Zooming into the record books: The 1965 race car expected to go ...

Under the bonnet: The unique vehicle shows off what's under the hood as it stands at the 'racing line'

Legendary driver Bob Bondurant drove the car to victory .

He said: 'I won a lot of races with this Daytona Cobra Coupe, but when I crossed the finish line at the Reims race track I yelled "Yes!".

'It was a fantastic feeling. I always wanted to race in Europe against the world's best drivers. Winning that World Championship was the crowning achievement of my career. I think it's wonderful that the car is being showcased 40 years later.'

The car was also used for many years by a North Dakota businessman, who drove the car to and from his six gas stations, clocking up 300 miles a day.

It was also leased to Paramount Pictures for use in the Howard Hawks film 'Redline 7000'.

Onlookers stare at the classic 1965 car - one of only six ever made

The auctioneer Dana Mecum said despite the recession the classic car business is thriving.

Of the half dozen made this is the only one never to crash.

Peter Brock was only 22 years old when he designed the car taking some of his inspiration from 1939 German bus designs that had astonishing aerodynamics.

The car was built by hand and has a unique tail designed for optimum speed.

The Shelby Cobra Coupe was instantly famous and its popularity and value have increased with time.

'It's a really spectacular car,' said Casey Milano, account executive at Mecum.

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