The Sagging Book Shelf Read any good books lately? There has never been a shortage of books written about Cobras and Shelbys. The popularity of the , reflected in both heightened interest and the continuing escalation of values, has resulted in an ever expanding number of books written about these cars. Rick Kopec has reviewed just about every book relating to Cobras, Shelbys, GT40s or racing in that era. While most are no longer in print, amazon.com is usually pretty good at finding used copies that are in pretty good shape. The books included here are in no particular order.

B O B B O ND UR A NT Am e r i c a ’s SHELBY, T HE R ACE DR IVER – Un c r o w n e d Wo r ld D r i v in g With R em em b ranc e s b y Carr o ll C h a m p io n by Phil Henny. Shelby by Art Evans. Softbound; 11˝ x Hardbound; 11 3/8˝ x 8 3/4˝; 189 8 1/2˝; 192 pages; 229 black & white pages; 138 black & white photos, 74 photos. Photo Data Research, LLC, color photos. Published by Editions 800 S Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Cotty, Portland, OR. Beach, CA 90277. 310-540-8068 pho - M I L L I O N D O L L A R M U S C L E www.philhenny.com $75.00 [email protected] $29.95 CARS by Colin Comer. Hard-bound; 9 Phil Henny has done it again. The Just about every book written 1.2˝ x 11 13/4˝; 192 pages, 242 color former race mechan - about Shelby or his cars makes refer - photos. Published by Motorbooks, ic and fabricator turned author has ence, usually very briefly, to his racing Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson put together an excellent narrative of career. His competition experience in St, St. Paul, MN 55101. $34.95 the life of , one of the the 1950s provided him with the prac - Five years ago this book would Cobra Team’s most notable drivers. tical knowledge and background—the have been a work of fiction, written by Turning the pages of this book is like gravitas—which enabled him to speak someone with an overactive imagina - going through Bob’s personal scrap - with authority about sports racing. tion and maybe a touch of wishful book, and maybe that’s the way it was When Ford became excited about thinking. But today, thanks to the envisioned. There are a dozen pages of using the Cobra and GT40 to burnish atmosphere that swirls around the introductions, a foreword, an author’s their performance image, they turned upper levels of the collector and mus - note, two pages of acknowledgements to Shelby. And he was anything but clecar market (which includes the tele - and some dedications before the book bashful about being their racing vised-in-real-time Barrett-Jackson even begins, giving it the feel of a good expert. auction every January in Scottsdale, old boys network — which it is. All of His racing experience lasted eight , the -of-light communi - these guys were attracted to Shelby years, from 1952 through 1960. This cation of cell phones, text messaging American early in their careers and book provides a year by year examina - and the internet and the automobile- now, in their golden years, they are tion of his racing record, using period as-investment climate), like it or not looking back with an appreciation and photographs and Shelby’s own remem - million dollar musclecars have become sense of obligation to each other. The brances of each event. The five page more or less a reality. The book is books is filled with photos of most of appendix lists every race he drove in: divided into two sections: seven-figure Bondurant’s races, those he raced with date track, event name, car, entrant cars and six-figures and rising. All are and against, and a bit of narration name and finishing position. worthy of being mentioned. This is a explaining what happened and why it Art Evans has written a handful coffee table book which means the was important. Portions of race pro - of books dealing with various facets of photography, almost all of it in color, is grams, grid sheets, posters and track west coast racing in the nothing short of superb. The examples diagrams all help to put you there. It 1950s. Like the others, this one is well chosen for inclusion are all restored to takes you from Bondo’s sports car rac - researched and profusely illustrated, perfection. You don’t have to be a big ing days through his driving school in using period photos that provide an money investor to appreciate this Phoenix. It’s a pleasant trip. excellent examination of the history of book. You can thumb through it and Shelby’s career. hope that your dreams come true. There are also some sloppy errors you would expect from a freshman in a high school writing class. For exam - ple, describing the finish of the 1968 Daytona 24-Hours, which included Group II (Trans-Am) cars, he says, “ At the end of the race, it rolled to the fin - ish in third overall just behind three prototypes... ” Huh? Here’s another example of specious thinking: In describing the 1968 Trans-Am program, Wyss says, “Shelby’s mechanics during that year still tell horror stories of engines arriv - ing from Dearborn that were missing vital parts like push rods. The long SHELBY. The Man. The Cars. The simmering belief of the Shelby crew L e g e n d . by Wallace A. Wyss. that Ford Dearborn favored the Softbound; 6˝ x 9˝; 208 pages; 49 black NASCAR racers was fueled by Ford’s SHELBY CARS IN DETAIL. & white photos. Iconografix, PO Box sending of bum engines to the Shelby C a r s o f th e Sh e lb y Am e r ic a n 446, Hudson, WI 54016. $19.95. team in ’68. ” Co llection by Frank Barrett & Boyd Wally Wyss is no stranger to the So, someone at Ford (unnamed, of Jaynes. Hardbound; 11 3/4”x131/4”; world of Shelby American. He has course) wanted Shelby to lose the 1968 272 pages; 154 color photos. 3 black & been lurking around the periphery of Trans-Am series—even though the white. David Bull Publishing, 4250 E. the hobby for more than 30 years. His company was paying them a fair Camel-back Rd, Suite K150, Phoenix, first book, “Shelby’s Wildlife,” is the amount of sponsorship money. AZ 85018 602-852-9500. $149.95. worst reference source for these cars According to Chuck Cant-well and If you look up “coffee table book” ever written. Ironically, it has proba - Lew Spencer, when Ford sent tunnel - in the dictionary you’ll see a picture of bly sold more copies than any other port engines to Shelby they came with this book. It’s that good. Here’s the book on this subject. This has, no orders to install them without touch - premise: take 26 of the most histori - doubt, prodded him into this follow-up ing them. They had already been cally interesting cars currently being book. dyno-tested. Uh, without push rods, displayed in the Shelby American It contains 18 chapters. Each one Wally? Collection in Boulder, Colorado, com - begins with an anecdote or narrative, These are just a couple of exam - pile a synopsis of their history and written in the second person by some - ples. Trust us, there are plenty more. why they are important, and then get one who was there—someone who We found questionable comments, a professional photographer to take could see someone else sweating or quotes or ideas on just about every studio shots of each one — both por - could hear someone’s comments made page. Truth be known, we could not traits of the entire car and detail shots under there breath. The problem is bring ourselves to read the entire of significant features. Take the pho - that Wyss wasn’t there for any of it. book. It was just too tedious. That’s tos, which are virtually perfect in com - He puts words into people’s mouths the way it was for us, and if you’re position and execution, and put them and extracts thoughts from their familiar with the story of Shelby and into an oversized, hard cover book. heads—things he records as facts but his cars, we suspect that’s the way it Other marques wish they had some - which he could not possibly know. It’s will be for you, too. The things we thing like this. Since the Shelby fine writing as far as fiction goes, but know are erroneous made us wonder if American Collection features primari - there is no room in a book like this for things which we didn’t could also be ly Cobras, they make up most of this fiction. erroneous. This doubt clung to every book. But there are a few GT40s, a In relating the oft-told Shelby page. We suspect the buyers of this couple of R-Models, a ‘65 GT350, and story, Wyss gets most of the facts book will form two groups. Those who AC Ace, one of the that right. What is troublesome are his don’t know very much about the Shelby raced in the late 1950s and the continual attempts to draw conclu - Shelby story, and those who are curi - white-with-blue-stripes Falcon Sedan sions which may or not be right. He ous to see how badly that story can be Delivery used by Peter Brock when he does this with such certainty that he told. was running Shelby’s driving school. leaves no room for doubt. And we have When you stare at these photos, time plenty. will virtually stop for you. A lot of this book is in the words of the people whose names come up as Bud Moore’s story is unfolds. Author John Craft (a long time SAAC member and owner of some restored vintage NASCAR iron from the 1960s) chose to let Bud Moore and the rest of the major and minor players use their own words. Through skillful editing, he keeps the story flowing along a time - line, occasionally taking side trips by directing Moore and others into specif - RACING SPORTS CARS – ic areas like individual races, particu - Me m o r ie s o f th e Fi f ti e s by Art lar engines, special equipment, other Evans. Softbound; 11˝ x 8 1/2˝; 273 teams, drivers (those who were with pages; 234 black & white photos. Photo him as well as those against him), Data Research, LLC, 800 S Pacific NASCAR officials, and whatever else Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 helps to provide a rich context. But 310-540-8068 there is no question that Bud Moore is [email protected] $39.95 at the center of it all. Art Evans has combined the recol - We can’t recall reading another lections of sixty of the best known book that has made so much use of the American sports car drivers of the BUD MOORE - Man and Mac hine interview to move the story along. All 1950s with photos of 74 different cars by Dr. John A. Craft. Hardbound; 8 too often an author will speak, at he shot when they were racing on the 3/8”x 10 7/8”, 401 pages; 176 b&w length, with the book’s principal as west coast during that time. The photos, 68 color. Published by Carbon well as a few others who he feels are result is an interesting read, told Press, 520 Ridgewood Ave, Holly Hill, peripheral to the subject. That, along through the eyes of the drivers who FL 32117 www.carbonpressonline.com with the rest of the research, allows were there. And it comes through $44.95. the creation of a narrative in their their own words. The Cobra just This is a very unique book.In fact, own words. Occasionally they will didn’t pop up one day in 1962—and it’s not really like you’re reading a include a few quotes, but a lot gets lost neither did those who built them, book at all, but more like you’re sitting in the “translation.” John Craft’s drove them, or competed against in Bud Moore’s race shop listening to method provides a sense of realism them. They all began cutting their him and everyone else he came into that cannot exist in narration. You teeth in the 1950s. Books like this contact with during his more than 50 hear the story in the very words of help provide a context for the pre- years in racing, tell stories about what those who are telling it. When it is the Cobra days. , Dan went on during those years. In their life and experiences of someone like Gurney, Peter Brock, Lew Spencer, own words, with no sugar-coating. It is Bud Moore, it makes for a very com - , Bob Bondurant, Dave a fascinating read. pelling story. MacDonald, Bill Krause and Ken Bud Moore’s story is, in a sense, The one thing we found irritating Miles are names familiar to anyone the story of NASCAR. He began racing about this book is that every time who knows Cobras. This book tells as soon as he returned to Craft moves from his narrative into what they did prior to their “Cobra Spartanburg, SC after WWII. As an 18 the words of Bud Moore himself, or days.” And it’s not limited to those year-old infantryman, he hit Utah one of the dozens and dozens of others we’re familiar with due to their Cobra Beach on D-Day in the first wave. His whose words were transcribed, he uses involvement. Drivers like Zora unit was later attached to Patton’s a quasi-freehand typeface that is diffi - Duntov. Briggs Cunningham, Augie Third Army and he fought through cult to read in a full page width for - Pabst, Scooter Patrick, Colin France, Belgium (including Bastogne) mat. That said, it’s a minor criticism Chapman, John Fitch, and and into Germany. He received two that we put up with in order to appre - Stirling Moss all pitch in to tell their Bronze Stars for Valor and five Purple ciate the content. The story of Bud stories. in the 1950s Hearts but rarely spoke of his experi - Moore’s life is rich, colorful, interesting was the preamble to the Cobra’s emer - ences. and absorbing. Through it you can see gence into the sports car world in the Of particular interest to us—and the growth and evolution of stock car 1960s. This book helps weave the you, if you’re reading this—were the racing, beginning as pure sport, and tapestry. It is definitely worth a read. years 1967 through 1971. Moore found moving into occupation while still himself hip-deep in the SCCA’s Trans- masquerading as sport. By the 1970s Am series. His name is linked with the it has become a business (still mas - Cougar Team and then Ford’s querading as sport). In the 1980s and Boss Mustangs. In 1971 his school bus 1990s it moved into the realm of enter - yellow cars, driven by George Follmer tainment. Through it all, Bud Moore and Parnelli Jones, became Trans-Am and his contemporaries rode along. icons. And the chapters on these cars Sometimes they thought they were in contain all of the insider’s info you control but mostly they were chasing could want. something. John Craft helps us to see what it was. Hours can, on one hand, be distilled down to the period between the drop - ping of the French Tri-Color flag at exactly 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, 1966 to start the race and waving the checkered flag exactly 24 hours later to end it. However, “Go Like Hell” is a lot more than a race report. The book provides a great deal of well researched context—of personali - ties, cars, events and history—and weaves them together to form not only an easy-to-read chronological narra - tive but an accurate relating of one of the most interesting stories in the automotive world. A. J. Baime is an executive editor MA R K D O NO HUE - Te c h n ic a l at Playboy magazine, where he is Exc e lle n c e at Sp e e d by Michael responsible for automotive topics and Argetsinger. Hardbound; 8 1/2”x 9 other feature articles. The idea for this 1/4”, 344 pages; 17 b&w photos, 25 book began about four years ago, when color. Published by David Bull he was driving a new Ford GT with a Publishing, 4250 E, Camelback Rd, younger car columnist who admitted Suite K150, Phoenix, AZ 85018. 39.95. that he had never heard of Phil Hill. doesn’t need any Suddenly Baime realized that there introduction to anyone interested in GO L IKE HEL L – Fo r d , Fe r r ar i were a lot of people—including those Cobras, Shelbys, GT40s or sports car and Th eir Battle fo r Spe ed and who considered themselves knowl - racing in the 1960s and 1970s. Glo r y at Le Mans by A. J. Baime. edgeable car enthusiasts—who knew However, most of what is known about Hardbound; 6 1/4˝ x 9 1/4˝, 304 very little about the Ford/ wars him comes from magazine articles and pages; 14 b&w photos, 6 color. that had taken place forty years ago. race reports and the book he co-wrote Published by Houghton Mifflin He read the profiles of Stirling Moss with Paul Van Vanklenburgh, The Harcourt Publishing Co. $26.00. and written Ken Unfair Advantage —which is, basically, Just when you thought you’d read Purdy, considered one of America’s an examination of the cars he drove everything there is about the leg - greatest automotive writers, and he during his career. This book is a prop - endary Ford vs. Ferrari battle at saw the Ford versus Ferrari story er biography, and after reading it you LeMans, along comes A. J. Baime. begin to take shape. As a book, it will feel as if you knew Mark Donohue We’ll be honest: when we first opened would work on several levels: it had an well. It is that good of a book. this book we were expecting another amazing cast of colorful characters, it Author Michael Argetsinger has shallow rehash of the Ford versus was an incredible—and true—story, done a superb job of capturing Ferrari story. After all, we’ve read just and it was a metaphor for the halcyon Donohue’s life and placing it in the about everything written on this sub - days when performance in the auto - context of the time in which he ject since 1963. That isn’t bragging or motive industry trumped everything lived—and raced. Like most biogra - exaggerating; it’s simply the truth. So else. If done right, it would be of inter - phies, it is layed out in chronologically, what more is there to the tale? est to the general public as well as car beginning with his childhood, and fol - Quite a bit, as it turns out. We enthusiasts. lowing his through school and into rac - know the basic outline by heart, hav - It’s done right. Once we started ing. Argetsinger spoke with those who ing been through it more times than reading it we had a difficult time knew Donohue best, and uses their we care to recall. However, A. J. Baime putting it down. We especially liked stories and remembrancers to tell the brings something new to the party, the way the people involved were story of who he really was, what he mostly by widening the scope of his brought into the story. No one just accomplished and how he was able to narrative to provide more context to popped up; their roles were explained accomplish it. It is all masterfully explain the “why” behind a lot of what and how they came to be where they done. It is well written and complete, took place. Most of our interest has were at a particular point in the story and when you’re done you feel as if always centered on the Shelby side of was logically presented. It was also you really did know Mark Donohue. the story. We’ve read several books explained where each person went Which is what a good biography is about Ferrari here and there, but when they were no longer part of the supposed to accomplish. because they were primarily about story. Our only complaint, If there is one weakness to the Ferrari we had a tendency to skim and it’s a small one, is it that the num - book it is the paucity of photographs. through them, mostly looking for ref - ber of photos in the book is far too The total of 42 is almost embarrassing erences to Shelby or Ford. small. There were more pictures taken when there were, certainly, so many to We began reading this book and it of these cars and the men who drove choose from. Donohue was a magnet hooked us pretty quickly. The story of them than any other period of racing for photographers. The book should how Ford won the 1966 LeMans 24- history. There are 20 pictures; there have had hundreds. should be 200. It’s a small point. We highly recommend this book. CSX2601 was the fourth built and, according to Brock, the best one. In fact, one chapter is titled, “ The Best of the Six... CSX2601 .” This car, explains Brock “ ...would end up being the best detailed of the six built. CSX2601 would retain the subtlety of the originally intended lines, with a more rounded nose and the subtle com - pound curves of the door line that swept up into the rear fenders, a fea - ture which was compromised on the C O B R A D A Y T O N A C O U P E last two cars built when the crush for CSX2601 by Peter Brock. Hardbound; time pressured the Italians to cut cor - 11 1/4˝ x 8 3/4˝, 65 pages; 53 b&w ners. ” That’s the kind of insider base - photos, 55 color. Published by Mecum ball in this book; it’s what makes it so Auctions, Inc. $49.00. informative. No small amount of fanfare The black-and-white photos taken MA R K D O NO H UE - Te c h n ic a l accompanied the auctioning of in 1964 and 1965 are captioned by Excellence by Michael Argetsinger. 8 Daytona Coupe CSX2601 at the Brock and although all Cobra enthusi - 1/2˝ x 9 1/4˝ hardcover; 344 pages; 25 Mecum Auction in Indianapolis this asts have seen them many times color photos, 18 black & white photos. past May. The car was the crowning before, they acquire a new significance Published by David Bull Publishing, jewel amid almost three dozen Cobras with his captions. It’s as if Peter Brock Phoenix, AZ www.bullpublishing.co and Shelbys that went across the is showing you each photo and com - $39.95 menting on some aspect of what is block at that auction, quite likely the We grew up with Mark Donohue depicted—an aspect that you had not most ever presented at one event. The and we watched his career progress as been aware of when you originally saw auction was carried live on cable TV, he moved up the food chain from the picture. Peter Brock and Bob Bondurant were SCCA amateur to seasoned profession - CSX2601 was raced in eight there, and the whole shebang was pre - al. He was a very likable guy; you events during the 1965 season and it ceded by a tsunami of publicity that could tell that even if you never met won four of those. They are all detailed included predictions the car would him. You could tell from what others in the text. This was the car that Bob eventually sell for “eight figures” said about him or wrote about him, Bondurant drove at Reims, France on ($10,000,000). Despite all of this, the and you could tell by the pictures you July 4th when the points he won planets proved not to be in alignment saw of him in the car magazines. He clinched the World Manufacturers and the top bid of $6.8M was not was a perfect example of good things Championship for Shelby American in enough to meet the reserve (rumored happening to good people. Except that 1965. Following its return to the facto - to be $8M). the good things didn’t just happen to ry it was rented to Paramount The car was again presented at him—he worked hard at making them Pictures for use in the movie “ Redline the Mecum Auction in Monterey, CA happen. It wasn’t obvious. 7000. ” Then Bob Bondurant was on August 15th and part of the promo - His driving career lasted an all seduced by Carroll Shelby into buying tion for that event was a hardcover too short fifteen years. It seems much it. The car sold, by the way, at the book, detailing the history of this par - longer because most racing enthusi - recent Mecum Monterey auction to a ticular car and a large batch of photos asts who took note of Mark were fol - collector from Ohio named Harry taken during the season it was raced. lowed him most of the way; certainly Yeaggy for $7.25M. Written by the undisputed authority from 1966 when he went to Daytona This is a wonderful, little book. on Daytona Coupes, Peter Brock, the with the Ford GTs. That was his jump Most of the superb color photos were thin edition sold out quickly during into the pros and it was followed at a taken prior to both auctions so they the auction. In fact, there was such a dizzying rate by the USRRC, Trans- are crisp, clear and, best of all, they’re high demand for the book that a sec - Am, Can-Am, USAC, NASCAR and fresh. One of the books purchased at ond printing was undertaken. Those finally Formula 1. the Monterey auction recently sold for books are now available, and likely Argetsinger does an excellent job $260 on eBay. Here’s a chance to get won’t last long. of getting it all right by talking to the the same book for $49—and it will be Brock recaps the history of the right people. He digs to unearth things autographed. Daytona Coupe in a few short, concise you never read about before. The chap - The easiest way to get a copy is chapters. This is not the retelling of ters are choppy and early on you’ll find through the BRE website: history decades later by someone who yourself wishing there were a lot more www.bre2.net>products >books was not there and only has access to photos to provide context. The ones information compiled by others. Peter that are there look more like they Brock was at the very center of the came out someone’s photo album. But project from Day One, so his words none of this detracts from Mark’s carry more weight than anyone else’s story. It’s just a little somber because ever could. He provides insight into we know how it turns out. the cars which is simply unavailable from any other source. In the summer of 1965, Joel Rosen purchased a small block Cobra from New York City disc jockey Bob Dayton. The serial number of this car has never been determined. Rosen says he had the car for a year or so and during that time rarely lost a race. Unfortunately, he didn’t keep any of the car’s paperwork so he doesn’t know the serial number. He sold the Cobra in 1966, shortly after the Camaro came on the scene, and he just lost track of the Cobra. In 1966 Rosen pitted next to 427 Cobra owner Clem Hoppe. One thing led to another and pretty soon Rosen was driving CSX3159 at drag strips MOTION PERFORMANCE – Tales throughout the northeast. He contin - of a Builder by Martyn ued piloting that car until 1969. L Schorr. Hardbound; 9 1/2˝ x 11˝ , Hoppe, from Ridgefield, NJ was the 176 pages; 147 b&w photos, 117 color. car’s original owner 428 COBRA JET Registry 1968 1/2- Published by Motorbooks, In an interesting twist to that 1970 compiled by Scott Hollenbeck Minneapolis, MN story, Hoppe mysteriously dropped out and Chris Teeling. 