The mystery of barn finds: Shelby and Alfa Romeo, two unique gems from the memory barn

The extensive collection left by the renowned neurologist __Fred Simeone__ to the foundation that now bears his name in Philadelphia, where the cars he meticulously gathered during his lifetime are displayed, includes some fortuitously rediscovered automobiles. We have selected two for their contemporary significance, a significance that was not fully recognized at the time, not even by those who created them.

Let's begin with the __Shelby Cobra Coupe Daytona__, which Carroll Shelby designed in 1964 to compete with the more aerodynamic Italian and German cars in endurance races. This car was significantly different from the earlier Cobras, which were derived from the AC Ace sports car with a Bristol engine and were not suitable for high-speed racing. The Daytona Coupe was meticulously handcrafted in the United States with an aluminium body. The car possessed both beauty and formidable performance, a combination so successful that it prompted the creation of five more, this time masterfully crafted in Modena, the heart of sports car production in those years (see __ModenArt__). Today, these automobiles are highly sought after by collectors, but their rarity renders them nearly unattainable. The last time one went up for auction was in 2009, and the price of over seven million dollars paid then would significantly increase today. If Simeone's original, the number 1 car, were to go to auction, its historical significance would eclipse any consideration of its initial sale price. The fact that when it retired from racing, the owner sold it to his chauffeur for a symbolic sum of $1,000 would matter little. You read that correctly, just a thousand dollars!