Suddenly its easier to understand the Cobra Daytona design, and the Cobra Ferrari war

From a Flikr page of the Cobra Daytona vs. Ferrari 250 GTO: A Design Evaluation https://www.flickr.com/photos/25974539@N02/sets/72157632836761377/

  The Simeone Automotive Museum had a very special indoor Demo Day on February 23rd. Dr. Simeone discussed the evolution of two of the most iconic of all racing GT sports cars: the Ferrari GTO and the Daytona Cobra Coupe. The presentation featured an example of each car in the main area of the museum and, using accompanying photos by Andrew Taylor, examined the styling similarities - and differences - that made each unique.

"The Cobra Daytona Coupe and the Ferrari GTO were the centerpieces of one of the classic battles in motorsports history," said Dr. Simeone, executive director of the Museum. "I think it is safe to say that there are few places in the world - if any - where you can examine these two machines together at the same time."

The Cobra, CSX2287, was the very first Coupe built and the first to race, at Daytona in 1964, where it was leading until a fire put it out of the race. The Ferrari is the second GTO built and finished second overall, first in class, at the 1962 Sebring 12-hour race, driven by Phill Hill and Olivier Gendebien.

The owner of the Ferrari, Mr. Bernard Carl, was on hand to offer his impressions of driving both cars. He was also a former owner of a Daytona Cobra Coupe, #2601.

The Simeone Museum is one of the few museums in the world where visitors can see, hear, and smell famous race cars run. The Demo Days, which began in 2009, feature extremely rare racing sports cars from the Simeone collection being driven on the three-acre lot in back of the Museum. A brief lecture by Dr. Simeone on the importance of the cars and their place in history precedes each driving demonstration.

The Demonstration Days events are held on the 4th Saturday of each month at 12 Noon, weather permitting. Visitors are encouraged to check the Museum’s Web site (www.SimeoneMuseum.org) before coming for any last minute changes. Admission to the Demonstration Days is included as part of the regular admission price.

Photos by Andrew Taylor