8 1/2˝ x 11˝ spiral - www.motorbooks,com $35.00. of sight in 1969. His Mercedes, with bound; 280 pages; 336 color photos, 3 Every bowtie enthusiasts knows his luggage in the back, was found black and white illustrations. Joel Rosen and Motion Performance in abandoned in a parking lot at JFK Published by Applied Arts Publishing, Baldwin, Long Island, NY in the same International Airport in New York. Lancaster, PA. www.428 cobra jet.org way that Shelby enthusiasts are famil - Years later it was learned that just $37.50 iar with Tasca or Mel Burns Ford. prior to his vanishing he had secreted When it came to modifying and tuning We are always interested in reg - the Cobra in his parent’s barn, where Chevy V8s, especially for drag racing, istries, if nothing else to see how some - it remained. They later sold the car to Motion was the place to go and Rosen one else goes about assembling theirs; Carl Mentz of Reamstown, PA who was the guy to see—at least in the the nuts and the bolts. There had been restored it as a Guardsman Blue northeast. Marty Schorr has been other attempts at putting together a street car and unveiled it at SAAC-4 writing about performance cars since registry for the Cobra Jet Mustangs, in Downingtown, PA in 1977. It was 1965 and probably wrote about—and but it was before the Internet which eventually purchased by Tony Conover photographed—Rosen’s cars more had the affect of increasing communi - in 2004. He restored it to its 1966 drag than anyone, so he was the ideal per - cation geometrically. When Scott race livery, complete with the large son to put together a book like this. Hollenbeck purchased a ‘70 Mach I R- “King Cobra” name on the side. The book concerns the cars that code car in 1996 that needed restora - The Cobra chapter contains 9 pho - Joel Rosen and Motion Performance tion, he discovered that much of the tos of the small block and 9 shots of either built, modified or raced. Ninety- information he needed to restore his the 427. Be warned: all the rest of the seven percent of this book concerns car was nonexistent or contradictory. book is mostly bowties because they GM cars, and especially bowties. So, He began researching on his own. He are what Rosen is famous for. It fol - why are we reviewing it? The answer eventually met Chris Teeling who was lows him through the 1970s and 1980s is, the other three percent. Joel also collecting R-code serial numbers when Motion ran afoul of the federal Rosen/Motion Performance drag-raced and data. They combined their efforts government and was effectively put two Cobras in between 1965 and 1969. and this book is the result. Production out of business. It’s en absorbing story. Despite Rosen’s obvious affinity for between 1968 1/2 and 1970 was 21,492 This is a well written and thor - Corvettes, Camaros, Chevelles and cars. oughly researched book, and it pro - Novas, early on he had the hots for a This registry is broken into three vides an excellent picture of Joel Cobra. He filled his trophy room with parts: the first is made up of charts, Rosen’s career as well as the cars he the bling that those Cobras brought tables and figures that decode produc - was associated with. Including the him. tion data. The second part lists serial Cobras. Especially the Cobras. numbers and data plate info on cars they have located (about 12%). The third section is a guide to component identification. It’s where all the color photos live. This is a first-rate effort but suf - fers from a lack of photos of cars as well as a written lead-in to provide some history. But that can be added to the next edition. “Shelby” is an easy read—which is not to say that anything is glossed over or diluted. The story of the cars that Carroll Shelby created, was involved with, or inspired is told in an honest, straightforward way. The facts and figures are accurate and the text does not get bogged down with too many of them. This is a common fault with a lot of books on these cars: just because all the facts and figures are available (thanks to SAAC’s reg - istries), some authors feel obliged to include them all, even though they do little to add to the narrative. SHELBY – The Complete Boo k of Thankfully, Colin Comer felt no such Sh e lb y Au to m o b ile s – C o b r a s need. Mu sta n gs an d Su p e r Sn ake s by The book is dedicated to Phil Colin Comer. Hardbound; 10˝ x 11 Remington, Shelby American’s chief 1/4˝, 256 pages; 139 b&w photos, 309 engineer. A personal opinion here: giv - color. Published by MBI Publishing ing Rem this kind of respect and Co., Minneapolis, MN $45.00. praise is long overdue. If there was one ULTIMATE AMERICAN When you see a book described on individual who overshadowed every - Data Book, 2nd Edition by Peter C. its cover as being “complete,” your eye - one else within the Shelby organiza - Sessler. 8 1/4˝ x 10 5/8˝ softbound;239 brow automatically goes up. This is tion, and had the self confidence to pages; 188 black & white photos, 3 especially true when that adjective is stand in the background and not illustrations. Published by MBI describing a book on Shelby cars. worry about getting credit as long as Publishing Co, Minneapolis, MN There are so many examples, permu - things got done, it was Phil www.motorbooks.com $29.95 tations and exceptions swirling around Remington. He possessed the rare, Peter Sessler is a busy guy. It in the Cobra/Shelby universe that it’s natural ability to look at a part or seems like every time we turn around, almost a slam-dunk to imagine that component, understand that there was another book with his name on it something was overlooked. This is a problem, visualize the solution, and becomes available. He has written clearly not the case with SAAC mem - then create the part that would solve more than forty books since 1983. He ber Colin Comer’s latest book. He tells it—from a hunk of bare metal if neces - certainly knows his facts and figures, the story and he gets it just right; he sary...all before anyone else in the or where to find them. Usually he con - doesn’t gloss over the important stuff shop even realized the problem exist - centrates on Ford cars and engines but and it’s not a puff piece or an homage ed. He had an incredible talent and with this book he has widened his to Carroll Shelby. even today has no equals. scope to include all American manu - This book’s large size allows large The glossy pages of this book have facturers—including ! Not photographs, and that might allow it a very high quality feel to them. The only are the usual charts with specifi - to be described as a “coffee table book,” reproduction of the photos are second cations and part numbers included, but that would be a mistake. Coffee to none and the color values are per - but there are lots of photos of blocks, table books tend to be heavy on glitz fect. You will not be disappointed with heads, combustion chambers and and light on text. This book has plenty this book. unique parts. It’s all nicely layed out of both. The photos—and there are An amazingly large number of and user-friendly. All the engines are over 400 of them—are a good mix of books have been written about Shelby there, broken down by displacement, period photos (many in color, which is and his cars over the past thirty years. options and applications. You’ll find fairly rare as most photography was Our book shelves are sagging under horsepower and torque ratings, com - black and white back in the day) and their weight. This is a subject which is pression ratios, casting and part num - current pictures of some of the nicest as interesting to writers as it is to bers and internal dimensions. This is Shelbys and Cobras you’ll ever see. readers, and if a book attempts to tell an excellent reference book to have on The colors almost run down the page. the “complete” story, it seems there are your shelf. And if you want to take a always new models which have come peek at the Chevy and sec - along since the last complete book. tions when no one is looking, just to Included in this one are the Shelby see how their engines compare with , the Series 1s and the latest the Ford stuff, that’s probably ok... just generations of Mustang-based as long as you don’t spend too much Shelbys. But the emphasis is still on time there. We wouldn’t want to have the early cars. to have you kidnapped and then sub - mit to deprogramming. The SHELBY AMERICAN STORY by Art Evans. Photography by Dave Friedman. 11 1/4˝ x 8 3/4˝ hardcover; 128 pages; 213 black & white photos. Published by Photo Data Research, Redondo Beach, CA. photodatare - [email protected] $39.95. Art Evans has created a cottage MAR K D ONOHUE – His Lif e in industry out of writing about the P h o t o g r a p h s by Michael Southern sports car scene Argetsinger.9 1/4˝ x 11 1/4˝ hardcov - 427 R a c in g Ma g a z in e edited by in the 1950s and 1960s and the people er; 160 pages; 132 black & white pho - Jacky Morel. 11 5/8˝ x 8 1/4˝ saddle- who populated it. To date he has writ - tos; 111 in color. Published by David stitched; 98 pages; 214 color photos, 17 ten seven books: one each about the Bull Publishing, Phoenix, AZ black and white. Text is in French. early Pebble Beach, Paramount Ranch www.bullpublishing.com $39.95. Published by Presse Magazine and Golden Gate sports car circuits; When we reviewed Michale Specialisee, BP 18, 33950 Lege Cap one about sports car racing in the Argetsinger’s previous book on Mark Ferret, France. jackymorel@pms- 1950s; and one about .This Donohue in the Spring/2010 issue of mag.com $5.95 € is his second book about Carroll The Shelby American (“Mark Donohue Jacky Morel is a SAAC member in Shelby. – Technical Excellence”), our biggest France who has been to a few national This book features the photogra - complaint was that it didn’t have conventions collecting photographs phy of Dave Friedman, who has, him - enough pictures. At that time, we and material for the magazine he was self, written a number of books center - weren’t aware that Argetsinger was publishing. It is finally done and we ing around the photographs he took planning on a second volume with have to say that it is packed with ter - while employed as Shelby American’s photos. rific photos and although we can’t read photographer and after 1965, as a This is one way to tackle a subject a word of it, the pictures, alone, are free-lancer. The book is made up of 116 like this. One volume with the text of worth the difficulty it will take to get a short chapters, each dedicated to a sin - the previous book and the photos in copy—unless you’re fluent in French. gle subject (illustrated with Friedman this one would have been a weighty If you’re not, don’t let that stop you. photos—most of which have seen use tome, that’s for sure. The pictures in Go to www.o-kiosk.com and navigate elsewhere) or the remembrances of the this book are presented in chronologi - your way through the shopping cart Shelby American days by sixteen team cal order and the captions are fairly and order form. If you persevere you drivers or ex-Cobra team members. detailed, providing identification of will be rewarded with an excellent Reading what they have to say, and almost everyone who is in them as magazine. how they saw things fitting together well as other pertinent information Forrest Straight is on the cover, from their individual perspectives, that compliments the photo. driving CSX3183, with an 8-page arti - provides insight into the overall Rather than relying solely on the cle on his Cobra inside. There’s also a Shelby American story. It doesn’t tell archives of race phytographers, a lot of good-looking six-page article on SAAC it all, but it’s doubtful that any one these photos come from the Donohue (maybe that’s why we like this maga - book could, because the subject is both family’s photo collection. The candid zine so much!). And an article on Mike broad and deep. The best we can hope shots bring a softness that plays well Eisenberg’s MAECO Motorsport, cov - for are small books like this one from in this book. Mark Donohue began rac - erage of SAAC-32, an article about which we can broaden our knowledge. ing in 1960 and his life ended follow - Peter Brock’s Daytona When someone who was there ing a Formula 1 crash in 1975. The fif - Coupe, Jim Halsey’s ‘65 GT350 vintage comments about a photo taken during teen-year slice of time during his driv - racer, ‘66 LeMans coverage with pho - that period, even if you’ve seen the pic - ing career precisely covered the period tos we’ve never seen before, and a lot ture before you will likely learn some - in this country when amateur racing more. Vous avez realise un travail thing that you didn’t know. This is morphed into professional racing. magnifique, Jacky. Nous ne pouvons where the real value of a book like this Most of us watched that happen with pas attendre pour voirle numero 2 lies. It is well written and one of the Mark and his death signaled the end d’issue . things we like best is the context that of that era. brings everything into a sharper focus. you discover what you don’t know. And what you don’t know points you in the direction of unknown informa - tion (because you can quickly bypass what you already know). You become the “go-to guy” on this subject; the hub of a wheel of knowledge, and any - thing new or undiscovered finds its way to you. The result is that you become geometrically more knowl - edgeable about your subject. Paul’s first attempt at a GT/CS registry was in 1989. It was a modest MUS TANG G T /C S R e c o g n it io n volume, containing 375 serial num - BONDURANT Scrapbook...the six- ties Guide and Owners Manual by Paul bers. In 1996 a registry update was by Phil Henny. 11 1/4˝ x 8 3/4˝ M. Newitt. 11 1/4˝ x 8 3/4˝ hardcover; published, bumping the number of hardcover; 196 pages; 108 black and 224 pages; 400 photographs and dia - cars in Paul’s database to 776. By con - white photographs. Published by grams. Published by Paul M. Newitt, trast, today’s book contains 1,039 seri - Editions Cotty, Portland, OR. PO Box 427, Danville, CA 94526. al numbers, plus 255 High Country www.philhenny.com $49.99 + postage [email protected] $100 + $6 Special models. But it is a lot more and handling. Text in English and postage and handling . Only 2,000 than just serial numbers and names. French. Available 9/11 in the U.S. printed. Paul has tied just about every - Phil Henny has put together a ter - Paul Newitt is the GT/CS go-to thing in the world of GT/CS cars into rific book about Bob Bondurant’s rac - guy. Researching a particular car and a neat package contained between the ing career. And there is a lot to then assembling a registry of serial covers of this book. There are lots of include. Bondurant was building an numbers and owners names naturally sidebars and photos with interesting excellent reputation as a Corvette leads to publishing a book. It’s usually captions, reproductions of ads and lit - driver in the late 1950s and in 1961 he a registry—a directory of serial num - erature; dealer advertising; stories was named America’s Corvette Driver bers and names—and then the regis - about ’s involvement; Lee of the Year. When Carroll Shelby was trar normally can’t resist the tempta - Grey (the “Father of the GT/CS”); ready to unleash the Cobra on tion to add some details: specifications, Shelby American’s involvement; SA’s Southern California sports car circuits production particulars, photos and the chief engineer Fred Goodell’s involve - he tapped Bondurant as one of his like. Before you know it, it’s a real ment. There is a detailed section team drivers. It was a double win for book. about A.O. Smith with some great the astute Texan: he got a talented Calling this “a real book” is an photos, and more photos about the driver and eliminated one of the top understatement; it’s like saying Bill car’s introduction at the Century Corvette threats at the same time. Gates is “well off.” The story begins Plaza Hotel in Century City on Bondurant went on to become one when Paul bought his GT/CS in 1974 February 15, 1968. A week later there of the top Cobra drivers at the wheel for $1,500. That was his upper limit in was a second presentation in San of just about everything: 289 comp looking for a car to drive to college. Francisco at the famous Fairmont roadsters, Daytona Coupes, 427 After graduating he kept the car, using Hotel. Cobras and Ford GT MK Is. This book it as his daily driver. Ten years later, A section of the book is devoted to details them all. It really is like a and now a long-time owner, he became the cars’ production, with factory pho - scrapbook, with a different picture on dissatisfied at the lack of information tos, reproductions of a window sticker, every other page and a succinct cap - directly relating to the 1968 1/2 GT/CS invoice, broadcast sheet and even a tion identifying the car, date or loca - cars. While doing some catalog work Marti Report. The High Country tion as well as some context on what is for Sacramento Mustang, Paul put Special is included. And there are going on at that time with regard to together a “GT/CS Survey” and began specifications and details on every Bob’s career. It’s great stuff. sending it to as many owners as he unique part on the car. Options and Phil Henny was born and grew up could find. He soon received five powertrains are covered; color chips in Switzerland. He came to Shelby responses. Then five more. And more and upholstery samples are pictured. American in 1967 after working with after that. A year later a mention in There are chapters on estimating val - Scuderia Filipinetti on their GT40s in Mustang Monthly produced owner- ues and restoration. The book is Europe in 1966. His mechanical and supplied information on over 200 cars. capped off with a section on the cur - racing background landed him a job at And thus, the seed of a book on rent generation of GT/CS models Kar Kraft and then at Shelby California Specials was planted and starting in 2007-2009 and the 2011 American where he worked as a fabri - began to grow. models. cator on the GT40 MK IVs. He has When one person sets out to col - This book has been a long time proven to be as talented a writer as he lect information on a specific subject, coming and like a lot of projects like was a race fabricator. This book con - such as a particular type of car, at this, the author’s enthusiasm pushed tains some photos we’ve seen and some point things do a one-eighty and him to make a couple of premature some we haven’t. That doesn’t matter information begins to come to them. announcements (we’ve been there and because it is the explanations that tell SAAC’s registrars have discovered done that). But that’s all water over the story. The pictures merely illus - this. The more you learn, the more the dam. Only 2,000 of these books trate it. You’ll like this book! will be printed. Our advice is to get your copy the first time around. RACE MAN – Jim Travers and the TRACO Dynasty by Gordon Chance. 11 3/4˝ x 8 3/4 ˝ hardcover; 189 pages; 138 black & white and 55 color pho - tographs. $60. Published by Turner Publications, Sequim, WA. turnerpub - SHELB Y CO BR A Fifty Ye a r s by lications.com MUS TANG B O SS 302 – Fr o m Colin Comer. 10˝ x 12 1/4˝ hardcover; We’ve come to the point, with Racing Legend to Modern Musc le 256 pages; 117 black & white and 308 books about Cobras and Shelbys, Car by Donald Farr. 9 1/2˝ x 11 1/4˝ color photographs. $40. Order from: where we have to dig deep to find new hardcover; 160 pages; 53 black & white http://colincomer information. It isn’t going to be hand - and 202 color photographs. $30. books.com/Shelby-Cobra-Fifty-Years- ed to us on a silver platter anymore. Published by Motor Books SC50.htm After 50 years, most of what could be International, Minneapolis, MN. Just when you thought you had written about these cars has been. But When a company like Ford resur - read every book you needed to read like peeling an onion, there is always rects an iconic marque such as the about Cobras, along comes one more more. You just have to know where to Boss 302, once the cars are moving must-have tome. While this won’t be look. from the production line into the deal - the last book written on these cars, it Gordon Chance spent some time erships, it’s time to chronicle the pro - is probably the last one that needs to at Shelby American as an engine man, ject with a book. Experience has be written. It is that good. And the in between stints at many of the race shown that it’s best to do something timing is perfect. shops in the 1950s and 1960s that are like this immediately, before records Shelby Cobra – Fifty Years is not a household names—if you consider are lost, memories have dimmed and complex technical history. And it is not your garage your “household.” And cars have begun to deteriorate. Right a trite coffee table book. So, what is it? most of us do. now, they’re all new and all cherry. It is an excellent overview of the 50 Rather than write a book about There are any number of writers years that now comprises Cobra histo - his own experiences, he has chosen to capable of tackling a book like this, ry from Day One. It is well researched spotlight Jim Travers, of the famed but finding just the right one is impor - and well written and it contains an “TRACO” team of Travers and Frank tant. And you can’t do any better than excellent variety of photos—both his - Coon. The book follows Jim Travers’ Donald Farr. When it comes to Boss torical as well as current—that pro - life, in some of his own words, from his 302 Mustangs, you would be hard- vide an insightful look at the Cobra experiences during WWII, through the pressed to name someone more knowl - mystique. Every picture is intelligent - early hot rodding days and his work edgeable and, as the editor of Mustang ly captioned and almost all of them with Stu Hilborn and then joining Monthly magazine, someone with contain the cars’ serial numbers. We with Coon to form a winning Indy 500 more contacts within both FoMoCo especially like that. team in the ‘50s. He was a fabricator, and the Mustang enthusiast universe. Colin Comer has proven, by this machinist and engine builder. TRACO The first half of the book relates book, that he really does have an Engineering (TRAversCOon) soon 1969-1970 Boss 302 history, both pro - excellent handle on the Cobra. He became the top engine builder of the duction and racing. It is both authori - brings to his writing a solid and well- era. They built engines for Lance tative and complete. The photos are grounded background gained by work - Reventlow, , and virtual - top quality. The second half of the book ing on the cars, racing them, and ly everyone else running Chevy V8s. covers the history of the marque after maintaining a dealership where he There was no one better. 1970, culminating with the prototypes regularly buys and sells them. While Reading Chance’s book is like and Boss 302R race cars in 2010, the this book is not the be-all and-end all talking to Tavers, himself. And that’s race models in 2011 and the 2012 of Cobra books—and it does not pre - not going to happen because “Trav” is Laguna Seca model. tend to be—if you already have a copy in his 90s now and lives a reclusive We experienced the initial excite - of the Cobra/GT40 Registry , this is life in Utah. He is not interested in ment when it was announced that a the last Cobra book you will talking to anyone. So we have to thank “new” Shelby GT500 would be avail - need...until Comer writes the next Gordon Chance for bringing his story able through Ford dealers. Now, it’s one: Shelby Cobra — One Hundred to us. Without his work all of Travers’ happening again with the Boss 302. Years . It’s due out in 2062. experiences would have been lost. Read all about it! Magic was worked back then and Jim Travers was one of the magicians. One of the last chapters, titled “Looking Back,” begins: “ In retrospect it seemed so harmless and innocent back then. We were just on mostly empty roads. ” There are many aspects of this book that require something movie and television world calls “suspension of disbelief.” You know reality—that a car launched on a 20-foot jump would never be able to continue driving once it landed. When you watch it happen in a movie, what you don’t see is that the camera stops after the car crashes to the ground and 2011 B O SS 302 R E G IST R Y by starts filming again when the actor Randy Ream and Todd Eby. 8 1/2˝ x gets into a duplicate of the jump car 11˝ spiralbound; 302 pages; 10 black & and drives away. Movies make the white and 584 color photographs. $50. impossible look possible and that’s Published by Randy Ream and Todd why we like to watch. What kind of Eby, Lebanon, PA. fun would be to see Bo and [email protected] jump the General Lee, which lands in Registries have a life of their own. a pile of smoking parts. They get out The people who dedicate the time and and what—walk home? Hitchhike? IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT CARROLL effort to keep them current (which, if We live in the today, and that’s the SHELBY by Chris Brooke. 6˝ x 9˝ soft - done right, is a perpetual task) give yardstick we use to compare what we cover; 78 pages; 29 black and white them that life. In return, they give up read in a book like this that tells the photographs. Published by Chris some of their own life. But their burn - story of yesterday. The first suspension Brooke www.itsnotyourfaultcarroll - ing desire to maintain what they have we have to put aside is that a teenag - shelby.com $16.50. created, to keep adding to it, and to er’s father would use a 1965 GT350 to This book is a pleasant change of continue increasing their own knowl - teach him to drive and then let him pace. It’s not another “everything you edge and expertise as they do, is drive it while he was in high school. wanted to know about Shelbys” book, enough to fuel that desire. The second one is even harder to imag - full of specifications, features, serial It takes a certain type of person to ine: the roads in and around Los numbers, and Shelby American histo - perpetuate a registry. Randy Ream Angeles would, at times, be virtually ry. Don’t get us wrong: we like books and Todd Eby have been maintaining empty of traffic. This was 1965 and if like that but in between all of the Boss 302 records since 1981. They all you have as context is today’s facts, figures, timelines and jargon printed their first registry in 1992 and round-the-clock, bumper-to-bumper there doesn’t seem to be much devoted were able to account for 25% of the L.A. traffic, the author might as well to the individual history of specific 8,641 Boss 302s produced. The second be describing driving on the moon. cars or their owners. edition was printed in 2000, account - And here’s the most difficult pill We’ve often said that every car ing for 33% of production. This most to swallow: the police would give chase has a story. Some are more interesting recent edition has bumped the number to motorized miscreants and then or colorful than others. Most books get of cars accounted for to 42%. [ Note: we break it off with a shrug and the too wrapped up in the nuts-and-bolts did some quick mathematical calcula - understanding that they would catch details of the cars to spend any time tions, based on the percentage of cars them another time. When someone got on the people who bought them and accounted for vs. the time between edi - caught for speeding or street racing drove them when they were new. The tions and then extrapolated the results. back then, there was a chance—no SAAC registry comes close to that but At the current rate Ream and Eby have matter how slim—of talking your way the sheer volume of cars makes it been finding unknown cars, 100% of out of it. Like that would happen impossible to tell the full story of each all 8,641 Boss 302s will be accounted today. one. To do the cars justice you might for in their 9th edition, which should Chris Brooke goes into a lot of have to have a separate book on each be printed sometime around 2068. ] detail about his high school days and one. Can you imagine the bookshelf Registries are interesting reading some of the non-automotive pranks you would need just for 562 1965 as well as useful tools, for both owners and adventures and they all help to GT350s? In our self-constructed fanta - and would-be owners. It’s nice to see paint the background for a much dif - sy world, if each car had its own book everything layed out in some kind of ferent time. Ozzie and Harriet, or to tell its story, Chris Brooke’s is an order and books like this, when done Father Knows Best. It’s a look into one example of what they might look like. well, provide the reader with a sense boy’s life which, while hard to believe It’s a memoir of the time he spent of power—because knowledge is today, was nothing that would cause behind the wheel of his father’s car, power. And this registry is layed out an eyebrow to lift back then. Every 5S109. perfectly. Shelby (and a lot of Cobras) were ini - In addition to the usual specs on tially used as daily drivers. That, in each car and individual histories, it itself, is hard to believe. And it’s what also has photos of unique Boss 302 makes this book so interesting. parts and options and race parts. And they are in color. Not enough for you? Boss 429s are also included in great detail. Even if you don’t own a Boss 302, this book is one that probably should be on your reference shelf. Cobra’s electricity continued—and but the results show it was time well continues today. spent. Instead of dumping everything There was something unique into a giant hopper and then putting it about the alchemy that resulted in into his own words, Mills wisely lets these American icons (both Shelby and the characters who populate this auto - his Cobra) and the story behind them. motive equivalent of a Charles It was more than just the sum of the Dickens novel speak for themselves. parts, any one of which would have They don’t always agree with one been a lead article in any automotive another, but that is a reflection of real - publication. This has, in fact, been the ity and adds to the narrative. case; whenever Shelby did anything, If you open this 550-page book headlines and lead articles quickly fol - expecting a puff piece written by a lowed. Despite the flow of publicity, cheerleader for Carroll Shelby, you will what was lacking—and has been lack - be disappointed. Likewise, if you are ing for 50 years—is the story behind expecting a hit-piece filled with back- the story. handed whispers and unproven innu - That narrative has been ably pro - endos by a long line of people who vided by Rinsey Mills. He comes to the would agree that Shelby has no halo fore with no shortage of Cobra experi - over his head, you won’t get that ence. He has written several books on either. What will you get? Shelby’s these cars over the years, and being a complete story, from the circumstances Brit, he brings with him a typically of his birth and childhood all the way British perspective. That provides him through today’s CSX4000 Cobras and C A R R O L L S H E L B Y T h e with a deep understanding of AC Cars, GT500 Mustangs. Mills leaves few Au tho riz ed Bio grap hy by Rinsey Ltd., their cars and the people who stones unturned. Mills. 