Key information
Author: Glen Smale
RRP: £22.99 (incl. p&p)
Format: Hardback
Pages: 156
Published by: Haynes Publishing
BUY: (directly from author)
Another one of Haynes’ aspirational manuals, the legendary AC-Shelby Cobra is one of the world’s ultimate no-compromise sports cars. Originally derived from the AC Ace, the brutal Cobra was the result of Carroll Shelby’s dream to combine British chassis expertise with the easily available power of a large-capacity American V8 engine. The AC Cobra was produced by Shelby in both road-going and competition versions, and this manual looks at both, although the emphasis is firmly on the racing cars. Cobras competed in both Europe and US, and the six years from 1962 to 1967, during which the Cobra was competitive on the international scene, were characterised by intense battles between the Shelby prepared Cobras and various Ferraris. The Daytona Coupé Cobras lifted the World GT Championship in 1965, beating Ferrari to the title. Over fifty years on from its debut, this much-imitated car is revered the world over, and original examples have become highly sought-after. This manual provides a fascinating insight into the design, evolution, operation, maintenance and restoration of the AC-Shelby Cobra.
This in-depth manual, illustrated with numerous period and modern-day photographs provides a fascinating insight into what makes the AC-Shelby Cobra one of today’s most desirable and valuable classic sports cars.
- The AC-Shelby Cobra story – Brief history of AC Ace and biography of Carroll Shelby, design, evolution and racing history of the AC Cobra
- Anatomy of the AC-Shelby Cobra – Body, engine, transmission, steering and suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres, interior and electrics
- The engineer’s view – Running a Cobra in period and today, race preparation and maintenance
- The owner’s view – living with a Cobra on the road and track, provenance, values and obtaining an AC-Shelby Cobra
- The driver’s view – Racing reminiscences from Dan Gurney, Bob Bondurant, Jack Seers and Allen Grant, plus modern-day racers including Darren Turner
- The Daytona Coupés – Details of all six Daytona Coupés built, 50 years on from their victory in the 1965 World GT Championship
You can read about some of the stories that Glen encountered while writing this book here: Cobra book progress published in May 2015.
