The SHELBY AMERICAN 1968 SHELBY MUSTANG GT350, GT500
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The book uses color photography (both historical and current) to show specific Shelby-unique details. The text explains them in great detail. Much of this can be confusing to the novice and Kolasa does a great job in sorting everything out and explaining the exceptions to the rules – and with limited-production cars like Shelbys there are plenty of exceptions. The book is not afraid to dive into the mechanical nitty-gritty, explaining the different specifications for the three basic models: GT350, GT500 and GT500KR. It explains production aspects and answers questions such as, why convertibles were added to the 1968 SHELBY MUSTANG GT350, product line and outlines options and GT500 and GT500KR by Greg Ko- colors. In short, it’s all here and while lasa. 8 1/4˝ x 9 ˝ softcover; 96 pages, not making everyone who reads this COBRA PILOTE – The Ed Hugus 132 color photos. Published by Car book a concours judge (no book can), at Story by Robert D. Walker. 9 1/4˝ x 11 Tech, Forest Lake, MN. wwwcartech- least they will be able to identify the 1/4 ˝ hardcover; 304 pages, 114 color books.com $18.95 various models and know the differ- and 146 black & white photos. Pub- Car Tech Auto Books is publishing ence between them. It’s an excellent lished by Dalton Watson Fine Books, a series of books called “Muscle Cars starting point to begin the trip into Deerfield, Illinois. wwwdaltonwatson. in Detail,” each one concentrating on Shelby history. com $89.00. a particular classic muscle car. To date Kolasa also takes time to explain After fifty years, you’d think that there are six in the series: ‘70 Chevelle side issues, like options and specifica- all the books about Cobras and those SS, ‘71 Plymouth Cuda, ‘69 Camaro tions (using easy-to-understand who raced them would have already SS, ‘69 Plymouth Road Runner, ‘73-’74 charts), the explanation of serial num- been written. You’d think. But as soon Pontiac Trans-Am, and ‘68 Shelby bers (the pedigree of any Shelby), spe- as you do, another book pops up, like Mustang. cial colors, rarity and values. For 1968, this one, which is not a rehash of Written by SAAC member Greg Shelby production was shifted from something previously written. It’s a Kolasa, who has gained broad experi- Southern California to Michigan, to brand new book, in this case, about ence with Shelbys, serving as the the A.O. Smith Corporation and this is someone who played an integeral part club’s Hertz and GT40 registrar as also explained. There was a Hertz in the Cobra story in the earliest days well as researching and writing sev- rent-a-car program for 1968 and this but as things spooled up, he was left eral sections of its various registries, is also detailed, as is production of by the wayside. In short, if you the book is well written and taughtly Ford’s 1968 Mustang California Spe- thought you knew the beginning of the organized. It begins with an overview cial, a cousin of the Shelby. In short, Cobra story, you don’t. After you read of Ford’s performance program in the Kolasa has left nothing out in telling Robert Walker’s book, you will. It is 1960s, where and how Carroll Shelby the 1968 story. thoroughly researched and well writ- fit into the picture, and the basic his- It is obvious Car Tech’s series will ten. tory of where the 1968 models fit into eventually include books on each year Ed Hugus passed away in 2006 Shelby history. Context is needed to Shelby, and if they are as thorough and for a period of time prior to that, tell the story, and Kolasa provides and well written as this book they will he stayed out of the public eye (as well plenty of it. also be as successful. as the probing inquiries of Cobra en- The SHELBY AMERICAN thusiasts). He was soft-spoken and It is fascinating and we won’t give modest about his experiences and his- too many of the details away, but it tory. Walker, a Cobra owner living in turned out that Shelby had no funding Pebble Beach, was competing at the and Ford was not about to begin shov- Monterey vintage races and was also eling money at him. He knew Hugus restoring an early Cobra. He was men- through sports car racing (in the tioned in an article in the Carmel 1950s it was like one big fraternity) newspaper and that prompted Ed and saw Hugus, owner of a successful Hugus, also a Pebble Beach resident, foreign car dealership in Pittsburgh, to contact him. Hugus had a couple of as a potential affiliate that he could original Cobra pieces and inquired if partner up with to get production Walker would like to have them. This moving on the East Coast (where en- led, first, to lunch and then to a friend- gineless cars would be brought into ship that lasted two years, until the country). Hugus, with connections Hugus passed away from pneumonia. all over the East Coast, would also During that time, Hugus spoke in de- make a perfect distributor for the car. tail of his experiences with Carroll Ed Hugus was happy to get in- Shelby and the part he played in the volved because it was an exciting proj- beginning of Cobra history. As Walker ect, but he never wanted to be Shelby’s heard Hugus’ revelations, he realized partner. All he wanted was to be a This 1965 Ford Econoline ad was spot- how thin the beginning of the story dealer and to race a Cobra. Ford, how- ted on the Internet by someone who was after fifty years of Cobra adora- ever, seemed more satisfied with reported it on the SAAC Forum. It was tion. Here was a story that needed to Hugus’ business operation than with an illustration, and the van was de- be told. Shelby’s, which was non-existant. In picted in Carroll Shelby School of High The Cobra tale, as we presently those early days when nothing was Performance Driving livery. After fifty know it, came almost exclusively from certain and Shelby was scrambling to years we can’t recall having ever seen Carroll Shelby. Shelby explained make his idea reality, he was also it before, but since it was an Internet everything in his 1965 book, “The paranoid that someone – like Hugus – find, no additional information was Cobra Story” (as told to John Bentley). could get between him and Ford and available. Shelby was interviewed about the car take his idea across the goal line. by anyone remotely considered to be Shelby was in a tight spot: he needed an “automotive journalist.” It was a re- Hugus but didn’t quite trust him, and markable story and Shelby became ex- Ford was not completely sold on the ceedingly good at telling it. The Texan. It is a fascinating story, told trouble was, it was his story; he con- with the authority that only a princi- trolled the narrative. He provided the pal has. details that others wrote about. And This book corrects many miscon- now, fifty-five years later, we learn ceptions of Cobra history and because there is another side to his story. For of the through research that Walker Cobra enthusiasts, this is juicy stuff. has done, the story becomes much The beginnings of the Cobra story clearer. In addition, the serial number have traditionally been told using a of every Cobra involved is included in simplified time line: Shelby has his the text, giving it that much more au- idea for his own sports car. He contacts thority. It is obvious that this research AC Cars and proposes building a sport was provided by Cobra Registrar Ned car (Shelby’s term) using a new light- Scudder, who is credited in the book’s weight Ford engine. Almost simultane- preface. The foreword is written by ously he contacts Ford and tells them Peter Brock. he has a perfect sport car, if only he The book is profusely illustrated had an engine. Ford, on the brink of with pictures from Hugus’ personal The Specialty Equipment Market As- their Total Performance campaign, collection as well as race entry lists, sociation (SEMA) publishes a newslet- leaps at the opportunity to have a photos of his awards, dash plaques ter called “Driving Force” for the “Corvette-slayer” in its showrooms. and other memorabilia. Ed Hugus SEMA Action Network. Basically, they Actually, it turns out there was a lot raced from the early 1950s through report on matters effecting the auto- more to it than that, and there was a 1970, but the Cobra portion was, mobile aftermarket, to include legisla- good reason why Shelby stuck to his clearly, the most important. You won’t tive and regulatory advocacy. Their own script. Through Ed Hugus, know the complete Cobra story until Spring newsletter carried an image on Walker unrolls the real story. you read this book. a 289 FIA Cobra replica on the cover. The SHELBY AMERICAN .