Image Credit: Mecum.Paul Newman didn't need racing to make himself famous, but his abilities behind the wheel were far beyond those of the typical celebrity racer. Even at 70 years old, he was still competing at a remarkably high level.One of his greatest achievements came at the 1995 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Newman shared a Roush Racing Ford Mustang with Tommy Kendall, Mark Martin, and Michael Brockman in the grueling endurance race.The No. 70 Mustang won the GTS-1 class and finished an impressive third overall. The result also made Newman, according to Mecum, the oldest driver to win a major sanctioned race as part of a class-winning team.Three decades later, that same Mustang has changed hands. Offered from the Roush Automotive Collection at Mecum's Nashville 2026 auction, the famous racer sold for $935,000.This Wasn't Your Average Mustang CobraImage Credit: Mecum.Officially, it's a 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra, but there's little underneath that familiar bodywork connecting it to a showroom Mustang. Roush Racing Chassis No. 23 was constructed around a NASCAR-style tubular steel space frame specifically for competition.Power comes from a Roush-built 6.0-liter V8 that Mecum says was rated at 750 horsepower. It's connected to a five-speed manual transmission, while Alcon four-wheel disc brakes, 17-inch BBS wheels, and Goodyear racing tires complete the serious hardware.Its unusual "Nobody's Fool" identity came directly from Newman. Paramount Studios sponsored the car using leftover marketing money from his recently released movie of the same name, while the No. 70 celebrated Newman's 70th birthday.The victory was significant for Roush, too, as the 1995 result represented the team's 10th consecutive class victory in Rolex 24 appearances, although Roush did not compete there in 1994.Those Battle Scars Are RealRace cars frequently lose pieces of their history through repairs and restorations, but this Mustang has kept something particularly special. The bodywork it wears today is the same race-worn set used at Daytona in 1995.After the race, those panels were removed and carefully stored at Roush's Michigan headquarters. The chassis received unused spare panels before going on display at Daytona USA, now associated with the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.The original panels were eventually reunited with the chassis, bringing back the scars and patina accumulated during its famous 24-hour race. Even the cleaner "show" bodywork was included in the sale.Nearly $1 Million Of Racing HistoryImage Credit: Mecum.The final $935,000 price made the Mustang the highest-selling car at Mecum's Nashville auction. That's serious money for a 1990s Mustang, although calling this simply a Mustang doesn't really capture what the buyer acquired.It's a genuine Roush-built competition car with a Daytona class victory, a third-place overall finish, and names including Kendall, Martin, and Newman written into its history. Having its actual race-worn bodywork makes the package impossible to replicate.Newman was already 70 when he helped put this Mustang on the Daytona podium. Thirty-one years later, the car has scored another impressive number — this time with a dollar sign in front of it.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.
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