6 3/8˝ x 9 1/2˝ hardcover; 552 were responsible for them. Following There are several sub-plots and pages; 15 color photos, 50 black and Carroll Shelby’s proposal to use the tangents to story of Carroll Shelby and white, 4 Bill Neale color illustrations. AC Ace as the basis for his new high his Cobra (the two are destined to be Published by Motorbooks www.motor - performance sports car, things at AC linked for eternity), many happening books.com $35.00. changed. They had been in business simultaneously. But Mills is able to This is the book that everyone in for nearly 100 years but they had keep track of them all without making the Shelby world has been waiting for. never seen anything like Shelby or the reader dizzy from jumping back Carroll Shelby wrote his first autobi - had been involved (peripherally) with and forth to maintain a semblance of ography (“as told to John Bentley”) in a company like Ford. chronology. 1965, providing the background of his Rinsey Mills’ writing style has a One thing we have rarely seen in early life and his racing career. In decidely British flavor (someone any books or magazine articles about 1960, after his doctor told him his “wielding a spanner ” instead of turn - Shelby are details about his personal heart condition meant he could no ing a wrench, the use of words like life: his parents, wives and children. longer race, his career morphed into “whilst ” and “ amongst ,” or descriptions These details could only have been the Cobra. “The Cobra Story” was com - such as, “ the motor had gone sick ”). It included with Shelby’s help as well as pleted in the early summer of 1965, is a touch on the formal side with an the people who were named. actually before the Daytona Coupe keen eye for irony without being criti - Automobile journalists over the years clinched the World Manufacturers cal or opinionated. He remains, all hesitated to tip-toe through this Championship at Reims, France on throughout, unbiased and non-judg - minefield, but Mills includes it as part July 4th. A footnote had to be added to mental, even though in certain sec - of the narrative and handles it matter- the last chapter indicating that the tions you can picture him biting the of- factly. Cobra won the championship. One inside of his cheek to keep from laugh - When Shelby’s life is broken into paragraph was devoted to the new 427 ing as he listens to someone recalling segments, some are, of necessity, more Cobra and one to the “Mustang Cobra” farcical, scandalous or blatantly self- important than others. The lion’s (the GT350 name had not yet been serving details. It is not the kind of share of the book is dedicated to his chosen). The point is, Shelby’s story easy reading you can breeze through racing exploits and everything that ended right there. He left it to others like a fast-paced detective novel. revolved around the Cobra. It seems to continue telling the Cobra tale for Rather, Mills’ style makes the reader the closer Mills gets to the end of the the next 47 years. And tell it they did, take it a little more slowly to consider story, the less detail he provides. It with him and without him. Shelby and the facts he is presenting. And that’s a reminded us of someone writing under the Cobra were colorful, exciting sub - good thing because he places a great a deadline that is quickly approaching. jects and they rarely got any bad deal of food on the table. Rather than Other books about Carroll Shelby press. Even after production had wolf it down, you want to savor each will certainly be written, but none as ceased and Shelby had walked away, helping. thoroughly researched or with so the Cobra It is obvious that Mills spent a much attention to detail as this one. It great deal of time researching what is a comprehensive and sometimes took place during Shelby’s almost 90 confusing story; Mills perseveres and years. Probably more time than he gets it right. thought he could spare, called “lay-flat,” which allows two-page photo spreads without the usual dis - tortion in the center. This book is filled with them and they look great. It is shipped in a metal tin and several actual enlarged photographs are included. The book can also be viewed using an iPad, available through iTunes ($19.99 retail) which includes audio commentary about each page. We won’t try to fast-step you past the $750 price: it will make you swallow hard. But then, it’s not for every - one—as the limited number would indicate. The photos are all black and white but Satterwhite scatters his memorabilia, things like pit passes and photographer’s THE RACERS – Endurance Motor identification cards on every R a c in g D a y t o n a 24-Ho u r a n d page and they are in color. It Sebring 12-Hour Rac es 1963-1973. works nicely. Photographs by Al Satterwhite. 8 3/4˝ The book has some x 11 3/8˝ hardcover; 97 pages; 126 great candid portraits of black and white photographs. Only Shelby, Miles, Hill, Moss 100 editions produced. Published by and Gurney. And Steve Redcat Publishing - racers @redcatedi - McQueen, who raced at tions.com $750.00. Sebring in 1970. We are Shelby American’s racing history duly impressed with this from 1962 through 1966 has been book and regret that we illustrated, for the most part, by the had to send it back, but it photos of Shelby’s in-house photogra - is just a wee bit out of pher Dave Friedman. He probably our price range. If it’s took close to 7,000 photos during his within yours, our advice time as a Shelby American employee, is to move in on it quick - 95% of them black and white. They ly because the supply have been used over and over again, in probably won’t last very just about any book or magazine arti - long. cle about Cobras from the 1960s to the present. So, when a new book like this comes along that offers period photos taken by a professional lensman other than Friedman, it offers a different perspective from the pictures that we have been virtually force-fed over the past 50 years. Al Satterwhite has put together a collection of his best photos, taken at his two favorite endurance races, Daytona and Sebring, between 1963 and 1973. Rather than choosing to publish a typical mass market coffee table book, he made it an exclusive, high-end piece. Only 100 copies were printed and the price of $750 insures no shortage of bells and whistles. Each book is numbered and signed by Satterwhite. The quality of the publi - cation is appropriate to the price. It is printed on heavy stock, the pho - tographs are perfectly reproduced and it uses a new technology called in an auto repair shop and building new SCCA series was created called and repairing his own cars. At 16 he Formula 5000. They were single-seat, packed his bags and went to California open-wheeled cars with engines limit - to find his future. He enrolled in high ed to 305 cubic-inches. Ninety-percent school for the last two years and while were powered by engines. Al going to school nights, worked at a Bartz’ business increased and by 1970 body shop in the daytime. he had seven full-time employees. In 1959 Bartz began working for One of the tricks was to find the Stu Hilborn, who had perfected fuel sweet spot between increased horse - injection, especially for Indianapolis power and reliability. Racing is a very cars. He also took night courses in public endeavor and everyone knows engineering at City who builds everyone else’s engines. AL BARTZ – ENGINE MAN by Phil College. Bartz learned all he could When a car has a catastrophic engine Henny. 11 1/2˝ x 9˝ hardcover; 155 from Hilborn and after five years he failure, it does not go unnoticed. pages; 26 color and 120 black and left there. He landed at Gasoline Alley, Likewise, a victory is a great adver - white photographs. Published by looking for someone who needed a tisement. Editions Cotty, Portland, Oregon free-lance mechanic. That didn’t work Al Bartz passed away in 1981. He www.philhenny.com $56. out, so he went back to California. A had gone into the hospital with con - This is the fourth of Phil Henny’s few years later he went to work for stant back pains. In short order they books since he swapped his wrenches Traco Engineering. discovered a tumor and his condition for the computer. The preceeding Bartz left Traco in 1966 with no deteriorated quickly. His doctor said books: “Just Call Me Carroll” (2004), actual plans. After a couple of weeks his heavy smoking habit was ultimate - “Bob Bondurant - America’s at the beach in Santa Monica recharg - ly responsible. Uncrowned World Driving Champion” ing his batteries, he received a call This book is well researched, well (2007), and the “Bob Bondurant from Lothar Motschenbacher, who written and well illustrated. Henny Scrapbook” (2009). Born in needed an engine for his Can-Am car. makes excellent use of others who Switzerland, Henny became a race With no other prospects immediately knew or worked for Bartz as well as mechanic in Europe in the 1960s, first available, Bartz borrowed a corner of a brief pieces from pertinent articles in with a French team and friend’s shop and his tools and built an U.S. automobile publications. Even a year later with the Scuderia alloy Olds F-85 engine. though Henny is the only connection Filipinetti team’s Ford GT40 LeMans Motschenbacher won the Mid-Ohio between Al Bartz and Shelby program. event and, just like that, there was American, this is a valuable book that In 1967 Henny went to work for suddenly a demand for Al Bartz provides context into the times and Shelby American, where he assisted in engines. George Follmer got a 333 the people who were involved. Road the construction and campaigning of cubic-inch Chevy that enabled him to racing in Southern California was a the Ford GT40 MK IV which would place 5th at Riverside. Within a year small universe. Everyone knew each eventually win the LeMans 24 Hours, Bartz had a shop of his own in Van other and their paths crossed and driven by and A.J. Foyt. Nuys. criss-crossed continually. The more From 1969 to 1972 he went to work as Everyone, it seemed, wanted a you learn about the people who were a machinist for Al Bartz. Bartz Engine Chevy small-block. Between the involved, the better your understand - Development in Van Nuys, California Trans-Am, the Can-Am and the ing of what went on. Here’s another was one of the best known engine USRRC, there was more of a demand book that should be on your shelf. builders in the 1960s and 1970s. than the top shops like Traco could Each book is signed by the author. During this time Henny came to know supply. Traco averaged 50-60 of their Bartz very well. Bartz specialized in grey-painted engines a year, or a little Chevy engines which powered Can- more than one a week. So there was Am, Formula 5000 and Trans-Am cars room for Bartz and his trademark driven by some of the most successful dark blue small-block Chevys. Within and best known drivers of the era: a couple of years the ante for the Can- John Surtees, David Hobbs, Jack Am front runners was a big block, Brabham, George Follmer, Sam Posey, Chevy or Ford. But instead of the John Cannon, Peter Revson, Chuck small-block builders scrambling to Parsons, , Lothar upgrade their skills and equipment, a Motschenbacher, Tony Adamowicz, Skip Scott, Roy Woods and , to name a few. Bartz passed away in 1981, at 43 years of age. At that time he was at the height of his craft. Henny’s book begins when Bartz was a young boy in rural Wisconsin, fascinated by any - thing mechanical. By the time he was in his teens he was working part time Think of it as a beginner’s primer. Shelby Mustangs just didn’t appear in Despite more and increasingly a puff of smoke. Then the cars are detailed information being published addressed one year at a time. The in a new edition of SAAC’s registry chapter for each successive year is every ten years, we still continue to comprised of some text which receive requests asking us to reprint describes the features that make the the “Shelby Buyers Guide.” What car a Shelby. But more important are always kept us from reprinting it was the photos. All are in color and all are that a lot of the details in that book shot specifically for this book—no peri - have since proven to be inaccurate. In od black-and-white factory public rela - those early days we were gathering tions shots are used. The captions for new information at an astounding the photos of individual parts and rate. Each new registry contained components are expansive and whatever had been learned since the detailed, and filled with facts and last one. However, as these books got descriptions which bring the photos to thicker and thicker, they contained so life. much information that it became Every year Shelby is treated with increasingly difficult to pull specific equal detail and Kolasa has done a answers out of it quickly. There masterful job insuring that the caption appeared to be a demand for a smaller information contains meaningful facts reference book but we simply did not and descriptions. Seeing the picture THE DEFINITIVE SHELBY MUS- have the time to put it together. It and then reading what is being dis - TANG GUIDE 1965-1970 by Greg would have to be left to someone else cussed just below it makes the infor - Kolasa. 8 3/4˝ x 11 3/8˝ hardcover; to do it. mation both valuable and memorable. 192 pages; 533 color photographs. That someone else turned out to Every Shelby-unique part is featured Published by CarTech, Inc. be Greg Kolasa. When he was helping in this manner. www.cartechbooks.com $39.95. on the last two registries he demon - Shelby Mustangs are now Full disclosure, up front: Greg strated that he was diligent and approaching 50 years old. During that Kolasa is a SAAC registrar (GT40s detail-oriented (borderline obsessive) time almost all of their production and Hertz cars), has served on the and he had a talent for researching details have been discovered and club’s board of directors, has contribut - the most obscure facts and details. He placed before owners. Early on, some ed numerous articles and photographs was able to weave these facts and things were “discovered” which sound - for The Shelby American , and is a details into a readable story. Add to ed correct and true but which have long-time friend. All this considered, this an ability to take excellent pho - now been found to be incorrect and, we believe we are still capable of accu - tographs. As they say in the television hence, untrue. Unfortunately, once rately and honestly reviewing his police shows, he had the motive and something is deemed to be correct in work. the means; all he needed was the many enthusiasts’ minds, it takes a lot This book has been a long time opportunity. to change it when it is wrong. This coming. It is a combination of the orig - He had often thought of writing a book makes a great effort to do just inal “Shelby American Guide” pub - book on Shelbys that would be sort of that, and while it probably won’t be lished by SAAC in 1981, and Ray like “Mustang Does It!” but more able to do it singlehandedly, it is an Miller’s “Mustang Does It!” published detailed. He happened to meet an excellent reference source for those 1978. Only it is much, much better automotive book publisher who liked owners and enthusiasts who continu - than either of them. his idea but felt that kind of a book ally battle the know-it-alls who don’t Miller’s book was a compilation of was outside his area of specialization. but who think they actually do. photographs of Mustang parts, badges So he suggested another publisher, One of the aspects that make and components. Every year was who also liked the idea, and gave Shelbys so interesting is that there included, from 1964 1/2 to 1973 Kolasa the green light. With that, the tend to be, especially with the earlier (including 1965-1970 Shelbys). All the accumulation of photos and informa - models, differences from car to car. pictures were black and white. For his tion began. Where production was concerned, photos, Miller stuck close to home The biggest problem with a book there were almost as many exceptions (Southern California) and unknowing - like this is not the difficulty in gather - to the rule as there were rules them - ly included cars which were not accu - ing necessary information that will be selves. Noting these differences is rately restored. But back then not used to fill it. That’s the easy part. almost a hobby within a hobby for many people knew what was right and Much more difficult is sorting through some Shelby enthusiasts. These what was wrong. Everyone was still it to pluck out those pieces that are anomalies make it very difficult for learning the basics. necessary to tell the story you intend anyone to lay claim to the title of SAAC’s “Guide” was actually a to tell. Knowing what to use and what expert. If any book will help, this one response to Shelby enthusiasts who to leave behind is the hard part. will. Think of it as the “Cliff’s Notes” were starving for details on these cars. This book is presented very logi - version of the registry, only with 500 Their questions never ceased, so we cally. It begins with a few brief chap - color photographs. If you thought your assembled as much information as ters which lay out the history of the Shelby bookshelf was complete, make was known at the time, and put it into cars, putting it in context. because the enough room to squeeze in one more. a book .It filled a void and was an You will refer to this book again and immediate success but was far from again. perfect. COBR AS AT MONTER EY — 50th MY 1967 SHELBY STORY by Hunt Anniversary Celebration photogra - and Pat Palmer-Ball. 12 3/4˝ x 10 phy by Doug Clark, Lynn Park and 7/8 ˝ hardcover; 44 pages, 74 color Jim Yedor. 16˝ x 11 1/2˝ hardcover; 62 photos. Published by Lopez-Bonilla pages; 325 color photographs. $200. Resources LLC, Louisville, KY. There are coffee table books, and www.lbrdesign.com $115.59. then there are COFFEE TABLE We have often said that every BOOKS! This is one of the latter. Lynn Shelby or Cobra has a story and this is Park, Doug Clark and Jim Yedor must as good an example as we can find. THE TASCA FORD LEGACY by Bob have each taken at least a thousand When SAAC member Hunt Palmer- McClurg. 8 1/2˝ x 11 ˝ hardcover; 192 photos during the Monterey weekend. Ball was 19 years-old he saw a 1967 pages, 107 black and white and 119 They put them all together and chose GT350 on the showroom floor at Burns color photos. Published by Car Tech the best 325, and assembled them into Ford, the local dealer. It was love at Books, www.cartechbooks.com/tasca this oversized book. It is one you will first sight. Within a couple of days he $39.95. pick up and look at, again and again. had convinced his dad to accompany Bob McClurg has a resume that And each time you open it you’re going him to look at the car. This was fol - could fill a book all by itself. He start - to see something you didn’t see before. lowed by a full-court press to convince ed taking photos at drag races in The photographs are sharp and him to co-sign for the car. It all worked Southern California in 1964 and his vibrant, the paper is heavy and every and the story is a fascinating one. It work has appeared in print every - picture is briefly captioned with the includes meeting his wife and taking where. He’s also served as editor of driver’s name and the car’s serial her for a hair-raising first ride, modify - several magazines, written hundreds number. There are pages and pages of ing the car for drag racing and after of articles and dozens of books. His detail shots (two facing pages with a putting it into storage for a few photo-journalist and drag racing back - dozen photos on each one of only decades, pulling it out and giving it a ground made this book a perfect pro - engines, interiors or nose numbers). total restoration to as-delivered condi - ject for him. Back in the 1960s, when The cars are mostly those that raced tion. muscle cars were center-stage, a hand - but other Cobras that weren’t are If you’ve seen the various coffee ful of “super dealers” gained legend included here and there; cars at the table books available you probably status, mostly through drag racing. Pebble Beach show and at the Quail found yourself wondering what one Tasca Ford was one of the best known. Lodge are also included. would look like if your car was the Their drag team criss-crossed the Unlike other Cobra books, there subject of one. Along with some beauti - country winning match races and set - are also pages and pages of people ful photography shot by Juan Lopez- ting records almost every weekend. shots —drivers, wives, kids, friends Bonilla, Hunt Palmer-Ball relates the The dealership was one of the most and assorted VIPs who were milling history of his car. Seeing everything successful in the country and owner around in the paddock. These pictures compiled into a hardcover book about Bob Tasca even had Henry Ford II’s have the feel of a huge family reunion. your own car is very satisfying. ear regarding sales and performance. It all works and it gives you an honest Information about self-publishing is Pictures never tell the full story and and personal feel for what it was like detailed on the Blurb McClurg has done a masterful job of to be a part of this Cobra weekend of website—www.blurb.com/self-publish - digging behind the scenes to provide weekends. ing-overview—and you can have as an understanding of this dealership A few months after the event a few as 20 copies printed. Ever wanted and the people who made it successful. copy of this book was sent to every to be an author? Here’s your opportu - driver. If that wasn’t you, you can still nity. get your own copy (while they last). They are $200 each. You can obtain one from Lynn Park at [email protected] Individual photos from the book are available from Jim Yedor at [email protected] After Legate’s first book we both voiced our opposing opinions in letters to each other, we went around a bit, and ultimately realized that neither of us was likely to convince the other of their errant ways and good-naturedly agreed to disagree. We have become good friends over the years and view this difference of opinion about AC Cars’ role much like two fans of rival sports teams. Sharing the book’s authorship is Cobra enthusiast Kay Hafner, a German business executive. He orga - nized a well-attended Cobra 50th Anniversary meet last June in a small HO L MAN MO O D Y – T h e COBRA – The Story of an Ic on by town close to the Rhine river in L e g e n d a r y R a c e Te a m by Tom Trevor Legate and Kay Hafner. 12˝ x Germany. Twenty-nine original Cobras Cotter and Al Pearce. 