Ferrari GTO and Cobra Daytona Coupe to share spotlight at Simeone museum
A Ferrari GTO and Daytona Cobra Coupe — two of the world’s most desirable race cars — will be featured at the Simeone Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, Pa., on Feb….
A Ferrari GTO and Daytona Cobra Coupe — two of the world's most desirable race cars — will be featured at the Simeone Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, Pa., on Feb. 23 in a very special indoor Demo Day. Beginning promptly at noon, museum founder Dr. Simeone will discuss the evolution of these iconic of all racing GT sports cars. The presentation will feature an example of each car in the main area of the museum and, using accompanying photos by Andrew Taylor, will examine 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.
Admission to the Demo Day is included with regular museum admission: $12 adults; $10 senior; $8 students; children 8 and under are admitted free. For more information call 215-365- 7233, or visit the Web site at: www.simeonemuseum.org. The Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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.
Related Resources
Read about the incredible Cobras in "Carroll Shelby: The Authorized Biography"
Angelo Van Bogart is the editor of Old Cars magazine and wrote the column "Hot Wheels Hunting" for Toy Cars & Models magazine for several years. He has authored several books including "Hot Wheels 40 Years," "Hot Wheels Classics: The Redline Era" and "Cadillac: 100 Years of Innovation." His 2023 book "Inside the Duesenberg SSJ" is his latest. He can be reached at avanbogart@aimmedia.com
