Help solve the mystery - CSX2345 #3 on Passenger Side Roundel?

[Bob Lisowski]

Hoping a Shelby Cobra historian can definitively say whether Bob Bondurant's CSX2345 car that he raced in the 1964 Spa Grand Prix was missing the #3 on the pax side door roundel.

Story goes that Bondurant's crew couldn't get the #3 painted on the pax side door in time before the race began. Bondurant went on to win his GT class at the Spa Grand Prix. Being the superstitious type, Bondurant didn't want the #3 painted on his pax side door roundel for any races thereafter.

I have a pic of the #3 car supposedly from the 1964 Spa race that shows no #3 on the pax side door. And this is how Shelby American / Superformance has been delivering these tribute cars. But I also found a YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7ElVVkOpgA) supposedly of the same 1964 Spa race that shows a #3 on the pax side door roundel.

So what's the truth?

I'm curious because I have ordered a tribute car and want to be period correct as possible. Thanks!

[Richstang]

We were just discussing this about 2 weeks ago, offsite.

As we can see in the video link (thanks for adding the link!)
At the start of the race CSX 2345 does have a race number "3" on the right side door




However, there is some truth to the story you told us...

Notice the number '3' on the right door is a different font than what is found on the hood, trunk, and left door.
It must have been added later. My gut tells me during practice it did not have the number on the right door
It was likely added just before the start of the race, not during it.

[Richstang]

Here is another photo without the number "3" on the door.
During the practice session...I assume

[Bob Lisowski]

Thank you, Richstang! ... Great detective work, especially by noticing the different font style.

[CSX2259]

During practice the number had not yet been added to the rounded, during the race it was in place. There are a number of cars and races where the numbers had not been applied in practice, there are also a number of races where cars from the same team had the same number applied to each team car possibly to confuse the competition as to which car they were viewing during practice compared to the car in the race. FYI, the numbers that were applied to cars at specific races were usually made of construction paper with an adhesive backing for easy removal after the race as most race cars were assigned a different number at the next race.

[Bob Lisowski]

Interesting, good to know, thank you!