10 3/8˝ x 10 12˝ hardcover; 206 pages; 82 black and attended. A few months later Hafner 3/8˝ hardcover; 256 pages; 212 black white and 259 color photographs. raced a Cobra at the Goodwood and white and 53 color photographs. Published by Collectors Car World; Revival. Legate was there with his Published by Octane Press, www.collectorscarworld.com U.S. camera to document both events. This www.octanepress.com $75. price: $168 for standard version (289 book is the result of Legate’s high We reviewed the first go-around of copies printed) and $325 for the special quality photos as well as his text, this book back in 2003 ( The Shelby slip-case edition (25 produced); postage which is wrapped around the pictures American #72, page 11) and we said it additional. to briefly recount the Cobra story. was a “must-read.” Except if you didn’t It’s about time another Cobra One of the strong points of this get a copy within a few years, you book was published! Actually, we’re book is that almost all of the cars pic - were either out of luck or at the mercy not being facetious: it has been almost tured are European-owned cars. For of the eBay gougers. We’ve seen the six months since the curtain came anyone who can’t get enough of original $39.95 sticker price inflated to down on last year’s 12-month Cobras, this is a welcomed change $250. marathon tribute to the Cobra’s 50 from the books written by U.S. authors Even though there were two year anniversary. It was some party. that primarily showcase Cobras in this printings of the book, over the past few During that time four Cobra books country. Many of these cars are years enough people who didn’t get came onto the market: Colin Comer’s brought to multiple events or are one when they were gettable con - “Shelby Cobra 50 Years,” Al entered in numerous vintage races vinced Tom Cotter to take another Satterwhite’s “The Racers,” Rinsey and seem to be pictured over and over. crack at it. The new edition has the Mills’ “Carroll Shelby” authorized Not that that’s a bad thing: if you same photos but it allowed him to cor - biography and “Cobras at Monterey bring your car out to events it will be rect some errors (and we know how 50th Anniversary Celebration” by photographed, and those pictures can that works: as soon as your book gets Lynn Park. Each one had a different end up in magazines or on websites. If printed, things you thought were cor - take on these cars and they came you park it in your garage or ware - rect turn out to be not so correct). You along every three or four months, so house and never take it out, it will always feel good about correcting your there was plenty of time for the more remain your little secret. own record. dedicated Cobraphiles among us to We like this book. Print quality is The new edition is updated with read and savor each book before they high, photo reproduction is excellent an additional chapter (this book is 14 plunked the newest one down in front and if we had one complaint—and it’s pages longer than the original). In the of them. not a big one—it’s that the type is past ten years the company had not Trevor Legate is no stranger to oversized. This is great for those been standing still or passing quietly Cobras, having authored no less than whose eyesight is heading south, but it into history. Today it is more recog - six books about the marque as well as means an increased page count with nized than ever, thanks to the product numerous magazine articles. The less content. If the type size was identification of the latest generation books are well written and thoroughly reduced and the size of some of the of Ford enthusiasts. Having a car researched but they all come from the pictures was increased the page count restored by H-M today brings with it British perspective: AC Cars was the could have probably stayed the same. bragging rights, especially if it was a manufacturer while Shelby American New photos and information is race car. Holman-Moody has even been was left to market, advertise, race and always of interest to both hardcore tapped by Ford as the basis for a spe - sell the cars. From our side of the and casual Cobra enthusiasts. Because cial niche-market edition Mustang. Atlantic, of course, we see AC as the European Cobras are fairly rare in Only 500 “TdF” models will be made to subcontractor for chassis, bodies, hard - most Cobra books put together in the commemorate the first Mustang HM ware and interiors and Shelby U.S., this book provides things you was involved with in 1964 1/2, the American as the parent company and might not usually see. Only 289 copies Tour de France rally cars. You’ll have manufacturer of record. will be printed so like Cobras them - to get the book to learn more! selves, the high price of this book reflects the quality and quantity. There have been more articles and books written about the Mustang than you can count. Virtually all of them have included pictures, and pictures are Farr’s long suit. He started by shooting photos at Mustang and Shelby events while he was still in high school and was an early contribu - tor to SAAC’s magazine. Over the last five decades he has taken thousands of photographs and has assembled a monstrous archive. He has quite likely read every book on Mustangs that has AM ER IC AN AUT O L EG END S - been written, and choosing photos for C la ssi c s o f Sty le a n d D e sig n . this book was not an easy task. They Published by the Easton Press, are necessary to tell the story and Norwalk, Connecticut; three monthly some factory or historical photos, ones installments at $49 each. that everyone has seen, have no sub - Up front, we have to admit that stitute. The choice for others is heavily we have not seen this book. This MUS TANG – Fi f ty Ye a r s. weighed towards using photos never Celebrating Americ a’s Only True review is only based on a four-page before, or rarely seen. And this covers color flyer we received. Our opinion of by Donald Farr. 12 1/4˝ x a fifty year span. it would have been a lot different 10˝ hardcover; 256 pages; 114 black The pictures are not all of cars. twenty years ago. We might have sug - and white and 278 color photographs. There are photos of some of the people gested it would make a good addition Published by Motorbooks/MBI who were involved as well as a wide to your Shelby collection only because Publishing, www.motorbooks.com range of Mustang memorabilia and Shelbys and Cobras (we assume) were price: $50; postage additional. explanations of how Mustangs fit into included. That used to be enough of a Donald Farr’s Mustang book is the popular culture, including television reason for us. But in the intervening first one out of the gate for the car’s and the movies. In 1964, the new car years there has been so much pub - 50th anniversary steeplechase, and he was pictured with Lee Iacocca on the lished about these cars (a lot of it by sets a very high bar for the books that cover of both Time and Newsweek . SAAC) that it takes more than a few are certain to follow. Farr has been How do you put together a book like photos and brief mentions to compel involved with Mustangs since 1966 this and not use them? You don’t. us to suggest it be in your collection. and has been the editor of Mustang This is not a book you will read in There has just been too much out Monthly for more than 30 years. It one or two sittings and put on the there for anyone to try to keep up with could be argued that no one knows shelf. You will pick it up again and it all and get one of everything. This more about the history of the Mustang again, and each time you will see book has plenty of glitz: gold stamp - than Donald Farr. He has lived it, pho - things you’ve previously missed. The ings on the leather cover, gilded page tographed it and written about it. It’s Mustang has had an interesting histo - ends and a satin ribbon marker. None as perfect a fit between author and ry and thanks to Donald Farr, this is of it seems to justify the $147 price. subject as you are likely to find. its textbook. This book is a history of the Mustang, told through the enthusiast’s eye—not a sanitized corporate view. In fact, as we were flipping through it on the first go-round, it had the feel of a textbook. The Mustang is Ford’s longest running nameplate. It has been around for 50 years, before many current enthusiasts were born. In their lives, there has always been a Mustang. They have distinct memories of the Mustang that was brand new when they first became interested in cars, were in high school or entered the hobby. They need a review of histo - ry and Farr does a excellent job of bringing everyone up to speed. Even those who were there at Day One. life-defining moments, while in college His experiences included just he went to Sebring, saw the heros he about all the cars Shelby American had been reading about, and imagined was involved with: competition road - himself driving there. sters, King Cobras, Daytona Coupes He applied to the Carroll Shelby and even a driving stint at Sebring in School of High Performance Driving the prototype 427 Cobra. In fact, and (surprise!) he was accepted. He Morton was like numerous Shelby traded up to a Jaguar XK150 coupe, American employees, hoping to score figuring that would be a passable a driving assignment on the team. school car. Once there he was disap - Shelby had explained that drivers pointed that Shelby, himself, wasn’t were a dime a dozen and the line to his instructor. He spent five days drive one stretched almost to the hori - under the watchful eye of Peter Brock. zon. Nevertheless, Morton’s dream of driving an early Cobra school car. becoming a name driver remained. Morton’s story isn’t a tale of ne’er- His writing is matter-of-fact but con - do-well in state-of-the-art cars, race sistently interesting. Facts are accu - queens, winners circles and wealthy rate as only someone who was there sponsors like, perhaps, ten percent of could recall. He has a tongue-in-cheek the A-list drivers. Real life was more sense of humor and is self-depreciat - INSIDE SHELBY AMERICAN– like making due with a seasons-old ing when he needs to be. It all works. Wr e n c h in g a n d R a c in g w ith car, a clapped-out tow vehicle, living John Morton was terminated at Carroll Shelby in the 1960s by John in cheap apartments and stretching Shelby American before the team left Morton. 6 1/2˝ x 9 1/4˝ hardcover; 248 an already limited budget to go rac - for Europe. Cobra racing in the U.S. pages; 90 black and white and 46 color ing. All the time nursing a desire that was winding down but he stayed in photographs. Published by superceded just about everything else. racing. His tenure at Shelby’s brought Motorbooks/MBI Publishing, At the track one day Brock introduced him into contact with a large number www.motorbooks.com price: $28; him to Carroll Shelby and Morton of fabricators, engine builders, postage additional. heard himself asking for a job in mechanics and drivers. In Southern “Maybe you had to be there.. .” Shelby’s new Cobra facility. A couple California their paths criss-crossed We’ve all heard that punch line, added of days later he was hired and shown continually. Only a few, it seemed, after a long, tortured story told in the his new office: a broom closet. He was, stayed at Shelby American forever. second or third person after it fell flat. as Phil Remington called him, “ the Morton moved on, building oil pans Usually the storyteller lacked the con - janitor in the Jaguar. ” and working for USRRC and Can-Am text or emotion necessary to make the Morton was kept busy and was teams, still hoping to snag a driving story interesting. That happens a lot soon tasked with small jobs and assignment. Once in a while he scored when someone tries to relate history became a parts-chaser. A modest but was yet to be dealt a winning that he or she wasn’t there to witness. inheritance allowed him to buy a hand, to get that big break that would Not so, with John Morton’s book. He Lotus Super 7 and he began to fill his turn things around. was there and he provides the neces - weekends with regional races. In If we have a criticism of this book, sary context. It may be a little short on between he kept busy wrenching team it’s that it ended too soon. We were emotion but, then again, he’s a race Cobras and following them to races. It yearning for more. The BRE Datsuns driver. If he was emotional he probably is all told in thoughtful detail, with a only got a slim chapter and you know would have never raced. lot of back-stories and insider infor - there was a lot more to it. Morton won This is one of the best books we’ve mation. Morton was the one who two national championships in 240Zs read about what went on during the drove the Daytona Coupes onto the in 1970 and 1971. The 510s, with Cobra days. It is not an all-encompass - transporter before the ‘65 Daytona Morton as the lead driver, so dominat - ing story, following the Cobra narra - race, except where he was elbowed out ed the SCCA Under 2-Liter Trans-Am tive from the first car through the last of the way by Allen Grant who wanted series in 1971 and 1972 that Porsche race. It’s doubtful that anyone who to load his own car because he was and BMW quit and the series was ter - was there could write such a book afraid of clutch damage. Cobra fans minated. today. This is the story as seen will recall the car slipped off the In the book’s epilogue, Morton through Morton’s eyes. He grew up in ramps. Morton tells the story you may explained that he ended the book Northern and was a sports car never heard before. There are a lot of where he did because things began for enthusiast even before he had a these stories in the book. him at Riverside at Shelby’s driving license or a first car. He began by sit - school with Peter Brock. Ending it ting in the bleachers with his father with Brock’s BRE team seemed appro - and brother and soon progressed to priate. He said no sequel will be writ - driving go-karts and circle-track jalop - ten. A shame. ies. He bought a used MG TD in high school and tore up the twisting back roads. The die was cast. In one of those by their original buyers. We suspect that statistic hasn’t changed. When you buy a kit Cobra you are essential - ly buying a dream. If you buy someone else’s uncompleted kit you’re often buying a nightmare. You’re left with more questions and answers. This book provides the answers. It includes sections on all of the major chassis variations, from Contemporary, Butler, E.R.A., C.A.V. and Factory Five. Original CSX2000 and CSX3000 chassis are included and because Shelby CSX4000 and Kirkham chassis are built to original specifications, they are covered, too. There are sections on suspension, steering, rear end and brakes; wheels, tires and seats and transmissions. B UIL D YO UR O WN C O B R A - T O P MUSC L E by Darwin Wiring, the dashboard and gauges are Reference Guide and Helpful Tips Holmstrom; photography by Randy extensively covered. Every single com - by Phil Henny. 6˝ x 7 1/4˝ spiral- Leffingwell. 10˝ x 11 1/2 ˝ hardcover; ponent is there, from hoods and bound, 138 pages; 45 black and white, 224 pages, 217 color photos. Published scoops, roll bars, bumpers, gas caps, 100 color photographs and 56 illustra - by Motorbooks, www.motorbooks.com carpeting and even LeMans stripes. tions and drawings. Published by $50.00. Make no mistake, this is not a Editions Cotty, www.philhenny. com This is a perfect example of a cof - step-by-step, how-to shop manual but $28.00. Kindle edition is $3.49. fee table book. It contains beautifully more like a reference book that points You can’t say that Phil Henny is done studio shots of 25 perfectly you in the right direction or eight just another writer who doesn’t have restored muscle cars from GM, , source for every aspect of building a any hands-on experience with these AMC and Ford/Mercury/Shelby. Only Cobra . Henny used his own cars. And plenty of books have been one was a Shelby, a 1968 GT500KR. experience in building a written by such people. Henny is a That’s probably not enough content to Contemporary 427 Cobra in 2004 as a European-trained mechanic who saw make a Shelby enthusiast lunge for guide for this book. It also has exten - his first Cobra in August 1964 when this book, but if you have any interest sive references to websites. In fact, it Bob Bondurant drove one in the Sierra in 1960s-1970s muscle cars you’ll want was originally published as an e-Book, Montana hill climb in Switzerland. He to give this book a second look. The meant to be read on an iPad. It is won the event and it made an impres - thing we found interesting was that interactive, enabling you to click on sion on Henny. A year later he was all of the cars were located in one various links which include YouTube working as a racing mechanic at place—a 600-car museum owned by and see thousands of Cobra racing Scuderia Filipinetti, the Swiss two brothers who demanded privacy videos. You can get a look at the book importer for Cobras and GT350s, han - and were never named in the book. A on Amazon.com (go to Phil Henny dling all of their Ford stuff. In 1967 he future semi-public museum was books) to see portions of the Kindle came to America to Shelby American reported to be in the planning stage. edition. and worked in the competition depart - In the foreward (written by SAAC The eBook was completed this ment on GT40 MK IVs, Cobras, Trans- member Charlie Lillard), some of the past summer and proved very popular Am and Can-Am cars. After he left the more interesting cars in the collection (especially at the Kindle price). Shelby Racing Company he opened his were listed: four 1969 Trans-Am con - However, in a nod to those who prefer own dry sump manufacturing business vertibles (half of all built); eight Hemi to hold an actual book in their hands and raced his own cars. Cuda or Hemi Challenger convert - and turn its pages, Henny put togeth - The Cobra is a fantastically suc - ibles; two 1957 factory supercharged er a printed version. Only 100 copies cessful car; more so than anyone could Ford Rancheros. These brothers are were produced and they all went have imagined in the 1960s, inside or serious collectors. Choosing 25 cars for quickly. It’s likely more will be pro - outside of Shelby American. Aside this book had to be an impossible task. duced in the near future. from the 998 original chassis built Ok, it could have used a few more Note that this book is aimed at between 1961 and 1967, over a hun - Shelbys or a Cobra, but maybe producing a car that is as close as pos - dred companies are presently building Holmstrom is saving that for his next sible to an original specification Cobra. Cobras in some form, in a dozen differ - book. There is no mention of non-Ford ent countries. When Petersen engines, lug nut hubs or other typical Publications was putting out a maga - low-end components. zine called Kit Car back in the 1990s, they came up with an interesting statistic: less than one third of all Cobra kits were eventually completed SAAC SHELBY REGISTRY 1968-1969-1970

   

SH EL B Y M USTANG – F IF T Y YEARS by Colin Comer. 10 1/8˝ x 12 50 SHA D ES O F R UST by Tom 1/4 ˝ hardcover; 240 pages, 115 black Cotter. 8 1/2˝ x 10 1/4 ˝ hardcover; 192 SAAC SHELBY R EGISTR Y 1968- and white and 242 color photos. pages, 22 black and white and 162 1969-1970 4th Ed itio n . Edited by Published by Motorbooks, Quarto color photos. Published by Motorbooks, Rick Kopec and Vincent Liska. 8 1/2˝ x Publishing Group, USA, Inc. www.col - Quayside Publishing Group, 11 ˝ hardcover; 1,472 pages, 808 black incomerbooks.com $50.00. www.motorbooks.com $30.00. and white photos. Published by the Just when we think we’ve seen The term “barn find” has come to Shelby American Automobile Club, the last serious book on Shelbys any - be associated with author Tom Cotter, [email protected] $205 plus one could possibly write, along comes probably because he has filled six $12.35 US postage, $61.75 outside of another one. Well, no kidding, this is books with stories about finding and the US and the rest of the galaxy. the last one, and we’re not issuing a resurrecting long lost cars. We know Do we have the audacity, insolence challenge, here: aside from some new Tom as a SAAC member with a 289 and pluck to review our own book? In color photos, it probably isn’t possible (barn find) Cobra who has attended a word, yes. This is the third volume of to spin the yarn again past conventions. While one of his pas - a trilogy of registries. So much infor - and make it as interesting as Colin sions is playing automotive detective, mation on Cobras, GT40s and Shelbys Comer has done in this book. This is most of the stories included in this has been unearthed over the years the third Comer Cobra/Shelby book in book (94 total) have been collected that it was necessary to separate it fairly quick succession which demon - from fellow auto hobbyists who eager - chronologically and print three indi - strates his ability to keep his nose to ly send him their stories. If the book vidual books. They are all hefty tomes: the Shelby grindstone. was limited to only his personal expe - 1,618, 1,352 and 1,472 pages respec - The foreword was written by Lee riences it would be much thinner. And tively. It they were combined and Iacocca and how Comer was able to likely not as interesting. printed as one Webster’s Unabridged arrange that is anyone’s guess. Finding a long forgotten car in a Dictionary-sized volume, it would have Incriminating photos? If anyone could barn (or warehouse, open field or been 8˝ thick and contain 4,441 pages. turn them up, Comer can. Everything wherever fate has left it) is a thrill for It would have needed wheels and a about this book screams quality . The the finder, whether or not he or she is handle like a piece of carry-on luggage color photographs are excellent and able to come to terms with the car’s or a couple of coolies to trundle it the paper is so thick you’ll pinch the owner. But almost as satisfying are around. This registry is no different pages while turning them, thinking the stories and photos of these discov - from the first two; everything we’ve two are sticking together. Most of the eries. When someone unearths a dis - been able to gather on these cars has photos are displayed in oversized for - appeared car, they are experiencing been put into this book. If you have mat, making the text appear to shrink. the thrill of the hunt. The thrill any questions about 1968, 1969 or It’s an optical illusion. The writing is remains whether they eventually buy 1970 Shelbys, this book will answer as factual as it gets and tightly edited; the car (the kill) or not. them. no wandering, no tangents, no fluff or We immediately flipped through filler. This is Comer’s finest book yet. If the book and found stories about a 289 you consider yourself a real Shelby Cobra drag car (CSX2353) which is person, this book should be on your still in limbo, a ‘65 GT350 (5S545), a coffee table. If you’re not, it just might 67 GT350, a Shelby Group II Mustang make you one. and a Boss 429. Read ‘em and weep. C A R R O L L HA L L SHE L B Y: A Pic torial Odyssey by Art Evans. 11 3/4˝ x 8 3/4 ˝ hardcover; 279 pages, 252 black and white and 40 color pho - tos. Published by Photo Dats Research, Redondo Beach, CA, www.photo - dataresearch.com $39.95. 1964 1/2 - 2015 by Art Evans was introduced to The Amazing Life of JOHN COOP- Peter C. Sessler. 5˝ x 8˝ softbound; 240 sports car racing in Southern ER FITCH by Art Evans. 5 1/2˝ x 8 pages; 107 color photos, 6 black and California by his uncle in 1956. He 1/2 ˝ softbound; 191 pages, 96 black white photos.Quarto Publishing Group began taking photos of race cars and and white photos. Published by autobooks.com $24.99. the men who drove them and as a Enthusiast Books, Hudson, WI. Peter Sessler has put together result, he developed lifelong friend - www.enthusiast books. com $29.95. more Mustang (including Shelby) ships with drivers like Dan Gurney, When John Fitch passed away at specification and price guides than we Phil Hill, Ken Miles and Carroll the ripe old age of 95, more than one can count. He has come out with one Shelby. He has published several person said, “ We’ll not see the likes of every few years, including the newest books about racing in that era and him again ” and it was true. You could cars. He has found his niche, and he is formed a special friendship with write a book about the exploits, adven - very good at it. Shelby. This book is the result of that tures and experiences that made up We’ll admit there’s not much we relationship. John Fitch’s life. And in fact, someone haven’t seen concerning the 1964 1/2 It is an excellent pictorial history has. Art Evans is the perfect individu - through 1970 cars, so we find our - and although we can not verify it, it al to tell Fitch’s story because he has selves zipping through those pages. probably contains a photo of every car been close to the racing scene in this But where this book really shines, for Carroll Shelby ever raced. And as a country since the 1950s and came to us, are the 2006 through 2015 driver between 1954 and 1960 it’s know almost every American driver in Mustangs. Production figures for all doubtful that Shelby ever turned down that early era. cars are included and Ford’s Shelby a ride. It is his life in pictures, from It is hard to believe that one man GT500 cars are broken out. It doesn’t childhood to the last months before he could have done all the things John seem like they have been produced for passed away. Text is sparse; mostly Fitch did. In 1941 he went to army the past seven years. Shelby’s own words remembering cer - flight school and was one of the first One thing the book doesn’t tain races or what is going on in a pic - fliers sent to Europe. While piloting a have—and this is by no means meant ture here and there. People in the pho - P-51 Mustang he shot down a as a criticism—are production figures tos are almost all identified by name, Messerschmitt ME 262 jet fighter. He for the latest Shelby post-title cars. which helps in understanding how returned from the war with a desire to The factory seems, for some reason, to they passed in and out of the Shelby race sports cars and successfully com - be very protective of these numbers story. We’ve seen virtually every book peted at tracks in the U.S., Europe and and one has to wonder why. If the written about Carroll Shelby and to be South America. He advised in the newest generation of Shelbys are to be honest, we didn’t think there was room making of the Kirk Douglas movie considered as collectibles, and if they for one more. We were wrong. You “The Racers” and designed the Lime are expected to appreciate like col - might know all about Cobras and Rock race circuit. He raced during the lectibles, verifiable production num - Shelbys but this is a gem of a book most dangerous years of the sport and bers will be required. Our guess is that that will help to know all about seeing so many deaths prompted him when they are available, Sessler will Carroll Shelby as a driver and the cars to invent the displaceable guardrail have them. he raced. Art Evans has done a mas - and the inertial barriers used on most terful job of assembling an amazing highways today. There is much more, collection of photos—many of which and it’s all in this excellent book. you probably have not seen before. Make room on your bookshelf for this one. You’ll probably find yourself refer - ring to it often. images he took at these races—of Cobras, GT40s, Shelby and some of the drivers and crew members—into an iTunes book which we had a chance to see. We were impressed. We’re so used to seeing the same Daytona Coupe photos over and over (mostly taken by Shelby American photographer Dave Friedman) in almost every book we pick up [ full disclosure: we’ve relied on those photos, too ] that when we see “new” photos of these same races and cars we get excited. Although this book is only 43 pages (stuffed with 88 photographs) its price of $11.99 makes it very affordable. The downside, of course, is are accurate because we have it on that once you buy it you can only view good authority that Comer relies it on your iPad. Unless you pony up heavily on SAAC’s registries, and $225 for a printed version. Either way, this is one of the reasons why we there are still new pictures turning up. published them.We believe in And that’s a good thing! sharing the information we CARROLL SHELBY – The Road To unearth, whether it is used by Vic tory by Al Satterwhite. iTunes e- enthusiasts, owners or authors. So book ; 43 pages, 88 black and white we had no problems with the accu - photos. www.alsatterwhite.com $11.99. racy of Comer’s books. We first met Al Satterwhite in He authored a Cobra book in 1980 when he was a time for that car’s 50th anniver - photographer. The magazine was putting together an article with driv - sary and when the 50th for the ing impressions on a Daytona Coupe, GT350 rolled around two years 427 Cobra and a 1966 GT350. Actually later, Comer’s publisher thought it the article was originally intended to would be the perfect time to include only the Coupe and the 427 update his 2009 book: a new cover, Cobra but we were not embarrassed to a quick rewrite of the portions that offer 6S118. They snapped it like a indicate Carroll Shelby and Phil hungry dog being offered a hamburger. Remington were still alive, and We met editors Rich Ceppos and Don including details on the Shelby Sherman and photog Satterwhite at Connecticut Dragway and after Mustangs produced between 2009 Ceppos’ drove the car and Sherman and 2015 in . The book rowed through the gears a couple of SHELBY – The Complete Book was still selling well for times on the strip, we were turned o f Sh e lb y Au t o m o b i l e s – Motorbooks International (includ - over to Satterwhite who spent an Co b r as Mustan g s and Sup er ing being printed in three lan - entire afternoon shooting a couple of Snak es by Colin Comer. Hard- guages). hundred 35mm images. About a half- bound; 10 ̋ x 11 1/4 ̋ , 256 pages; So, it is truly a revised and dozen ended up in the magazine’s 139 b&w photos, 309 color. updated edition, but not anything April 1981 issue. Satterwhite had Published by MBI Publishing Co., “new” which would necessitate it owned a ‘66 GT350 at one time so he Minneapolis, MN $45.00 . was a kindred spirit. He also attended being purchased by someone who several races at Sebring and Daytona If you have a good memory, already has the 2009 edition – in 1963, 1964 and 1966 with press cre - you’ll recall that we reviewed this with the exception of the most dentials so he was able to get up close book in the Fall 2009 issue of this seriously deranged Shelby litera - to shoot Cobras and GT40s. august publication. SAAC member ture collectors. And how about Al Satterwhite has had a full and Colin Comer has managed to keep this: anyone in that deep will also fruitful career since then. His work himself busy writing books on have to have a copy of the book in has been exhibited in galleries and Cobras and Shelbys and he does a the three other languages. Yikes! museums around the world and his masterful job. His books details images have been used in Sports Illustrated , Life , Look , Time , Newsweek and Playboy . As a result, his work commands a premium price. He recently decided to put some of the So he forced himself to cooperate and started from scratch, relating his story once again. And once again it was an unpleasant experience. He invited the writer to stay in the guest room in his home so they could compress the task. And once again he ended it, despite an understanding of how important it was to tell his story. Maybe the two false starts had just been personality conflicts. By the time a third author made a pitch Rem had completely lost interest in the project. He realized how P H IL R EMING T O N – R E M difficult it would be and just didn’t R e m e m b e r e d b y h is Fr ie n d s by have the energy or the desire. So a Phil Henny. 