________________________________________ After finding a pretty complete bibliography on the net , I realized when I read it that, as complete as it was, it is now missing a few of the latest titles to come out, so I added them and here's my list for a pretty complete library. Each book has something to offer but many are out of print. I have no idea what a complete collection is worth but it must be in the thousands as the long out-of-print book Daytona Cobra coupes could cost over $1000 just by itself! If there are any other books in foreign languages, like to hear about them.... AC Ace & Aceca 1953-1983, Brooklands AC Ace and Cobra, ed. by Colin Pitt AC and Cobra, McLellan, 1982 AC Cobra, Rinsey Mills AC Cobra, the Complete Story, Brian Laban AC (Shelby) Cobra, F. W. McComb AC Heritage, Simon Taylor and Peter Burn Car And Driver on Cobra, Shelby & Ford GT40 1963-1984, Brooklands 1984 Carroll Shelby's Racing Cobra, Friedman and Christy Classic ACs, John McLellan COBRA 260/289/427 - Collection Grand Tourisme. De Philippe HazanCobra Cobra & Shelby Mustang Photo Archive W.Wyss Cobra, Adam Beki Cobra, Trevor Legate Cobra: The Real Thing, Trevor Legate Cobra: The First 40 Years, Trevor Legate Cobra, The Shelby American Original Archives 1962-1965, Dave Friedman Cobra Super Profile, Grainger Cobras and Replicas 1962-1983, Brooklands Cobras and Cobra Replicas 1962-1989 Gold Portfolio, Brooklands Daytona Cobra Coupes, Pete Brock et al. Stauffer Publishing , worth over $200. Essential AC Cobra, Rinsey Mills Ford Cobra Guide, Bill Carroll Ford vs. Ferrari: The Battle for LeMans, Anthony Pritchard 1984 2nd edition Ford GT40 and the New Ford GT, A. Axelrod, Brian Winer, W.Wyss, 2007 Just Call Me Carroll, Phil Henny Original AC Ace and Cobra, Rinsey Mills Remembering the Shelby Years, Dave Friedman Road & Track on Cobra, Shelby & GT40 1962-1992, Brooklands 1993 'Shelby Cars in Detail: Cars of the Shelby American Collection' , Frank Barrett, SHELBY The Complete book of Shelby Automobiles, Colin Comer SHELBY: the Man The Cars The Legend W.Wyss Shelby Mustang: Racer for the Street:: Randy Leffingwell Shelby, Steve Statham Shelby American Racing History, Dave Friedman, Motorbooks 1997 Shelby American World Registry Shelby Buyer's Guide, Jay Lamm and Nick Nicaise Shelby Cobra, Friedman (hardcover edition of the "Archives" paperback) Shelby Cobra 1962-69 Gold Portfolio, Brooklands Shelby's Wildlife, the Cobras and the Mustangs, W. Wyss The Carroll Shelby Story, Carroll Shelby (in hardback and paperbound) The Cobra-Ferrari Wars, Mike Shoen Automobile Quarterly Volume 14 Number 3 Automobile Quarterly Volume 22 Number 3 Automobile Quarterly Volume 44 Number 4
I am in a book buying mood and saw your post. I am looking for a review or recommendation on the "Shelby Cars in Detail - The Cars of the Shelby American Collection". Who has it? Is it worth the $150 admission ticket? Bitzman, from my bookshelf - here are a few I don't see on your list: The Racing Fords - Tanner Ford: The Dust and the Glory - Levine (1968 or new vol. 1) Ford GT - SAE Papers (this has been republished a few times, but the 1966 is the most rare). The Inside Story of the Fastest Fords - Ludvigsen The Ford GT40, Prototypes and Sports Cars - Hodges The Ford GT - Hodges (1984, and later reprinted) Ford GT40 Super Profile - Allen Ford GT40, The Legend Lives On - Allen Ford vs. Ferarri, The Battle for Lemans - Pritchard (later reprinted) GT40 - Spain (1986 - I have the later reprint) Victory at Lemans - Clavel (1967 LeMans book, geared to Alpine fans). Shelby American Guide(s) - Kopec (several. I have a 1978, but I also know of a 1982 version)
I got my kids to give it to me last Christmas. Highest quality. Would I buy it for myself? No, but I'm a cheap SOB. It has inspired me to plan a road trip in the GT to the museum this summer to see the cars in person. Z. Ray
