Shelby American: The Venice Years
By Dave Friedman
This is the latest offering for Cobra fans, of books by official Shelby American photographer Dave Friedman and, like all the others, takes the reader inside the operation courtesy of both Friedman’s classic photographs and the insights and recollections provided by others who were there—as well as his own. Oh the stories we could tell….
The focus of this book, as its title suggests, is the period of time that was the genesis of the company that would not only create the Cobra, but also the GT350 Mustangs and victory for Ford’s massive Le Mans effort. The shop, soon to be shops, in Venice, California, was where everything took root and grew, the foundation for the construction of the Cobra legend, and Friedman’s photo show us exactly what it looked like as all that was happening. Make no mistake, however, the photos are not from the shop alone, but also include images of Cobras in competition around the world and several other projects as well.
If you have any interest at all in things Cobra, this is a book for you. Available for US$50/£35/CDN$65 from enthusiast bookstores or direct from publisher Motorbooks at www.quarto.com