8 1/2˝ x 11 ˝ hardcover; biography of Phil Remington was 234 pages; 96 black and white photos never written. And that was an and 143 color photos. Published by immeasurable loss. Editions Cotty, Portland, OR. Phil Henny, a former Shelby www.philhenny.com. $89.00. American team race mechanic and We “pre-reviewed” this book in the REM Remembered by his Friends fabricator realized it, and was not will - Fall 2014 issue. It was still going by Phil Henny. 18 1/2˝ x 11 ˝ hardcov - ing to let that happen. Since Rem was together but we had seen major parts er; 250+ pages. Published by Editions no longer around, Henny began col - and were excited about it. Why? Phil Cotty, Portland, OR. lecting the remembrances of as many Remington was arguably the one indi - www.philhenny.com. Available Spring, people who knew him as he could. He vidual at Shelby American most 2015. combined everything into this book. responsible for the success of every There is no one at Shelby Rem was so well liked by everyone vehicle that left the company. For American we respected more than Phil who worked with him that Henny seven decades he was involved with Remington. When he passed away at received more responses than he had many of the most historical and iconic the end of February 2013 at 92, every - planned for. Virtually everyone wanted race cars coming out of the west coast. one who knew him— even to be involved in the project, and pro - His mechanical and fabrication skills remotely—felt a huge sense of loss. He vide some of their remembrances. As a were unparalleled. After his passing in was a genuine icon and was irreplace - result, the book is taking longer than 2013 at 92, we were afraid that no able, and we feared that his passing expected. So we can only estimate the book about him and his experiences would go without a book about his life number of pages. would never be written. It would have and times. We know such a book was Printing is set for sometime in the been nothing short of a crime to let his begun on three separate occasions, by spring of 2015 and we will provide passing go unremembered. We have three different writers in the last five ordering details in the next issue. Shelby team member and author Phil years of his life. Rem didn’t really like Henny is still sorting through photos. Henny to thank that it has not. talking about himself and would relate Phil Remington lived an extraordinary Henny assembled most of what some of the more challenging projects life. He was involved, at some point, in was written about Rem, adding he was involved matter-of-factly, as if almost every aspect of the automotive remembrances of those who knew him anyone could have done them but it world. People were proud to say they and a couple of hundred photos. It is was just a coincidence it had been him. knew him. He was a unique individu - an excellent tribute to a man known He never bragged, although as they al. for his modesty. say, it’s not bragging if you can do it. Carroll Smith, Shelby American’s And he could do almost anything. GT40 team manager said of Rem, “ If So, for Phil Remington to sit down there’s a piece of an automobile that with a writer and relate the story of Phil Remington can’t fix, then he can his life was a painfully difficult task, make a perfect copy to replace it. And if to say the least. He could be cantan - he can’t copy the piece, then you’ll have kerous, curt and blunt and did not suf - to wait until God creates another. He’s fer fools. At all. It isn’t hard to imagine the best fabricator in the world and him losing his patience and telling the that’s not his strong point. ” If you’re writer it wasn’t going to work and to reading this magazine you need to get lost. Then another writer came read this book. along and pitched a book again. Rem probably had the feeling that his expe - riences needed to be told, and almost everyone he came into contact with reinforced this. When we first reviewed the origi - nal book in the Fall 2011 issue of The Shelby American we said, “ While this won’t be the last book written on these cars, it is probably the last one that needs to be written. It is that good. And the timing is perfect.” We’ll stand by that. Our guess (based on nothing more than intuition) is that the original book sold out and rather than just reprint it, the pub - lisher released a new edition with a snappy new cover carrying a nicely debossed Cobra emblem. Since the first book was printed, Carroll Shelby and Phil Remington passed from the scene, Shelby at 91 and Rem at 92. Their stars shone so brightly that they seemed to bleed a little from everyone else associated with Cobras. MUSCLE CAR WARS by B.J. Miller. There’s nothing wrong with an 6˝ x 9˝ softbound; 392 pages; no photos. SH EL B Y C O B R A – T h e Sn a k e updated reprint of Comer’s original Published by Anaphora Literary Press, T h a t C o n q u e r e d T h e Wo r ld by book, unless you aren’t a Shelby Atlanta, GA. anaphoraliterary.com Colin Comer. 10˝ x 12 ˝ hardbound (no American reader and think it’s an $25. dust jacket) 264 pages, 375 color and entirely new book. If you’re reading As a rule, novels do not usually 125 black and white photos. Published this, that won’t happen. Any one else find their way into the pages of this by Motorbooks International, is on their own. We can’t keep every magazine, but only because not many Minneapolis, Minnesota www.motor - from flying into a windmill. works of fiction are written that books.com $75.00. This book is a comfortable combi - include Shelbys as part of the story. Full disclosure: this is not a brand nation of history, accurately reported, Miller’s tale, however, is an interesting new book. It is an updated and re- and photos chosen to tell the story or one. As a muscle car enthusiast issue of Colin Comer’s previous Cobra enhance the cars. Most of the more throughout high school in the mid- book, Shelby Cobra - Fifty Years which recent pictures are large format and was published back in 2011. Comer coffee table quality drool-producers. 1970s, he describes his life, interests was contracted to update this “collec - The period photo black-and-whites are and the cars that came into and went tor’s edition” and he edited small por - reproduced large enough to be useful through his life. In great detail. tions of the text that related to people in research. Some others photos are One was a 1966 GT350 (6S1703, who have passed away since the book reproductions of snapshots taken back as pictured on the back of the book) was originally written. He also added in the day by enthusiasts (as opposed and it obviously played an important a chapter of remembrances of Shelby. to professionals). They were probably part of his life. Unfortunately, the car small format 3 1/2˝ x 3 1/2˝ color doesn’t enter the picture until the last prints, taken by Instamatics or other quarter of the book. You have to plow low-tech cameras that everyone (other through a lot of pages and read about then pros) used in the 1960s and a lot of other cars before you get there. 1970s. Enlarging them for a book like Is it worth your time? That’s up to the this results in diminishing quality. It reader. Miller certainly puts a differ - can’t be helped, but their importance ent spin on things and it’s pretty to the story overrides the less than unique; you probably won’t find it any - perfect reproduction. Also included are where else. two 12˝ x 18˝ color gatefold illustra - tions by automobile artist Hector Camemartori. Should you buy this book? Yes, if you don’t already have a copy of the original. No, if you do. Although if you are a hardcore collector you’ll have to have one of each. That’s just a cross you have to bear. Nobody ever said this would be easy. Or cheap. Stop complaining and suck it up. hot rodders were trying to break out of the stigma of being considered outlaws and hooligans who raced at night on the streets. That was mainly because they raced at night on the streets. Members of the Draggin Wheels had a number of serious hot rods and dragsters...but nowhere to race them. The only place was on the streets. He had a small Brownie camera and took some pictures and sent them in with a short article to Custom Rodder maga - zine. They paid him $25 (over $200 in today’s dollars) and that’s where his writing career began. Soon he was hired as the magazine’s editor for $100 a week. He attended college at night studying English, writing, advertising and public relations and during a FOR D TOTAL P ER FOR MANCE - short stint in the army in 1959, he was Fo r d ’s L e g e n d a r y H ig h - assigned to a photography lab where THE AR T OF THE MUSTANG by Pe r f o r m a n c e St r e e t a n d R a c e his experience increased. Donald Farr, photography by Tom Ca r s by Martyn L. Schorr. Hard- By 1961 Schorr was the editor of Loeser. Hard-bound; 10 ̋ x 12 1/4 ̋ , bound; 9 1/2 ̋ x 11 ̋ , 208 pages; 199 Custom Rodder , Car, and Speed and 240 pages; 240 color. photographs. b&w photos, 136 color. Published by Style magazines. Instead of writing Published by MBI Publishing Co., MBI Publishing Co., Minneapolis, MN puff pieces to satisfy advertisers of the Minneapolis, MN $50.00 . $45.00 . performance cars he was testing, he This book is exceptionally well To understand the significance of adopted a brash, “tell-it-like-it-is” done. It is well written (as we have this book a little background is in style. Readership subsequently come to expect from Donald Farr) and order. In the 1960s and 1970s, there increased and he soon found himself the photographs are top shelf. were three basic groups of automobile editorial director and then vice presi - Photographer Tom Loeser shot 29 cars magazines: the Big Boys ( Car and dent of the publishing company’s auto - for the book in a studio, demonstrat - Driver , Road & Track , Motor Trend , motive group. By the early 1960s ing that he knows what he is doing Sports Car Graphic , Motorcade ) which Schorr had created additional maga - behind the camera. The photos are tended to spotlight new cars, automo - zines and eventually had titles aimed spectacular. tive trends and sports car racing; the squarely at Ford, Corvette, Mopar and There are between six and ten west coast hot rodding magazines Chevy enthusiasts. photos of each car, including several (Hot Rod , Car Craft , Rod & Custom , Marty Schorr has fifty years that are printed full-page or across Speed & Custom , Popular Hot worth of experience with performance two pages. Each one is in sharp focus Rodding ); and the east coast muscle cars. He also has fifty years worth of and the lighting is perfect. The book is car magazines ( Cars , Hi-Performance photographs he took during that time. separated into four sections: early Cars , Speed & Supercar , Super Stock He shares them in this book – some Mustangs (1964 1/2 - 1968); the Stock & FX , SS & Drag Illus-rated ). which have been used before and oth - Muscle Mustangs (1969-1976); Fox There was, of course, some overlap but ers which have not. For detail freaks it Body Mustangs (1984 - 2003); and generally if you knew the magazine’s is a treasure trove. The chapters are Modern Mustangs (2005 - 2015). title, you knew its editorial viewpoint ordered by year, starting in 1961 and Rather than attempt to include every and the content they provided. running through 1971. year and/or model, choice examples The west coast hot rod magazines The time frame of this book is were selected to represent the more were on the upscale side: slick layout, basically a historical look at Ford’s valuable or unusual Mustangs. For sharp photos (initially printed in pale “Total Performance” program, using example, instead of a GT350 R-Model, green ink because it was cheaper), some of the most well-known cars as which you might expect, one of the good quality paper and first-rate writ - examples. However, included are pho - 1965 GT350 Shelby Driving school ing for a bunch of “car guys.” The east tos and details of some of the lesser- cars is included. The 1967 indepen - coast muscle car magazines were, known cars from this era. This book is dent Trans-Am Mustang notchback maybe, a half-step behind. They were like a textbook of Ford’s Total owned and raced by J. Bittle, prepared printed on rougher paper with a little Performance campaign. The format for current historic racing, more grain in the pictures (most were allows a lot of the photos to be repro - is restored to 1968 race specs. Bittle initially black-and-white) and the duced in large size making intricate also supplied a ‘66 Mustang Super Pro writing, while literate, was more period details more visible. bracket race drag car. The Bittle-fest straightforward. There have been a lot of books continues with a 2014 Cobra Jet facto - Marty Schorr was always a car written about performance Fords. We ry drag car and a 1989 JBA guy but instead of burying himself know, because we have a wall full of Dominator Fox-body, a tuner model under the hood like his pals, he took a book shelves filled with them. We are Bittle’s speed shop created, based on a liking to the printed word. In 1955 he happy to add Marty Schorr’s book to . was the publicity director for a car our shelf. If you’re reading this review, This book represents the present club in Yonkers, New York called the you will be, too. and future of Mustangs. Only a third Draggin’ Wheels. This was back when is dedicated to the early cars. The newest cars are becoming classics before our eyes. excellent memories and the perspec - tive gained over the past five decades makes for interesting reading. Like any proper telling of Ford’s LeMans victory, the story begins with Henry Ford II’s desire, encouraged by Lee Iacocca, to purchase Ferrari. After dangled his company like a teasing suitor under Ford’s nose, he promptly withdrew it, angering HF II. “You go to LeMans,” Ford told Don Frey, the Assistant General Manager of the Ford Division, “ and beat his ass .” This prompted a swarm of Ford corporate underlings to begin scouring the landscape for a suitable starting point for a Ferrari-beating endurance race car. That was in 1963 and the THE COBRA-FERRARI WARS FORD GT - How Ford Silenced the book includes Ford’s discovering 1963-1965, Second Edition by C r it ic s, Hu m b le d Fe r r a r i a n d Englishman and his Michael L. Shoen. Hardcover; 8 1/2” x C o n q u e r e d L e M a n s by Preston Lola GT which morphed into the new 11”; 372 pages; 473 black & white pho - Lerner; photography by Dave Ford GT. tos, 57 color photos. Published by Friedman. 10 1/4˝ x 12 1/4˝ hardcov - The story continues through con - CFW, 6719 E. Malcomb Dr, Paradise er; 76 color photos, 227 black & white. struction of the earliest GTs, testing Valley, AZ 85253 480-483-3537 ; Published by Quarto Publishing Group and the first foray to LeMans in 1964. www.thecobraferrariwars.com $80.00 USA www.motorbooks.com Conventional wisdom was that a new + $10 shipping, Haven’t there been enough books car required a minimum of three years We reviewed the first edition in written about GT40s already? Until of trial and error before it could win issue #57, back in 1990. At that time we saw this one we would have said, LeMans. This proved to be true, and we said, “ it is unlikely a better book yes. But if you are intrigued about the book covers all of the high and low will ever be written about the Cobra’s Ford’s campaign to beat Ferrari at points. Finally the planets aligned in FIA Manufacturers Championship .” LeMans in the mid-1960s, this is the 1966 and Ford had it’s never-to-be-for - And we were right. It was the first book you’ve been waiting for. gotten 1-2-3 photo finish. The story Cobra book to sell for $100 and while Author Preston Lerner, who has includes the circumstances around the some people rolled their eyes and been writing for Automobile magazine “Ken Miles affair” and it is even more whistled, it eventually sold out. There for the past 30 years, teamed up with poignant in the retelling. were so many requests for another former Shelby American photographer The story, as you know, did not reprinting that Mike decided to Dave Friedman for this book that cen - end in 1966. Henry Ford II did not undertake the project, even though ters around Ford’s LeMans victories in want the victory to look like a fluke so the original printer had lost the pro - 1966 and 1967. The story of Ford’s he ordered a new car, built at Ford in duction films in 1995, and he had GT40 program has been told and the U.S., which became the MK IV. It returned all of the photos and materi - retold almost since the mid-1960s won again in 1967 and was then out - al he initially borrowed. So it took when it was breaking news. The cars lawed by the French in the FIA. Ford time to retrace his steps. are as exciting now as they were fifty then pulled the plug on its factory The new edition contains some years ago and this is reflected in effort. If you’re looking for yet more minor text corrections. The author Lerner’s text. Some of the people who Ford GT pictures you’ve never seen, also spoke with many of the original were there when history was being you’ll find a bunch of them in this Cobra team members who added some made are no longer alive, but those book. We’re happy to have it on our perspective that was not available to who are still with us prove they have shelf. him the first go-around. He also soft - excellent ened his view of Enzo Ferrari some. “The Cobra-Ferrari Wars” tells the complete story of the Cobra Team’s advance, from the first SCCA production races in southern California in 1962 all the way to the 1965 FIA events in Europe. The text is chronological, race by race and each car is discussed along with each driv - er. If you missed buying this book the first time around don’t let that hap - pen again because it’s not likely there will be a 3rd printing. SHELBY MUSTANG – Racer For COBRA – The First 40 Years by The Street by Randy Leffingwell. Trevor Legate. Hardcoverd; 11 3/4” x FORD GT Then, and Now by Hardcover; 10 1/4” x 10 1/4”; 186 11 13/8”; 288 pages; 154 black & Adrian Streather. Hardcover; 10 1/8” x pages; 8 black & white photos 289 white photos 170 color. Published by 10 1/8”; 240 pages; 190 black & white color. Published by MBI Publishing MBI Publishing Co., Galtier Plaza, photos 302 color. Published by Veloce Co., Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Suite 200, 380 Jackson St., St. Paul, Publishing Ltd, Dorchester, England. Jackson St., St. Paul, MN 566101; MN 566101; www.motorbooks.com Available from Motorbooks, PO Box 1, www.motorbooks.com $34.95 + $3.95 $50.00 + $6.95 shipping, Osceola, WI 54020; www.motorbooks shipping, The Cobra story is ongoing, and the .com $74.95 + shipping, There haven’t been a lot of Shelby reason for that is the car’s popularity. When Ford recreated its GT and books written in the past few years, Simply put, there are more people who unveiled it to an excited public more and for that you can thank the Shelby want a Cobra than there are Cobras to than two years ago, it created an unin - American World Registry. The last go around. Well, original Cobras, any - tended consequence. The Ford GT registry sucked the air out of the way. The supply of other Cobras – story now had a different ending and a Shelby book business. We’re not say - everything from AC MK IVs to handful of perceptive automotive writ - ing it contained all there was to write CSX4000s and CSX7000s to just about ers rushed to their computers and about these cars, but it put a major any kind of Cobra replica you can word processors to update the tale. chunk of it between its covers. What name – is pretty much unlimited. And This isn’t a bad thing, because there was left? The retelling of Shelby histo - that’s why a new Cobra book is help - are far more period photos of Ford ry, shuffling some figures and bringing ful. GTs that there have been books pub - in some first or second person stories The original Cobra story, starting lished to showcase them in. about individual cars. And of course, in 1961 and going through the end of As the Ford GT project gained the photos. You can never get enough the 1960s, has been recited, momentum, so did the photographic photos – especially rich, color shots researched and rehashed ever since record of the cars’ progress. At first spread across a full page (and some - interest in the cars took off like a bot - everything was in-house Ford but in times a page and a half) in a large for - tle rocket in the 1970s. Everyone tells an effort to keep interest high, the mat book. Or close-up detail shots of a the story a little differently because company began letting “outsiders” – things you miss when looking at the there is no one “correct” perspective journalists and photographers – get a overall car – a ‘68 Shelby fender badge but the basic facts are unchanged. So look at the cars and talk to those or a Cobra steering wheel center cap. why, then, a new Cobra book? The responsible for them. Several very And that’s where this book shines. answer can be framed in the “what early books resulted before production Every type and model Cobra and have you done lately” idiom. Most was completed. Others, like this one, Shelby is represented. The cars are, Cobra histories tack on a few chapters saw the new Ford GTs as the second for the most part, accurate restora - at the end to acknowledge the post- half of the GT40 story. Context is tions. Sprinkled through the pages are production Cobras – essentially any - required to show where the cars had a few historical shots that provide thing looking like a Cobra and built come from and the 1964-1969 racing some context necessary to retell the after 1968. These look like the after seasons provide that, in spades. The story. To sum it up, this book deserves thoughts they are. But Trevor Legate, book dedicates about 25% to the new a place on your book shelf. After author of an earlier Cobra book which cars and then the last 25% to replicas. you’ve read the text and thumbed was equally well done, neatly encapsu - The color photography is excellent through the photos, you’ll put this lates all of the Cobra variants – essen - throughout the book but we have to book away, and then you’ll find your - tially Shelby’s current crop of cars, the admit we were bothered by the graph - self bringing it out six months later to cars turned out by AC Autokraft, and ics. Duo-tone photos were placed have another look. And you know Cobra replicas – into the yarn. The behind a lot of the text, making it dif - what? You won’t be bored. reader sees where everything fits and ficult to read. Also, some photos had along the way is treated to some of the borders and others did not. The lack of best photography of these cars that consistency detracted from the overall you’ll find anywhere. If it’s been a composition. Small points, but more while since you bought a Cobra book, than made up for by the excellent this is the one to break the draught. quality and quantity of photos. It’s that good. “...Just Call Me Carroll...!” by Phil KEN MILES by Art Evans. Hard- Henny. Hardbound; 11 1/4” x 8 3/4”; 1965 by bound; 11 1/4” x 9”; 124 pages; 129 147 pages, 101 color photos, 142 black Dave Friedman and Harry Hurst; pho - black & white photos. TBS, PO Box & white. Published by Phil Henny, tographs by Dave Friedman. 466, Hudson WI 54016; 800-289-3504 Portland, OR. Available through Hardcover; 11 1/4” x 9”; 196 pages; [email protected] $34.95 + www.justcallmecarroll.com $69.95 131 black & white photos 38 color. $3.95 shipping, includes shipping & handling; $99.00 Published by Hurst Communications Carroll Shelby is the first one to for VIP edition, autographed and Inc, 111 Ladderback Ln, Devon, PA tell anyone that he could have never numbered in slipcase. 