Answer to Pony Snake about opinion on the Ford GT books I have not looked at Shelby Cars in Detail in detail but I think from a brief look it shows the cars in the Shelby American Collection in Colorado in pretty great detail-and that's important to those restoring a car or building a replica that they want spot on. The hard part is that, if cars have been smashed previously in their racing lives, they might not now have period correct bodywork, better to reference a car that's never been hit if you can find it. As far as the other books on the list, here's some comments: The Racing Fords - Tanner--rare book, has whole Indy section on the 260 cu. in. Indy engine both pushrod and dohc versions Ford: The Dust and the Glory - Levine (1968 or new vol. 1) well written, Leo is a very professional reporter Ford GT - SAE Papers (this has been republished a few times, but the 1966 is the most rare). Good technical detail butnothing whatsoever about how the cars did in the races, only about the cars The Inside Story of the Fastest Fords - Ludvigsen --great pictures, again only about the technical details nothing about the actual racing. Has good J-car pictures, clay model shots The Ford GT40, Prototypes and Sports Cars - Hodges--Mixed bag, includes some cars you may not know of like the P69, very aerodynamic mid-engined Ford The Ford GT - Hodges (1984, and later reprinted) good encapsulation of Ford GT era originally, has a lot about the racing as well as the cars themselves Ford GT40 Super Profile - Allen (never saw that one yet) Ford GT40, The Legend Lives On - Allen (don't have it, can't decribe it) Ford vs. Ferrrari, The Battle for Lemans - Pritchard (later reprinted) The edition to get is the second edition by Zuma Marketing, which covers the '68 & '69 races, not in the first edition and which has color; available as new/old stock from B. Winer at Trueford@aol.com GT40 - Spain (1986 - I have the later reprint) Ronnie Spain is the world's leading expert on the Ford GT. But no matter how many times he prints it, history always tricks him. He said the Bondurant targa GT40 from the targa was destroyed but now you see it on the racetracks Victory at Lemans - Clavel (1967 LeMans book, geared to Alpine fans). (never seen, do you mean it refers mostly to the Renault Alpine?). Is it in French? There/s also a Japanese book,softbound, with nice color flat color paintings of Ford GTs, and lots of black and white. But the black and white shows same old pictures, not much new. Good only for the beautiful drawings.
Thanks for the input. I found the "In Detail" on Amazon for $113, so I bit the bullet and ordered it along with the Horsman - "Racing in the Rain" book. Historically, I have found that if I don't buy a book when I first see it - next thing I know is that it is out of print and out of my price range. Many of the best OOP books released even in the past 8 years are now trading at $250+ range. The Trevor Legate books come to mind, not to mention the Daytona Coupes and original Cobra vs.Ferrari Wars which are stratospheric. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a reprint of the Daytona Coupes book soon. The prices show there is a very strong demand for this book.
Hans Tanner I have the book The Racing Fords. I think it is really a PR written book but it's not bad, has lots of good black and white but production quallty (quality of paper, etc.) is mediocre. I was wondering if anybody knew Hans Tanner? I thought he was Swiss but he was a mysterious figure at Petersen Publishing when I worked there, rumors about him being a gun runner in Cuba but for which side I dunno. He committed suicide. He was known as a Ferrari expert. He one time tried to get Petersen to publish more scholarly books (like Sports Cars of the World) but the company was more of a HOT ROD oriented company. He ran a racing team in Italy and I think hired Shelby as a driver at least once.