwhelming opposition from Ferrari but managed to humble the might of Maranello. It was clearly an experience he relished. The problem was, when pitched against more serious international opposition, the Cobra was found to be seriously lacking. Primitive suspension meant they struggled to keep up with the likes of Ferrari’s 250GTO in the corners, while the Cobra’s bluff shape meant that, despite its bigger, more powerful engine, the rather more slippery GTO still got past on the straights. So Shelby asked team member and young designer, Peter Brock, to craft a new body for the Cobra and the Daytona Coupe was born. It transformed the Cobra’s fortunes. It was so fast that Enzo Ferrari had to get the last round of the 1964 world S