19333 610-725-9600; www.glorydays accomplished what he did with the So much has been written about ofracing.com $39.95 + shipping, 250 Cobras and Ford GTs without Ken Carroll Shelby, the people who worked copies, numbered and signed by Miles. Miles was practically a legend for him, and the cars they made that Friedman, Hurst and Jim Hall are in southern California sports car cir - it’s easy to think there’s nothing new available for $74.95 plus shipping. cles before he went to work for Carroll to learn from yet one more book about An entire book about one race? We Shelby as a development driver and “the Shelby days.” So this book comes can hear Dave Friedman trying to Competition Manager. But most of as a pleasant surprise. Phil Henny pitch that idea to a publisher. “ It was what we know about Ken Miles comes was hired as a race mechanic in 1967, an important race... and I was there. I to us through his relationship with so his book is written in the first-per - shot a ton of really good photos...” You Carroll Shelby and Shelby American. son. The stories are fresh – not the can sense the skeptical publisher The fact that he lost his life in 1966 — words of some writer who was not beginning to bend a little. “ It was in the middle of Shelby American’s there, listening to those who were and 1965, the middle of the Cobra’s glory glory days — has resulted in a myopic then retelling their stories. days which led to the FIA view of Miles’ life. Henny was born in Switzerland Championship... ” More bending. “ But Art Evans grew up in southern and eventually graduated as a preci - it wasn’t only the Cobras. There was California and was introduced to sion mechanic. His love of racing and the Chaparral, the Ford GT40s, the sports car racing in 1954 when his race cars led to work as a race Ferraris...” Finally the publisher is uncle took him to a race in Palm mechanic in Switzerland and in 1965 won over. Springs where Ken Miles drove. He his path crossed with the Cobra team We won’t attempt to give you a his - was 20 years old and he became a ded - when the car he was with was garaged tory lesson about this race here. icated fan. He went to every sports car next to Shelby’s Daytona Coupes and Suffice it to say that a lot of very race he could, photographing cars and GT40s at Monza. important elements were in play and drivers and especially Miles. A rela - In 1967 he finally got to America, this book, through the use of tionship grew out of those early races landing in Los Angeles with a tourist Friedman’s excellent period photogra - and the two became friends for the visa and finding his way to Shelby phy and Hurst’s brief snippets of text, rest of Miles’ life. This is a biographi - American where he contacted Team shows how they all fit together to tell cal scrapbook told through remem - Manager Carroll Smith, who he had the story of one of the most important brances of Miles’ friends, competitors, met racing in Europe. His English was races of the time. The photos appear and those who knew him. Evans also not the best but it was his fluency in chronologically, so although there are makes use of news clippings and pho - Italian that got him the job. Al Dowd multiple photos of the same cars, their tos of Miles throughout his driving assisted him in negotiating the INS condition and race order is continually career. maze and getting a green card. changing as the race progresses. There We know Ken Miles from race This book is very interesting to are also brief pull-quotes from some of reports, period magazines and the read, and is chronological so it’s easy the participants that explain the flurry of memorials that followed his to follow. There are plenty of photos of behind-the-scenes stuff that makes death. This is a wonderful book (the cars and people and a bonus are the racing so interesting. The appendix first printing of 1000 sold out immedi - autographs reproduced alongside contains detailed finishing results, ately and a second printing was done). some of the photos. Henny’s stories are Ford’s post-race report and examples It fills in all the blanks of the life of fresh and unique. This book is a must- of media coverage. An added bonus is one of the best and most respected read for anyone who is interested in the foreward by Jim Hall which Cobra drivers who ever lived. Shelby American, the car and the peo - includes commentary on his ple who made them. We recommend it Chaparral and his driving technique highly. in it. “The Cobra in the Barn” by Tom FORD RACING CENTURY - A Cotter; 6” x 9”; 256 pages, 155 black & Photographic History of Ford white photos. Published by MBI RACING IN THE RAIN: My Years Motorsports by Larry Edsall and Publishing Co, St Paul, MN. Available with Brilliant Drivers, Legendary Mike Teske. Hardbound; 10 1/4” x 10 through www.motorbooks.com $24.95. Sports Cars and a Dedicated Team 1/4”; 304 pages; 173 color photos, 232 by John Horsman. Hardcover; 8 1/2” x black & white. MBI Publishing, “Finding a desirable, old, aban - 9 1/4”; 426 pages; 230 black & white Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson doned car in a half-forgotten barn – photos 52 color. Published by David St, St. Paul, MN 55101 $39.95. it’s one of the most potent dreams in Bull Publishing, 4250 E. Camelback Ford’s one-hundred year history the automobile world. ” Rd, Suite K150, Phoenix, AZ 85018 has spawned several excellent retro - So begins Peter Egan’s foreword www.bullpublishing.com $49.95 + spects and this is one of them. When a at the very beginning of Tom Cotter’s shipping, prominent company like Ford steps newest book. In one sentence, Egan Unless you’re a dyed-in-the-wool into the racing arena, it does so in the nails it. We all dream about finding a GT40 enthusiast you’ll probably need glare of the spotlight where its fail - gem of a car sitting somewhere – an introduction to John Horsman. He ures are as well documented as its unrecognized, unwanted and unloved. was an engineer for ’s successes. There is no shortage of pho - The slimmer the chances, the more Monza-winning race team in 1963. tographic evidence of Ford’s competi - powerful the dream. We’re lucky to Following that he joined at tion history and one of the most diffi - hear about one “barn find” in a decade. Ford Advanced Vehicles, playing a cult job in writing a book like this is Tom Cotter a SAAC member and a large part in developing the GT40. deciding what photos not to use Cobra owner, gathers up about four With Wyer, he was a director of JW because each one tells part of the dozen stories for his book, including Automotive, in charge of development story. The 1967 LeMans line-up is on pictures. A lot are in the finders’ own and preparation of the Gulf Mirages the cover not by some coincidence or words. Interesting reading, of course, and GT40s which won LeMans in accident. When Ford won LeMans it but what it really translates into is 1968 and 1969. When Gulf switched to was a milestone for the company. hope for the rest of us. These are not Porsches in 1970, he was responsible When they came back a year later urban legends – these cars were actu - for the Gulf 917s winning the FIA with a totally new car it was the stuff ally found. They are a cross section of Sports Car Championship in 1970 and legends are made out of. But this book collector cars – including four differ - 1971. He then developed the M1, M2 isn’t primarily about the Ford GTs. It ent Cobras, a King Cobra and a and M3 Mirages and the subsequent covers Ford’s 100 years of competition Shelby GT350. M6, GR7 and GR8 Mirages, one of like a blanket; everything from the This is an enjoyable and easy which won LeMans in 1975. early days beginning with 999 reading book that can be picked up for This book covers all of these cars in through Indianapolis, drag racing, fifteen minutes at a time. And best of fine detail, as well as the drivers who NASCAR Grand National competition, all, it proves that dreams can come piloted them. But not only that (as if it sports car endurance races, drag rac - true. wasn’t enough), Horsman also ing, Trans-Am, off-road and interna - includes many behind the scene sto - tional rallying. At one point or another ries that only someone on the very Ford was involved in all of them and inside can know. And the pictures sooner or later they won them all. This alone are worth the book’s price. book capsulizes Ford’s hundred year Winning race teams are success - competition history nicely. ful because of a number of factors: designers, fabricators and mechanics, drivers and a number of others who play a crucial role. But the head engi - neer is the one who creates the car on which the mechanics work and the drivers drive. The credit for truly great teams is usually laid at the feet of one man who keeps everyone else focused. For the Gulf team that was John Horsman. THE SALEEN BOOK - 20 Years of Saleen Mustangs and Owner Registry 1984 - 2003 by Brad Bowling. Hardbound; 11” x 9 1/4”; 318 MUSTANG RACE CARS pages; 554 color photos, 132 black & by Dr. John Craft. Hardbound; 192 white; Driveway Books, PO Box 5247, pages; 88 B&W photos,106 color. MBI Concord, NC 28027 www.driveway - Publishing Co., St. Paul, MN $39.95. The Complete Guide To Cobra books.com $60 (autographed/num - There haven’t been very many new Replicas. 4th Edition by Curt Scott. bered edition $120). Mustang books to hit the racks lately. Softbound; 8” x 10 1/2”; 84 pages, 20 We’re always intrigued by reg - That’s probably due in part to the fact in color. Crown Publishing Co, PO Box istries, having dabbled in that subject that there just isn’t that much new 1337, Santa Clarita, CA 91386. ourselves every now and then. Seeing material that has been unearthed. The www.cobracountry.com $22.95 plus $5 how others attack the problem is field has been plowed, replowed and shipping & handling always interesting and often enlight - plowed again. So there’s nothing new This is the 4th edition of the inde - ening. Brad Bowling’s Saleen book is left to tell. Right? fatigable Curt Scott’s guide to the really two books in one. The first part Don’t tell that to Dr. John Craft. world of Cobra replicas, and it keeps is a detailed, year by year history of We’ve known John for a long time (his getting better each time. Scott is also the Saleen Mustang. There are plenty SAAC membership goes back some the webmeister of one of the best of color photos – of cars as well as 20+ years) and to say he knows Cobra sites on the internet – unique features. It’s hard to believe Mustangs is an understatement; like www.cobracountry.com. Does this guy that the first year of production was saying it gets warm in Florida in ever sleep? Make no mistake — this 1984. August. And being from Florida (nice book is a lot more than just a catalog The second part of the book is the segue, eh?), he also has a deep interest of manufacturers’ ads, road tests and actual registry. Each car is listed in in cars of the NASCAR persuasion. how-to-buy articles. Included is a his - sequential production order, along “Mustang Race Cars” begins, appro - tory of Cobra replicas, a detailed arti - with the cars’ shipping date and, for priately enough, in 1965 when the cle about driving in an open track most cars, special equipment on the Mustang was brand new. A handful event, articles about ERA and its facil - car when they left the factory. No were made into race cars almost ity, the West Coast Performance attempt has been made to track the immediately and they are covered in Center, and Cobra suspensions. There history of each car, with the exception some detail, showing where they fit are also extensive listings of Cobra of listing past owners where known. into the overall racing history. As you manufacturers, Cobra clubs and Cobra Steve Saleen’s wife, Liz, has been would expect, a fair amount of space is parts suppliers. This book is informa - the keeper of records since the very dedicated to Shelby race cars. Craft tive, concise and well done. In fact, beginning, so most of the original own - uses a good combination of archive when someone contacts SAAC HQ and ers are listed. The Saleen Mustangs photos and stuff he has shot a vintage asks about Cobra replicas, we refer have always been thought of by their races and car shows. The evolution fol - them to this book. Can we give it any owners as being special. Team Saleen lows to Trans-Am cars in 1966, 1967 higher recommendation that that? has maintained this feeling by encour - and 1968, then the ‘69-71 Boss 302s. aging owner updates. Communicating Dr. Craft also fills in the blanks on a with “the factory” has an aura all its less well known Mustang racer - the own and this adds to the Saleen mys - NASCAR Grand Touring/Grand tique. American Division. Sometimes called Also included is a Media “Baby Grands,” these cars were run at Bibliography containing a listing, in NASCAR tracks in the south and were chronological order, of every magazine effective marketing tools for ponycars. article featuring a Saleen. It’s a pretty All in all, this is a pretty comprehen - amazing list. sive book with lots of photos you’ve If you own or ever thought of own - never seen before. It ties up racing ing a Saleen, you need this book. Mustangs into a nice, neat package that shows you just where a particular Mustang race car fits into the mar - que’s overall history. You’ll learn some - thing you didn’t know. around they had all disappeared. nental ambulance was outfitted with Undaunted, Yates, two other drivers, uniformed attendants, a real doctor and his fourteen year-old son wheeled and a supposedly critically ill passen - a new van they named “Moon ger sprouting an IV. And yes, one hap - Trash” from Manhattan to Redondo less chucklehead even attempted Beach, non-stop, in 40 hours and 51 (unsuccessfully, as it would turn out) minutes. to impersonate a police officer in The exploit was dutifully reported in hopes of receiving “professional cour - his monthly column in C/D, and Yates tesies” when apprehended for speed - simply could not resist hinting that ing. there just might be another attempt in Yates’ book is an attempt to get the near future. In so doing he everything on the record before the touched a raw nerve within the U.S. details become lost forever to the automotive community. Virtually cloudy memories of the participants everyone who read the magazine due to their advancing age. seemed to have an opinion on the ulti - What’s this all got to do with Shelby mate car, the ultimate equipment and American, you ask? Well, it just so CANNONBALL! World’s Greatest the ultimate route. happens that one of the cars that par - Outlaw Road Race by Brock Yates. The rest is, as they say, history. ticipated in the 1979 running was a Hardbound; 288 pages; 55 B&W pho - However, it was mostly an oral history 1965 GT350 (5S176, to be exact). Ex- tos, 20 color. MBI Publishing Co., St. Paul, MN $24.95. and you know how details morph Cobra team driver Dan Gurney co- Is there a living, breathing motor - when a story is passed from person to drove a 375 GTB-4 head worthy of the name who doesn’t person. By the time the inaugural with Yates to win the event in 1971 know what the Cannonball is? We Cannonball was approaching its 30th with a time of 35 hours and 54 min - doubt it. For the uninitiated, it was a birthday, it had become a bona fide utes. When asked by a reporter from race from the east coast to the west legend. The idea to write the book, the LA Times how fast they had driv - coast. There was only one rule: “there Yates confides on the first page of its en, Gurney said, with a straight face, are no rules.” Any number of drivers introduction, grew out of a phone call “At no time did we exceed 175 miles could could take any land-based vehi - he received from a college student who per hour .” That was the truth because cle, outfitted with any equipment and was writing a senior thesis on the at one point, out of curiosity, he had travel over any route they chose Cannonball races and their impact on nudged the Ferrari to its top speed of between the starting point and the society. The young man wanted to 172 MPH through the desert along I- finishing point. Lowest elapsed time would win. interview him in order to talk about 10 in California. Five Cannonballs were run between “ ” movie, which One of the bogus priests in the 1972 1972 and 1979 and no less than six had starred Burt Reynolds and Farrah run was Cobra Daytona Coupe design - major motion pictures would eventual - Fawcett, and for which Yates had writ - er Peter Brock. They drove a ly be made, loosely based on this ten the screenplay. The student Mercedes sedan and finished third. event. It was the brainchild of automo - explained that the movie had become And in 1975, one of the drivers of a tive writer and Car and Driver Senior a late night cult classic; it was Chevy-powered 1951 Studebaker was Editor Brock Yates. “ Why the hell not watched over and over in frat houses Cobra, GT350 and Mustang Trans-Am run a race across the United States?” and dorms, to the point where parts of driver Ray Cuomo. Due to a leaky Yates proposed to fellow C/D staffers the dialog could be repeated by heart. rear main seal their entry consumed one day in early 1971. “A balls-out, Most, however, had no idea that the 57 quarts of oil during the trip and shoot-the-moon, screw-the-establish - movie was based in fact. The failed to finish. ment rumble from New York to Los Cannonball was not an urban legend All in all, this book is a very enter - Angeles to prove what we had been or a piece of fiction that had been taining read and contains enough harping about for years, i.e., that good turned into a slap-stick Hollywood nuts-and-bolts details to get you drivers in good automobiles could screenplay. There really had been a thinking about what YOU would drive employ the American Interstate system series of coast-to-coast races in which and what route YOU would take if the same way the Germans were using drivers screamed across the country in there ever was another Cannonball... their Autobahns. Yes, high-speed travel a mad dash to get to the other coast But there won’t be, so just keep by car a reality! Truth and justice faster than anyone else. And scams dreaming. affirmed by an overtly illegal act. ” became a part of the equation. One Some of his peers at the magazine team dressed in black suits with decried the idea as childish and ridicu - reversed collars, impersonating lous and labeled Yates a lunatic and priests. Another tried to scare off an anarchist. This only goaded him authorities by posing as satellite on. A few months later he quietly trackers armed with Geiger counters issued a word-of-mouth challenge to a and veiled threats of radioactivity. handful of enthusiasts who had ini - Two doctors carried a specimen jar tially expressed a high level of interest containing pigs eyes, ostensibly trans - in participating in the adventure, but porting them to an emergency eye by the time the starting date rolled transplant operation. A trans-conti Another aspect is the thrill of the famous cars which remain missing to hunt, only occasionally followed by the this day: Jim Morrison’s ‘67 GT500 pleasure of the kill. More often than “Blue Lady” and 1969 Playboy Play - not the search leads to a dry hole. This mate of the Year Connie Kreski’s pink only motivates the dedicated detective ‘69 GT500. Interest in both cars is off to continue, and stories of close calls the scale because although they are and dead ends are sometimes as inter - well known, neither has ever turned esting as finding a car itself. And find - up, leaving the possibility – however ing it is no guarantee of anything. slim it might be after four decades – Neglected and forgotten cars can often that someone could hit the lost car lot - turn out to be virtually worthless and tery. There is no way to predict serve as little more than a thinning of whether that might come as the result the herd. One less treasure to be dis - of painstaking and dedicated detective covered. work or just dumb luck. Either way, Not all barn finds are created help won’t come from either celebrity equal. There is a hierarchy which val - as they have passed on to a place ues the aforementioned low mileage, where cars are not needed for trans - condition and rarity. Up near the top portation. of the scale are race cars, prototype or As a sub-category, probably the show cars, muscle cars, cars with largest number of lost cars are the unique history or that have had ones that have been drag raced. Not LOST MUSCLE CARS by Wes Eis- celebrity owners. Stories about “lost” all of them were campaigned by enschenk. 6 1/4˝ x 9 1/4˝ hardcover; cars are always of interest to auto en - names you would recognize or by big 240 pages, 90 color photos, 49 black & thusiasts and are eagerly read in car name performance dealers. Sometimes white. Published by Car Tech, Forest magazines and on Internet websites someone working at a dealership Lake, MN. wwwcartechbooks.com and blogs. They also provide material would convince the owner that spon - $26.95 for books. Like this one. soring a car optioned for drag racing The term “automotive archeology” Wes Eisenschenk has collected would be exactly the kind of advertis - seems to have been coined about a forty-five stories about, as the book’s ing that would attract hoards of buy - dozen years ago, around the time that subtitle says, “the most elusive and ers to their doors. Sometimes it did, “barn find” entered the automotive en - valuable muscle cars.” Not all of them but often it took a long time commit - thusiast’s lexicon. This coincided with have been found, which provides hope ment for a dealership to become noted a noticeable jump in prices of col - for the dreamers among us. The book for performance – not one car. lectible cars, which some have attrib - is divided into four sections: concept/ Typically with most drag cars, uted to the arrival of televised promo/prototype muscle, rare muscle after something faster was found the auctions on cable TV, notably Barrett- cars, race cars and celebrity-owned owner would sell the “old” car and it Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona. They muscle cars. Eisenschenk has not per - usually started it’s way down the food are all interconnected, although which sonally engaged in all of these chain. At some point enough parts came first and led to the others is a searches, but has combined stories were taken off of it that it no longer chicken-and-the-egg question. from a number of others to form the had any value as a race car. Cars like Finding a long-forgotten car in a body of this book. It makes for a very this often passed through so many barn is one of the Holy Grails that car fascinating read, even if, as a Shelby owners that their original history was enthusiasts search for. Initially one of guy, you’re not really that interested lost. Many of the features that made the motives is, certainly, the idea of in Camaros or Dodges. You begin to them identifiable had been removed, being able to find an abandoned car, see it’s the story that counts, not the replaced or modified. Stories about ideally with low mileage and not kind of car it centers around. cars like this are interesting and this picked clean of significant parts, and On particular interest to Shelby book is filled with them. Once you buy it at a bargain basement price. enthusiasts are the chapters on two start reading it’s hard to stop. there is another one coming along This book goes beyond 2014 as right behind it. Editors are grateful for Fulk traces his tracks from event to interesting articles and the more well event through 2015, with an eye on written they are, the better. For people Cobras and Shelbys. Obviously not who enjoy writing, it’s a perfect fit: many people can afford to go to all of they can always find a spot for their these events, so being able to read work. They are only limited by their about them is the next best thing. imagination. Fulk’s words help bring them events The book contains more than to life. We have recently learned that thirty chapters which are, in essence, Bill Fulk was named as editor of Nor - reports of events he attended. The nub Cal’s “Driven” magazine, so we expect of the book revolves around the we will be seeing a lot more of his Cobra’s 50th birthday celebration. The “schtuff.” We have a feeling this might Cobra was introduced in 1962 and be just the first such book. If that’s the when its 50th anniversary rolled case, we look forward to the next one. around, virtually every event on the calendar had some sort of a Cobra commemoration. They started in Las Vegas, home of Shelby American, in March with a “50th Anniversary Bash.” A month later there was a cel - ebration in Pomona, California at the Wally Parks NHRA Museum and Fulk was there, rubbing elbows with the CAR GUY SHTUFF – Bugs in Your various VIPs and snapping pictures Teeth, Wind in Your Hair by Bill everywhere. Fulk. 6 ˝ x 9˝ softcover; 259 pages, 62 Fulk next appeared up at SAAC’s black & white photos. Published by 37th convention at Watkins Glen, on Bill Fulk. Sacramento, California; the other side of the country. It had, as available from www.amazon.com part of its activities, yet another Cobra $9.99, $4.99 Kindle. anniversary celebration. It was here SAAC member Bill Fulk from that we caught up with Fulk and with Sacramento, California began attend - a wide grin on our face and our tongue ing various Shelby meets in 2012 with firmly planted inside our cheek, we the idea of taking photos of the Cobras challenged him to cover every major he saw and writing a brief report of Cobra 50th Anniversary event: Auto what went on. Turns out he is a pretty Week in Monterey including the Con - good writer, using a light, conversa - cours on the Avenue in Carmel, the tional style and adding enough obser - vintage races at Raceway, the vations and opinions to keep his Pebble Beach Concours, the show at narrative moving right along. It’s The Quail and a handful of auctions pleasantly addicting. sprinkled around the Monterey Penin - Fulk pretty much limited himself sula. The NorCal Mini-Nats at Sears to Shelby club publications: the Nor - Point Raceway in Novato, California; Cal Region’s monthly newsletter, “Dri - the Shelby American Collection mu - ven,” and SAAC’s quarterly Shelby seum get-together in Boulder, Col - American magazine. This make sense orado; and the Goodwood Motorsports for two reasons. First, the subjects he Revival in England. is covering are exactly what readers of In all honesty, we never expected these publications are interested in. Fulk to accept our challenge. He calls And second, club publications always Sacramento his home, so attending have trouble trying to fill their pages the Mini-Nats and Monterey were no- with good articles and pictures con - brainers. Boulder was more than a tributed by members. With essentially hop, skip and jump away and a trip to no budget to pay for anything, trying England? That was a major excursion. to keep a club publication on schedule When he filed reports for The Shelby depends on a steady stream of articles American and included photos his and pictures. Once an issue is printed stock rose exponentially. 