Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1:
Understanding Carroll Shelby’s Mustangs
Peace, Prosperity and Performance
Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday
Declaration Denied
From “Secretary’s Car” to Sports Car
GT350s for Road and Track
A Sedan Racer No Longer
The Process Explained
Special Orders
Chapter 2:
Evolution (into less revolutionary)
Selling Out Means Selling More
Style over Substance, by Design
Chapter 3:
Planning the Most Prolific Shelby Yet
Top Down, Popularity Up
Appearance Was Paramount
But Performance Still Mattered
The “Shelby Cobra” Lives On (sort of)
Change of Venue
A Perfect Storm
A. O. Smith
The Vision Becomes Reality
Production Begins . . . Slowly
“Ding In Roof”
It’s the Economy, Stupid
Chapter 4:
The 1968 Shelby Cobra in Detail: The Same . . . But Different
Keeping It Simple(r)
Cookie-Cutter Consistency
Roger Miller, the Cobra Jet and the King of the Road
The Snake is Quicker than the Bowtie
Gold (non) Standard
More Color Curiosities
A Reduced Rent-a-Racer Revival
More Appropriate for the Masses
Chapter 5:
A Shelby Cobra Hardtop (sort of)
Camaro, Firebird and Javelin Made it Happen
CS (but not for Carroll Shelby)
Built for California, in California
Chapter 6:
Legacy and Legend
Explaining (or trying to) the Unexplainable
Affordability Begets Unaffordability
The Price Pyramid
Extraordinary within the Mundane
The Numbers Game
Trust . . . But Verify
Shelby’s Mustang, Redefined
Appendix A:
Comparative 1968 Shelby Cobra Performance Data
Appendix B:
1968 Shelby Production Numbers, Colors and Prices
Appendix C:
1968 Shelby Numerology: VIN Codes and Tags
