Paul Newman’s Daytona-Winning Ford Mustang Race Car Set for Mecum AuctionA Ford Mustang Cobra race car driven by Paul Newman during the 1995 Rolex Daytona 24 Hours is headed to auction later this year, giving collectors a rare chance to own a piece of motorsports and Hollywood history.Mecum Auctions announced the car will cross the block during its Nashville 2026 sale in September. The vehicle carries significant racing pedigree, as Newman helped drive it to a GTS-1 class victory and a third-place overall finish at Daytona nearly three decades ago.While Newman earned worldwide recognition for his film career, he also built a respected reputation in professional racing. His passion for motorsports began while preparing for the 1969 film Winning and continued throughout the rest of his life. Over the years, he competed in Sports Car Club of America events, raced at Le Mans in 1978 with a second-place finish, and remained active behind the wheel well into his later years.The 1995 Daytona effort came together shortly after the release of Newman’s film Nobody’s Fool. Paramount Pictures used remaining promotional funds from the movie to sponsor a Roush Racing Mustang Cobra entry for the endurance race. Newman shared driving duties with Tommy Kendall, Mark Martin, and Michael Brockman during the event.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe car became one of the standout entries of the race weekend, combining Hollywood attention with legitimate on-track performance. It wore a white paint scheme featuring Nobody’s Fool branding and the No. 70, selected in recognition of Newman’s 70th birthday shortly before the race.The Mustang remains largely preserved in its Daytona-winning form. Although replacement body panels were once installed while the car was displayed publicly, the original dirt-covered panels from the race have since been reattached.Under the hood sits a naturally aspirated 6.0-liter Roush-built V-8 paired with a five-speed manual transmission. When new, the engine produced around 750 horsepower, dramatically exceeding the output of the production Mustang Cobra sold during the same era.Mecum has not released a pre-auction estimate for the vehicle, though its racing history and connection to Newman are expected to make it one of the more closely watched consignments of the sale.Join our Newsletter, follow our Instagram page, and follow us on Facebook.
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