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 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 132 color photos. Published by Car book a concours judge (no book can), at Tech, Forest Lake, MN. wwwcartech - least they will be able to identify the books.com $18.95 various models and know the differ - Car Tech Auto Books is publishing ence between them. It’s an excellent a series of books called “Muscle Cars starting point to begin the trip into in Detail,” each one concentrating on Shelby history. a particular classic muscle car. To date Kolasa also takes time to explain there are six in the series: ‘70 Chevelle side issues, like options and specifica - SS, ‘71 Cuda, ‘69 Camaro tions (using easy-to-understand SS, ‘69 Plymouth Road Runner, ‘73-’74 charts), the explanation of serial num - Trans-Am, and ‘68 Shelby bers (the pedigree of any Shelby), spe - Mustang. cial colors, rarity and values. For 1968, Written by SAAC member Greg Shelby production was shifted from Kolasa, who has gained broad experi - Southern California to , to ence with Shelbys, serving as the the A.O. Smith Corporation and this is club’s Hertz and GT40 registrar as also explained. There was a Hertz well as researching and writing sev - rent-a-car program for 1968 and this eral sections of its various registries, is also detailed, as is production of the book is well written and taughtly Ford’s 1968 Mustang California Spe - organized. It begins with an overview cial, a cousin of the Shelby. In short, of Ford’s performance program in the Kolasa has left nothing out in telling 1960s, where and how Carroll Shelby the 1968 story. fit into the picture, and the basic his - It is obvious Car Tech’s series will tory of where the 1968 models fit into eventually include books on each year Shelby history. Context is needed to Shelby, and if they are as thorough tell the story, and Kolasa provides and well written as this book they will plenty of it. also be as successful. 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 COBRA PILOTE – The Ed Hugus heard Hugus’ revelations, he realized partner. All he wanted was to be a Story by Robert D. Walker. 9 1/4˝ x 11 how thin the beginning of the story dealer and to race a Cobra. Ford, how - 1/4 ˝ hardcover; 304 pages, 114 color was after fifty years of Cobra adora - ever, seemed more satisfied with and 146 black & white photos. Pub - tion. Here was a story that needed to Hugus’ business operation than with lished by Dalton Watson Fine Books, be told. Shelby’s, which was non-existant. In Deerfield, Illinois. wwwdaltonwatson. The Cobra tale, as we presently those early days when nothing was com $89.00. know it, came almost exclusively from certain and Shelby was scrambling to After fifty years, you’d think that Carroll Shelby. Shelby explained make his idea reality, he was also all the books about Cobras and those everything in his 1965 book, “The paranoid that someone – like Hugus – who raced them would have already Cobra Story” (as told to John Bentley). could get between him and Ford and been written. You’d think. But as soon Shelby was interviewed about the car take his idea across the goal line. as you do, another book pops up, like by anyone remotely considered to be Shelby was in a tight spot: he needed this one, which is not a rehash of an “automotive journalist.” It was a re - Hugus but didn’t quite trust him, and something previously written. It’s a markable story and Shelby became ex - Ford was not completely sold on the brand new book, in this case, about ceedingly good at telling it. The Texan. It is a fascinating story, told someone who played an integeral part trouble was, it was his story; he con - with the authority that only a princi - in the Cobra story in the earliest days trolled the narrative. He provided the pal has. but as things spooled up, he was left details that others wrote about. And This book corrects many miscon - by the wayside. In short, if you now, fifty-five years later, we learn ceptions of Cobra history and because thought you knew the beginning of the there is another side to his story. For of the through research that Walker Cobra story, you don’t. After you read Cobra enthusiasts, this is juicy stuff. has done, the story becomes much Robert Walker’s book, you will. It is The beginnings of the Cobra story clearer. In addition, the serial number thoroughly researched and well writ - have traditionally been told using a of every Cobra involved is included in ten. simplified time line: Shelby has his the text, giving it that much more au - Ed Hugus passed away in 2006 idea for his own sports car. He contacts thority. It is obvious that this research and for a period of time prior to that, AC Cars and proposes building a sport was provided by Cobra Registrar Ned he stayed out of the public eye (as well car (Shelby’s term) using a new light - Scudder, who is credited in the book’s as the probing inquiries of Cobra en - 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 their Total Performance campaign, collection as well as race entry lists, leaps at the opportunity to have a photos of his awards, dash plaques “Corvette-slayer” in its showrooms. and other memorabilia. Ed Hugus Actually, it turns out there was a lot raced from the early 1950s through more to it than that, and there was a 1970, but the Cobra portion was, good reason why Shelby stuck to his clearly, the most important. You won’t own script. Through Ed Hugus, know the complete Cobra story until Walker unrolls the real story. you read this book. Anyone who thinks they know a attracted were some of the best in this lot about early Shelbys is going to country. What’s not to like? learn a lot by reading this book. Much The subject of the Trans-Am has like a jigsaw puzzle, you might know been captivating for both racers and the intricacies of most of the pieces in - race fans. It has been thoroughly cov - dividually (the details of a ‘65 ered by a number of books and numer - tachometer, intake manifold, traction ous magazine articles. One of the bars, etc) but it’s not until Chuck reasons for this current popularity is Cantwell lays everything out that you that these cars have been found, re - will see where all of the pieces fit. stored to the way they were originally Greg Kolasa, an exceptionally raced, and they compete in more than knowledgeable Shelby enthusiast, a dozen vintage Trans-Am races knows what questions to ask to keep throughout the year, every year. And Cantwell focused and on point. As a re - at these events they are usually the sult, the story never wanders or stum - most popular class. They are colorful, bles. This book is an absolute must- loud and exciting and they bring back SHELBY MUSTANG GT350 by read for anyone who wants to know memories of a simpler time in racing. Chuck Cantwell with Greg Kolasa. 9 the “why” behind the GT350 story. Maybe Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones 1/2˝ x 11 1/4 ˝ hardcover; 224 pages, 68 and George Follmer aren’t driving color and 113 B&W photos. Published anymore, but that are frequently in - by David Bull Publishing, Phoenix, vited as special guests for the week - AZ. www.bullpublishing.com $49.95 end. This book has been a long time in With all of the books and articles coming, but it has been worth the that have been written and all of the wait. If you don’t know who Chuck pictures used to illustrate them, you’d Cantwell is, you’re reading the wrong think there was not much you to be magazine. Chuck has not exactly been learned by yet another rehash of the a stranger in Shelby circles; he has Trans-Am. And you would be wrong. been to more conventions, meets and Every time someone decides to write car shows than you can count, and has about something like the Trans-Am, spoken at virtually all of them. So his new pictures surface, new captions are experiences and remembrances should written and new stories are told in the be fairly well known to those of us who text. The Trans-Am is a is a rich vine - eagerly drink this Shelby stuff up. yard for these stories. The low-hang - Right? Well, yes – and no. ing fruit has already been picked but TRANS-AM ERA The Golden Years In telling his entire story through all that means is that someone has to in Photographs: 1966-1972 by Daniel the pages of this book, Chuck brings go back and reach higher and dig Lipetz. 9 1/2˝ x 11 1/4 ˝ hardcover; 224 GT350 history life, not in small bites deeper for new stories. And Dan Lipetz pages, 65 color and 203 B&W photos. here and there, but in one complete had done his job there. We know the Published by David Bull Publishing, meal. It’s also told in his own words story and we know how rach race Phoenix, AZ. www.bullpublishing.com (and why not – it’s his book). While turns out. But it turns out there’s a lot $69.95 reading it you have no trouble imagin - we never knew about the Trans-Am. The Trans-Am Series between ing you are sitting across from him, We don’t care how many Trans-Am 1966 and 1972 was one of the most listening to him spin the tale. And an - books you’ve read – if you want to be popular racing series in this country. swering all of the questions you would well-versed on this subject you need to The cars were based on models you have never thought to ask. read this book. Thank us later. could actually buy in a showroom. The factories were not afraid to back their teams. And the drivers the series Leach leaves nothing out. Certainly country. American manufacturers one of Hane’s high points was winning were stepping up to meet them head- the 1966 SCCA B/Production National on with the Corvette and the Cobra in Championship at Riverside; hence the the forefront. Drivers that we now rec - book’s title. There are also plenty of ognize as the great names – Dan Gur - pictures. We imagine they came from ney, Phil Hill, Ken Miles, Jim Hall, Hane’s scrapbook. Most racers assem - Bruce McLaren – were cutting their ble something like this over the years. teeth, on their way to becoming house - While you are racing you don’t have hold names. At least in racing house - time to take pictures but photogra - holds. History was being made and phers and fans are always happy to this book shows important snatches of share pictures they took with you. If it. It is not a complete overview of you like R-Models, if you enjoy reading sports car racing history during these about the 1965-1966 period in general, two decades, and makes no attempt at or if you just want to see how the story being one. The photographic images of one car can masterfully be told, this were taken from, as author Spencer is an excellent example. You’ll want to describes, “ an archive that languished add it to your library. Walt Hane has for almost for decades .” The pictures an interesting story to tell about his were taken by a variety of photogra - two years in 5R103’s driver’s seat and phers. Most are printed in sharp-focus RACING TO RIVERSIDE by Brad Brad Leach was the perfect guy to tell black and white, and are accompanied R. Leach. 8 ˝ x 10˝ softcover; 151 pages, it to. We have the feeling that this by brief but detailed captions that 45 color photos, 60 black & white. book will sell out quickly. identify the people in them and pro - $25.95. Available only from: vide capsulized information about how www.racingtoriverside.com the cars or people, or both, fit into the We can’t recall ever seeing another historical landscape. The final third of book like this, and it is both extremely the book is dedicated to Bev Spencer, interesting and well done. Essentially, a San Francisco /Ferrari/Lotus it is the detailed story about one car – dealer who actively campaigned a va - 5R103 – and its driver, Walt Hane, riety of big bore sports cars (as a team during the 1965 and 1966 racing sea - owner and not as a driver). Most of the sons. We can only guess at the incred - pictures show him or the cars he spon - ible amount of time it took author sored. The book’s author, Roy Spencer, Brad Leach to interview Walt Hane is Bev’s son and that explains a lot. because he has included the prepara - Spencer’s first real race car was pur - tion of this car, Hane’s racing it in each MOTOR BINDER - Classic photo- chased a 1962 Tipo 151 event, and maintaining it after each graphs from the golder age of motor Coupe which had previously run as race, using a very large magnifying racing by Roy Spencer. 10 3/4˝ ˝ x 8 high as second at LeMans. Spencer glass. If you ever wondered what it 1/4˝ softcover; 321 pages, 13 color asked local driver Stan Peterson to be was like to race one of these cars back photos, 176 black & white. $69.00. his wheelman. The first race was at in the day, here it is. Leach has told Available only from: Vacaville Valley Raceway and on the the story and instead of it reading like www.motorbinder.com second lap Peterson, with no time be - a dull shop manual, it’s closer to a his - This is one of the most interesting hind the wheel, left the track, flipping torical novel. Every race is covered in books of its kind that we’ve seen lately. the car and doing some serious dam - chronological order, and Walt Hane’s The 1950s and 1960s were, truly, the age. The pictures of the car, before, memory is flawless. As an engineer, he golden age of sports car racing in this during and after are thought-provok - accurately recalls the details of every - country. European cars like Ferrari, ing. This book is a terrific look back at thing that was done to the car. But he Jaguar, Maserati, Lotus and Porsche an exciting period in sports car history. also recalls every detail of each race. were just finding their way into this tion. In putting this book together he interviewed more than seventy-five drivers, engineers, team owners and race mechanics and tells the story of the series in their words and through their eyes. Helping to document things are the photos of Pete Biro, one of the best known race photographers of the time. He attended every Can-Am race and his photographs were widely used in Road & Track Car and Driver and Sports Illustrated . There’s no doubt the Can-Am se - ries was the most exciting, colorful and just plain kick-ass racing in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Innovations popped up at every race, making it a continuous game of catch-up. It at - tracted the best drivers in the world. The COMPLETE BOOK OF AMER- CAN-AM 50TH ANNIVERSARY - There was nothing to match the thun - ICAN MUSCLE SUPERCARS by Flat Out with North America’s dering stampede of three dozen of Tom Glatch. 10˝ x 12 1/4˝; hardcover; Greatest Race Series 1966-1974 by these mechanical monsters as they 324 pages; 28 black and white photos, George Levy, photographs by Pete took the green flag and dove into the 324 color. $50. Quartoknows.com Biro. 10˝ x 12 1/4˝; hardcover; 269 first turn. Levy captures all of it. This We are naturally attracted to any pages; 136 black and white photos, 166 book makes you wish you were there. book that includes Shelbys, and this color. $60. Quartoknows.com book has them – from the first Cobra You might think that with a hand - to the current Shelby Mustangs. But ful of other books already written plenty of Shelby books have been writ - about a specific subject like the unlim - ten, and most all of them cover ground ited Can-Am series from 1966 through that has already been thoroughly 1974, there wouldn’t be much that trampled. Glatch’s book is different; he could be said about it. But you would provides context. Fords (and Shelbys) be wrong. Those previous books only were not produced in a vacuum. GM serve as a review of what is already and Chrysler were creating muscle known; not that there is nothing more cars at the same time and there was to be discovered about the subject. not only competition on race tracks George Levy has approached the Can- but also in dealer showrooms. Am from a refreshingly different direc - Glatch divides his book into three sections: dealers that produced their own specialized versions of production cars, creating a niche market for buy - ers who wanted something more than the manufacturer was willing to pro - vide; specialists like Shelby American who built special models; and the major manufacturers, themselves, who provided the basic cars the other two segments used as stepping stones. The book provides details on all three. low car enthusiasts who had uncov - We like Tom Cotter’s stuff. As a ered barn finds of their own and were committed lifelong car guy, he knows happy to share their adventures. what he’s talking about and has the Within a few years, the original book ability to write in a way that makes spawned a half dozen more. They were you feel he is talking directly to you. small, 6˝ x 9˝ in size, and illustrated This book will not disappoint you. Ex - with photos supplied by those who had cept there are apparently no decaying contributed the stories. Most tended Cobras or Shelbys in the area. not to be especially good photogra - phers. Snapshots is a better word. Cotter then began a second series of larger, coffee table style books illus - trated with more detailed photos taken by a professional photographer. The most recent one was the outcome of a trip to Detroit where Cotter and photographer Michael Alan Ross spent ten days ferreting out “lost’ cars in the Motor City area. They developed leads MOTOR CITY BARN FINDS – De- and ran them down, not trying to buy troit’s Lost Collector Cars by Tom the cars but only to document them Cotter. 9 3/4˝ x 11 1/4 ˝ hardcover; 208 and tell the stories of the owners who, pages, 250 color photos. Published by mostly, refused to sell them. Along the Quarto Publishing Group, Minneapo - way they visited some of the histori - lis, MN; www.quartoknows.com $35.00 cally significant places in the area: Alert: there are no Cobras, Henry Ford’s grave site, the River GT40s or Shelbys in this book. Despite Rouge Complex, the Fairlane Inn and that shortcoming, this is an interest - the former Dearborn Steel Tubing fa - ing and enjoyable book. Tom Cotter is cility. They also prowled around par - no stranger: he is a SAAC member, tially demolished buildings which original Cobra owner (the red one with today would be classified as urban the suitcase on the luggage rack) and, blight but is where cars once had been as far as anyone knows, the originator built. And they hit some memorable of the whole “barn find” concept. While local restaurants. It was an intensive, he wasn’t the first one to find a neg - ten-day automotive archaeological ex - lected and decaying car in a barn, he pedition, described in detail and lov - was the first one to give it a name and ingly photographed. define it. It resulted in a book, “The Tom Cotter has demonstrated that Cobra in the Barn,” published in 2005. there is plenty of interest in the sub - It was a collection of stories about dis - ject of barn find cars. There are now covering four-wheeled derelicts and it more than a dozen non-Cotter books struck a nerve with car enthusiasts, on the subject and Cotter, himself, has most of who had experience in main - segued into reality television, starring taining the on-going daydream of find - in a cable TV series that follows him ing an overlooked and ignored classic on weekly searches for derelict cars, or exotic and purchasing it for the forgotten junkyards, rusting collec - proverbial song. tions of cars out in the woods and half- This first book led to a handful finished hot rods and customs wasting more because Cotter was soon filling away in garages stuffed with other books with stories sent to him by fel - rusting treasures. There’s only one Shelby, a ‘66 black and gold Hertz car, and it’s a sad sight to see. Sitting on four flat tires with rusting rockers and the floor gone. Nowhere in the four pages dedi - cated to this car was there any men - tion of a serial number. It appeared to be mostly complete, but with a car like this that’s really a misnomer. After all, if it’s going to be restored, virtually every part – standard Mustang or Shelby-unique – would have to be re - stored or replaced. You wouldn’t put the original tach with a beat-up chrome bezel and faded face and nee - dle on the dash of an otherwise per - fectly restored car. Most of the parts on a car like this fall into this category. Even if you got the car for nothing (or close to it), the cost of a quality MUSCLE CAR BARN FINDS by Ryan restoration of a car in this condition is Brutt. 8 3/4˝ x 11 3/4˝ hardcover; 160 likely to be equal to or higher than the pages; 260 color photos. $35. Published car is actually worth. So in most cases, by Motorbooks www.quartoknows.com a barn find is a perfect example of di - “I’m here for the story, not the car. ” minishing returns. That’s what Ryan Brutt said to the Stories about genuine barn finds – owners of derelict cars he discovered, cars which have been ignored and left putting their fears to rest that he was to die – always make good reading and not just someone else looking to take are fodder for a variety of what-if day - advantage of them and pry their car dreams. And from what we’ve seen, away from them for a pittance. It ap - most of them attract new owners who parently works and he has pictures to start down the road to restoration. prove it. Those might be the stories that would Behold, another barn find book. be worth reading. Are you listening, This one features only muscle cars and Ryan Brutt? author/photographer Brutt does an ex - cellent job tantalizing readers with stories about the cars he had discov - ered. After seeing hundreds of freshly restored muscle cars at auctions and in magazine articles and on websites, we admit that we feel more than a lit - tle sad to see so many cars literally rusting away. At some point these cars were taken off the road and parked (we hesitate to use the term “stored” because that indicates some sort of ad - vanced planning and special care). Seeing them is like passing a bad highway accident. You just can’t look away. frame in which it was built – what Shelby immediately ordered a new took place before and after – as well as Cooper chassis to replace the one Hol - the people who were involved. Once all bert had destroyed and Brock set out these details are laid out, the story designing a new aerodynamic body for will make sense. the car. One of the unique features It is interesting to note that the was a “ring airfoil” at the rear which original design of what became the took advantage of aerodynamics –a P70 was originally for another car. Not new and to some of the old-timers, an every design makes it into a finished unproven concept. They had trouble car. There are dozens of reasons why envisioning the invisible force that air - they don’t, usually revolving around flow had on the car. Brock was unable something other than the actual de - to convince the fabricator Lang had THE ROAD TO MODENA – Origins sign. It could be a change of direction, chosen to build the car’s body. He used and History of the Shelby-DeTomaso a problem getting financial backing or Brock’s design as the starting point for P70 Can-Am Sports Racer by Peter a falling out between the principals. his own design, simplifying the car Brock. 11˝ x 8 1/2˝ softcover; 132 All of these were part of the P70 story. and eliminating the adjustable rear pages; 70 color & 102 B&W photos. When things don’t work out, if the wing. The car’s handling was never $34.95. Published by Brock Racing basic design is acceptable, it is often right. Enterprises LLC www.bre2.net filed away and it (or portions of it) can Shelby, like many others, was se - If Shelby American has an Ener - be used for a similar project. Rarely duced by the huge purses offered in gizer Bunny it is Peter Brock. Every are new designs brought to life on a the Can-Am series and he asked Brock time we turn around he is involved in clean sheet of paper. They often begin to design a new Can-Am car in 1964 another project. Frankly, we don’t based on the remnants of a past proj - that Alejandreo deTomaso would build know where he finds the stamina. We ect. in . Brock’s original design for the have heard him say that the P70 This is what happened with the Lang Cooper was perfect – and he had DeTomaso Can-Am car was his fa - P70. Brock intended that the initial better luck getting it built by vorite design of all the cars he had design would be used on a Cooper- deTomaso the way he had originally done. And we can see why. The lines Monaco chassis. After Craig Lang and envisioned it. are sensuous and they flow like mer - Dave MacDonald’s “Lang Cooper” There is, of course, much more to cury. The more you look at this car, the King Cobra was destroyed in practice the story than that, and who better to more it moves you. It is a combination at Kent, Washington by Bob Holbert, tell it than Peter Brock? In his words of beauty and functionally. MacDonald, who had been entered at it comes to life with all of the intra- The story of the P70 is, as you Indianapolis that Memorial Day Mon - company politics, behind-the-scenes might expect, an interesting one, and day, flew to Washington to drive on machinations and insider’s perspec - who better to lay it out than Brock. As Sunday. He was given Holbert’s team tive. We love this car and we also love the man at the very center, he has the Cooper Monaco and was able to best the way Peter Brock spins the story. It knowledge and insight to tell the com - Jim Hall’s Chaparral to win the race. doesn’t get better than this. plete story, and he does it well. Almost as good as the story itself, he lays in a lot of context that allows the pieces to fall into place to provide a clear pic - ture of the many things that were tak - ing place around this car’s design and construction. Brock’s writing makes you feel as if you were there. In telling the story of any individ - ual car or model, nothing is more im - portant than context. No car is created in a vacuum. To understand the car you need to understand the time THE COMPLETE BOOK OF CLASSIC FORD and MERCURY MUSCLE CARS SPEED READ: MUSTANG by Donald by Donald Farr. 9 1/2˝ x 11 1/8˝ hard - Farr. 6 3/4˝ x 19˝ hardcover; 160 pages; cover; 178 pages; 190 color & 42 B&W 70 color illustrations. $19.99. Pub - photos. $45. Published by Motorbooks lished by Motorbooks www.quarto - www.quartoknows.com knows.com There is no lack of interest in Ford Does Donald Farr ever take any muscle cars from the 1960s and early time off? This book is more like a 1970s. While Mustangs seem to at - primer on Mustangs and should be tract most of the attention, full line very popular with young enthusiasts Fords and Mercurys also have strong just starting down the Mustang road. followings. As do Torinos, and Fair - The book is organized chronologically lanes, and Cougars, and Falcons, and by generations, and instead of long Comets. This book brings them all to - and detailed histories of each type of gether in a nice, readable package. It car (as you might expect in other Mus - provides a brief overview of each tang books), this one has facts in - model, from 1961 to 1973. cluded in shorter bites, which is The photos are nicely done and probably attractive to younger enthu - they reflect how far we’ve come since siasts with shorter attention spans. the early days when the cars in the That’s not meant to be a criticism – photos in books like this weren’t nec - just an observation. It’s a matter of essarily period-correct. Today they are, knowing your audience. thanks to so many of the cars having One other thing that makes this been restored accurately. book unique is a lack of photographs. There is nothing new here but It has color illustrations, instead, after fifty years should we expect to which tell the story nicely. We suspect see another lightning bolt jump from this book will be very popular with the pages every time a new book is older enthusiasts who want to give written? Probably not. For the most youngsters in their orbit their first part these books are not written for taste of Mustang history...and their the Jurassic Park old-timers who have first taste of collecting automotive lit - been around since the earth was cool - erature. This is how it begins. ing and cars were new, but for those who have hopped on the train only re - cently and are excited about the ride. As usual, Donald Farr has done an ex - cellent job of combining details, specifics and photography. A special Shelby section is, of course, included. that car he made the cut and got one not attuned to cam lifts, rear end ra - of the new 427-powered Mustang tios, valve lash and rocker arm shims A/FX cars built for Ford by Holman- you can slide right over them without Moody. Initially it had a wedge engine feeling like you’re missing anything but that was soon upgraded to a 427 and still keep up with the story. And SOHC cammer. Joniec’s intuitive me - it’s a good one, well told. This is a book chanical ability enabled him to extract we recommend. the engine’s deepest secrets. Soon Ford engineers were giving him special parts to experiment with. When Ford asked him to get in - volved with NASCAR’s drag racing program on the East Coast and Mid - west. The A/FX Mustang got a makeover and emerged as the “Bat - car,” sponsored by Rice Holman Ford in Pennsauken New Jersey. It quickly established itself as one of the cars to beat on the match racing circuit. Joniec was a whiz with the fuel in - THE ADVENTURES OF AL JONIEC jected cammer motor. In 1967 the car FORD DRAG RACER by Charles R. was reconfigured as “The Hairy One.” Morris, with Al Joniec. 7 3/8˝ x 9 1/2˝ Based on his success, Rice-Holman softcover; 168 pages; 194 B&W photos. and Joniec were given one of Ford’s $20. Published by Stance & Speed, new ‘68 Mustang Cobra Jet SS/E drag Minneapolis, MN www.stanceand cars. At the 1968 NHRA Winterna - speed.com tionals he waded through a full field of Ford drag racing enthusiasts fa - MoPar Hemis to take the Super Stock miliar with the 1960s probably know Eliminator championship. the name Al Joniec. As a young car guy Ford gave him a new ‘69 Mustang FAST DAYS by Joel W. Jackson. 6˝ x 9˝ growing up in the Philadelphia area, Cobra Jet to race at the 1969 Winter - softcover; 240 pages; 16 B&W photos. he went through the usual unofficial nationals. Then when the Boss 429s $9.99. Published by Joel W. Jackson, apprenticeship, working in a gas sta - came out he bought one of those and www.booksurge.com tion, speed shop and Ford dealership, promptly set it up for drag racing. Everyone familiar with Carroll all the time absorbing the tricks nec - That was followed, in 1970, by a Shelby’s legacy knows that roughly essary to make drag race cars go Pro/Stock Maverick powered by a 427 every ten years there was a major faster. This book, written by self-con - SOHC motor. change in the direction Shelby’s his - fessed drag racing fan Charles R. Mor - One of the most interesting chap - torical trajectory. In the 1950s his ris, tells Joniec’s story, frequently in ters, from our perspective, is when 427 driving career was merely the opening Joniec’s own words. Cobra racer Sam Feinstein came to act. It was followed by the giant The story moves through the cars Joniec’s shop looking for someone to shadow Shelby American cast over the Joniec competed with, in some detail. build engines for the 1973 SCCA sea - racing world in the 1960s with the He became deeply involved with per - son. Joniec saw it as a challenge and Cobra, Shelby Mustangs and Ford formance dealer Al Swenson Ford, be - before too long he was building en - GTs. In the 1970s he took a step back coming the team’s lead driver and gines that made it possible for Fein - and receded into the background, but head mechanic. Success with a 427 stein to meet the top 427 Corvettes on returned in the 1980s teaming up with Galaxie in the Northeast brought him equal footing. Joniec’s final car was a his buddy Lee Iacocca and Chrysler. notice from Ford’s drag racing honchos 351-powered Pinto Pro/Stock. The 1990s saw him building Cobra and he made the list to get one of their Al Joniec’s story is an interesting replicas and the powered new 427-powered Fairlane Thunder - one. It sometimes gets overwhelmed Series 1. In the 2000s he was back bolts. After a year or so campaigning with mechanical details, but if you’re with Ford. There has been no shortage of do with the project early on, but who, qualifies him as an expert on the com - books written about Shelby and his as it began to reach completion, pany. But it did give him a solid start - cars. Some have attempted to use a wanted to add their two cents so they ing point for compiling the history of broad brush and cover everything; oth - could have a presence on the “winning Kar-Kraft, as short-lived as it was. He ers zeroed-in on just one type of car or team.” Unfortunately, each of their knew a lot of those who worked there a single time frame. Some of those au - contributions pulled the finished car and they provided the framework, the thors were insiders and others wrote farther away from Peter Brock’s origi - basic information, a lot of the photos from the outside, looking in. Obviously nal, well thought-out design and led to and documents and also pointed him books written by someone on the in - the car’s ultimate failure. Read this in the direction of others who could side tend to be a little more riveting. book and you’ll know why Shelby’s contribute to the narrative and help They often carry more weight because Can-Am spec racer, an excellent con - fill in the blanks. It is evident that a the writer was right there, in the cept whose time had come, never lot of research was done to enable him midst of everything. It is first-person caught air under its wings and flew. to tell the completes tory. reporting, instead of a he said-she said “Fast Days” was self-published in There are some things that just second or third person account. 2006 by Joel W. Jackson, and that’s cannot be done in a large corporation, Insider-books about a company or why it was never released with proper and they need a smaller job shop that its cars are usually written by one of publicity or fanfare. We found it on can handle these projects without three categories of people. Some are Amazon. It is a good read and in spite strangling them with red tape. Time is written by those at the top of the flow of occasionally getting into the tall en - often of the essence. All of the Big chart. They deal mostly in broad con - gineering grass, it explains a lot of Three had backdoor shops to get spe - cepts, policies and personalities. A sec - what took place in Shelby World be - cial projects handled. Kar-Kraft was ond type of book is written by people tween 1984 and 1991. If you have Ford’s during the Total Performance in the middle: engineers, designers, questions about this time frame, Jack - days from 1964 through 1970. The drivers, supervisors or managers. And son’s book is likely to answer them. GT40 occupied most of their time, and then there are those closer to the ac - Henry’s recitation of the insider de - tion out in the shop: mechanics, fabri - tails on those cars leaves very little cators, painters or race crew members. out. He starts with the original Mus - They tend to be more involved in raw tang I concept car (which pre-dated mechanical details and are no holds Kar-Kraft) and shows how it evolved barred when discussing the people in - to the Mustang and the GT40. Kar- volved. Kraft’s intimate association with the Joel W. Jackson worked for Shelby GT40s, from the earliest ones through during the 1980s, the Dodge Days. He the MK IVs, is the meat of this book. was a skilled fabricator who was in - Henry includes all of the people in - volved in the construction of the volved, from executives and managers GLHS cars and the CSX-T IMSA race to engineers and supervisors. A lot of cars. He also built the chassis for the the names are familiar but seeing first Viper, before Chrysler took the where they fit into the hierarchy – at project over during Shelby’s heart both Kar-Kraft and Ford – helps to tell transplant and moved it to Michigan, KAR-KRAFT - Race Cars, Prototypes the story. abruptly changing directions. He also and Muscle Cars of Ford’s Specialty Ve- The book also covers Mustang built the Peter Brock-designed Shelby hicle Activity Program by Charlie projects such as the Boss 302 race cars Can-Am spec racer. Henry. 10 1/4˝ x 10 1/4˝ hardcover; 191 and Boss 429 production. Both are As someone who was there, on the pages; 109 color photos and 164 B&W synonymous with Kar-Kraft, and for shop floor every day, Jackson’s details photos. $39.95. Published by Car Tech good reason. Along the way, Henry re - and descriptions are vivid. Sure, they Books, www.cartechbooks.com veals the smaller projects and back- are biased, but he is as knowledgeable We all toss the name Kar-Kraft stories that make the book so as he is opinionated. The picture he around like we have an intimate interesting. paints shows a typical race organiza - knowledge of what this company did The book makes use of numerous tion with all of the various personali - and who did it. But the truth is, aside letters, memos and other documenta - ties, in-fighting and politics. The good, from a few cars and a few of the more tion that shows, exactly, the hows and the bad and the ugly. notable people associated with it, we whys things were done. They elimi - The last few chapters spotlight the don’t. All we have is a general idea. nate the need to paraphrase or ex - Shelby Can-Am SCCA spec-racer and After seeing this book, we’re sur - plain. There were more cars than you detail its design, construction and prised that somebody hasn’t written it realize that were Kar-Kraft projects, testing. It also shows how a good, sooner. Charlie Henry admits, at the and they touched everything from pro - sound concept can be hijacked by a very beginning, that he only worked duction to drag racing to NASCAR. It’s handful of people who had nothing to there for nine months and that hardly all here, tied up in a neat package. KEN MILES - The Motoring Maver- ick by Paul House. 8 3/4˝ x 6 1/2˝ hard - cover; 122 pages; 20 color photos, 51 B&W. £25 plus postage. Paul House who were there and those who weren’t pdhse@ aol.com but who have some knowledge of what Paul House is probably the lead - happened. Because it’s fifty years later ing expert on Ken Miles. He re - and a lot of those who played a part in searched the cars Miles drove, the adventure are no longer alive. building a detailed model of every one. Thus we have the remembrances of His book is as in depth as it gets, cov - Carroll Shelby’s sons, grandson, Ken ering Miles’ life up until he emigrated SHELBY AMERICAN – the Carroll Miles’ son and Dave MacDonald’s son. to the U.S. It includes his youth and Shelby Story edited by Tony Yamyakitis; We also have the words of those who the time he spent in the army as a Directed by Adam Corolla/Chassy Media. have passed away since the period in - tank mechanic in the late stages of Running time 118 minutes. DVD: $14.99. volved. They all add to the broad mo - WWII after D-Day. After the war he Suddenly we’re awash in Shelby/ saic that tells the story accurately. returned to England and his job at GT40/LeMans movies. All it took was There are a few small mistakes but we Wolseley Motors as lathe operator. He one major studio to unleash a $100 Mil won’t waste time correcting them. tinkered with cars in his off-time. By film across the country (and hence, They don’t detract from the story. the end of the 1940s he was seriously the world) and although the result The film footage surprised us. into hillclimbs in cars you’ve probably was an entertaining excuse to while We’ve been paying serious attention to never heard of. He worked for a bit as away two and a half hours nibbling Shelby and his cars for fifty years. We a car salesman. In 1952 he made the popcorn, the studio’s treatment left a thought we had seen almost every - move to come to the U.S. to take a job good portion of the automotive enthu - thing, filmwise. Boy were we sur - in California. Naturally, it included siast public wanting more. To tell their prised! We don’t know where they racing and he and his wife rolled the story they were forced to pick and found the footage (especially the color dice. Ken Miles’ history stopped in choose from an overabundance of film from racing in the 1950s) because 1966 when he was killed. He didn’t get facts, experiences and personalities, we wouldn’t have believed it still ex - a chance to complete his career – and the winnowing process left a lot of isted. It’s great to see. wherever that may have taken him. holes in a wide landscape. Which All in all, this was a very enjoyable He can’t be interviewed about his means there was room for more. video to watch. It is tightly edited and opinions and ideas, either back when This treatment is both different uses a combination of period material he was driving or as a wizened, retired and better. It is more of a historical and new stuff, because there’s only so pro. He isn’t able to be invited as the narrative and makes use of actual film much period matter. It is the Shelby Grand Marshall of an event. We’re left footage taken during the period and story, from his childhood to his final with an abbreviated picture of Ken snippets from interviews of both those projects. It’s worth a watch. Miles and we feel shortchanged. son, in 1964, included three King A book this detailed and with so Cobra victories and one in the new many people contributing to it makes Daytona Coupe before his bright light it difficult to believe that Dave Mac - was extinguished in a fiery crash at Donald’s driving career only lasted Indianapolis on Memorial Day. And four and a half seasons. Henny packs that is one of the misfortunes of his it with plenty of photographs and the short career: the “What-If” factor bonus is a CD which contains six makes you wonder what would have videos of MacDonald’s races, including resulted if he had driven Ford GTs, 1963 500, 1963 River - 427 Cobras or GT350 competition side and Monterey King Cobra races, cars. Sadly, we will never know. 1964 Sebring and the 1963 Riverside DAVE MACDONALD – COBRA MAN – When a young driver’s career is NASCAR race. The Will To Win by Phil Henny. 11 cut short by death, and someone seeks It’s been fifty-three years since 1/4˝ x 8 3/4˝ hardcover; 154 pages; 169 to tell his story fifty years later, the Dave MacDonald slipped from the rac - black and white photos, 56 color, CD writer is left to research a driving ing scene. Phil Henny’s excellent book with 6 race movies. $75. www.phil - record and talking to those who knew insures that he will not be forgotten. henny.com him. Phil Henny has done this, but he It seems like everyone who had added another dimension to the worked at Shelby American has a story by including in this book the re - story to tell. And Phil Henny, one of membrances of those who worked with those people, tells those stories exceed - MacDonald and some of those who ingly well. He has written a half dozen drove against him, inviting them to books (so far) concentrating on the talk about Dave in their own words. It likes of Carroll Shelby, Bob Bondurant is a concept that works well. Most and Phil Remington. He’s also written writers would interview them and about engine wizard Al Bartz. Now, then paraphrase what they heard, Dave MacDonald joins this list. maybe inserting a few quotes here and MacDonald was one of the earliest there. Henny, wisely, does not do this. SHELBY AMERICAN UP CLOSE drivers that Carroll Shelby invited Instead he just allows what Dave Mac - AND BEHIND THE SCENES by onto the team, joining Bob Holbert, Donald’s friends and contemporaries Dave Friedman. 12 1/4˝ x 10˝; 240 Bob Bondurant, Dan Gurney and Ken say to stand on their own. It works. pages; 351 black and white photos, 57 Miles. Although he was the youngest Another element in the book is the color. $50. www.quartoknows.com of the group, MacDonald was acknowl - inclusion of MacDonald’s wife, Sherry, In a word-association test given to edged as having a natural talent be - and their son Rich’s thoughts and anyone reading this magazine, the hind the wheel. He was probably the memories of him. This adds some prompt of “Dave Friedman” would re - most fascinating, for several reasons. depth to the story. Dave and Sherry sult in “Shelby American photogra - Prior to Shelby’s invitation, he had were married in 1955 and he was al - pher.” The pictures he took while only been road racing for three years ready drag racing Corvettes regularly. working for Shelby American between in a Corvette. During that time he had Rich was born a year later and was 1963 and 1965 have, over the past fifty racked up 31 wins in 67 events, all in only 6 when he watched the Indy years, become iconic. You would be Corvettes. His aggressive driving style crash on closed circuit television at the hard pressed to find one book or arti - and ability to throw his car into the LA Sports Arena with his uncle and cle on Cobras published over the past turns and drift across the apexes with grandfather. He was too young to real - five decades that didn’t use at least perfect timing made him a pleasure to ize what had just happened. It was one of his photos. In fact, Dave Fried - watch. devastating to his mother. They finally man’s pictures have been used so In 1963, when MacDonald moved went back to Indy in 2016 to come to many times that it is difficult to imag - to Cobras and King Cobras, his ability terms with what had happened. There ine we have not seen them all. But the to win races continued: 15 victories in is a chapter in the book and pictures truth is, we have not. Like a magician a and two in the King Cobra depicting that return. You will find it pulling things out of his top hat, Fried - sports racer that year. His second sea - inspiring and poignant. man’s hat seems bottomless. Of the more than 400 photos in this book, it appears that about half have either never been in print before or have been used rarely. That makes sense: when Friedman’s photos were first distributed, most were public re - lations shots used in press kits and given to magazines. They tended to be the best ones, based on photographic quality (sharp focus, good composition and contrast). As interest in Cobras in - creased over the years, authors and editors sought photos which had seen less use but which still told the story they wished to tell. As Friedman saw interest in Co - bras grow over the subsequent years, he began supplying photos to authors or publishing books himself. To date he has probably written or contributed to more than a dozen books on Cobras or Carroll Shelby. In all honesty, we didn’t think he had one more book in him. But he did! This book isn’t just the result of Friedman going through his archives, looking for photos that had never been used before. As we said, about half fit this category. The rest are necessary to help tell the story – and there is one, because this isn’t just a coffee table photo book. The pictures are all well captioned with people in them identi - fied. There is also some text – not a lot, but enough – to provide context and frames the story chronologically. The book is separated into four sections: 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965. The photos are all large, almost half are full-page. Within the time frame of the section, the photos are seemingly inserted at random, because there was so many things going on at the same time: 289 race cars, 427 development, GT350 production and GT40 develop - ment. Instead of using photos to tell a specific story, they are used more like a scrapbook, with captions describing the photos. The order of photos do not chronicle what was happening, but that’s ok, because the photos are what’s important. Virtually all of the details of the Shelby American saga are already known, thanks to the dozens of books already written about these cars. Do you need this book? Ab - solutely. Will you learn something you didn’t know? Absolutely. SHOOTING COBRAS - A Personal Port- folio by Trevor Legate. 9 3/4˝ x 8 1/4˝ hardcover; 150 pages; 185 color photos, 45 B&W; £95 including postage. Pub - lished by Trevor Legate. [email protected] Trevor Legate is a British author to a few friends. People who saw it are identified by serial number, which and photographer who has been shoot - liked it.One thing led to another and is always a nice touch. Especially since ing Cobras for almost as long as there pretty soon the print run grew to 100 a lot of the cars are from England. were Cobras. He’s written several good books. No advertising, no Amazon– This book has a friendly feel to it, books on them along the way. This one just word of mouth. and although it is a bit pricey at £95 started off as a personal project –a This is as nice a Cobra book as ($118.44 US) the fact that there are collection of his favorite pictures as - we’ve seen. Knowing that the pictures only 100 of them takes some of the sembled into a book that he would give are Legate’s favorites makes it per- sting out of that. For true Cobraphiles sonal. He’s divided up into a sections: there just aren’t that many new Cobra 289, AC 289 Sport, 427, Coupes, Gath- books out there. These won’t last long. erings and Replicas. Individual cars Contact Trevor by his email.

We hadn’t seen pictures like this in a long time. A “fieldkhana” is a gymkhana without asphalt. Sports cars compete against the clock on a course layed out over an open field or hillside. Sometimes through small patches of mud. These events were fairly common back in the 1950s and early 1960s. It’s hard to imagine that today. moving a few feet to one side or an - Just when you thought there was other or altering the camera angle. nothing else to write about the The best ones were chosen and used Cobra... Chris Theodore comes along for PR purposes. The rest just occupied with this book about Carroll Shelby’s space in his archives, rarely seen by last twenty-five years. If anybody was anyone. That’s what makes them so under the impression that when 1987 special when they finally do get into a rolled around and Shelby celebrated book. his 65th birthday he would quietly re- As the title says, this is about the tire, they couldn’t be more wrong. This cars built in Venice, during Shelby book deals with Shelby’s Dodge cars American’s early days before the move and his involvement with the Viper. to the LA airport. Most employees re- He would have been fully involved call this was the best time to work at with that car except that in 1990 he the company because everyone knew had a heart transplant which side - each other, they felt they were all part lined him for about a year. of a tightly-knit team and they all Theodore served as the Engineer- SPEED MERCHANTS OF VENICE by. shared in the cars’ successes. Sadly, ing Vice President for Chrysler before Michael Holmes and Randy Richard - the move to LAX and heightened Ford moving to the same position at Ford, son. 9˝ x 9˝ softcover; 70 pages; 41 involvement changed all that. so he was in a position to know exactly B&W photos; $15.00. Published by The photographs are divided into what Shelby’s relationship was with Racing Division Los Angeles. www.rac - sections which follow a chronological both companies as well as his level of ingdivision.la evolution: Cobras, beginning with involvement. Theodore worked with For those who cannot get enough CSX2000 at Dean Moon’s shop Shelby closely on the Viper, the 2005- of period Shelby American photos, through the racing small blocks; the 2006 Ford GT, (code-named “Petunia” here’s another helping. Back in 2012, Dragonsnake; the Daytona Coupe; the because it was top secret at Ford), the Michael Holmes and Randy Richard- Cooper Monaco King Cobra; the 427 Shelby Cobra Concept show car (code son put together a coffee table book Cobra; and finally the GT40 when that named “Daisy, which he came to own) using a bunch of Dave Friedman’s project was passed to Shelby. This is a as well as detailed information on the black-and-white photos coming from gem of a book. If you’re the type who GR-1, described as the spiritual suc- the Shelby Foundation archives. It can never get enough of factory photo- cessor to the iconic Daytona Coupe. was produced to accompany a new ex- graphs and the details they carry, this Also included are details revealing hibit at the Wally Parks NHRA Motor- book is definitely for you. the behind the scenes intrigue in re- sport Museum to commemorate Car - uniting Shelby and Ford – which led to roll Shelby’s passing. The photos are the Shelby Mustangs, beginning in reproduced in a large format, virtually 2006. The list of special models of the size of an 8 ̋x10 ̋photo – the way Shelby Mustangs, those built by Ford the pictures were originally repro - as well as those built at Shelby Amer- duced back in the day. Each one is in ican in Las Vegas, is bewildering until sharp focus and more than a few have Theodore explains the time line and never been seen before. How is that special details of each car: The Shelby still possible today? GT H, GT500, GT350, GT500 Super During his tenure as Shelby Snake, GT500KR, Terlingua, Shelby American’s full-time photographer, 1000 and GT/SC. from 1963 to 1965, Friedman was With so many different models, everywhere creating a photographic some overlapping with each other, it record of almost everything that was has been almost impossible to keep happening. During that time he shot them all straight but as an engineer, literally thousands of photographs. Theodore is at his best keeping them Some became well known because separate and making everything un- they were used in Shelby American derstandable. press kits and PR photos which would We have been waiting for a book then appear in automotive magazines. like this to lay everything out and THE LAST SHELBY COBRA My For the past five decades we’ve seen make it understandable. Carroll Times With Carroll Shelby them over and over again, to the point by Chris Shelby continued to be involved with that they are very familiar. But as a Theodore. 8 1/2 x 10 1/8 hardcover; Ford projects right up until his health good photographer, Friedman did not 160 pages; 154 color photos, 21 B&W; kept him from being active. We’re shoot just one picture and then move $60. Published by Veloce Publishing thankful that Chris Theodore was able on. He typically would shoot a dozen Ltd. www.veloce.co.uk to put everything into perspective.