Speed Merchants of Venice
Released last year to pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of Shelby American, Speed Merchants of Venice provides a rich visual record of the birth and development of Carroll Shelby’s Cobras. Produced by Racing Division—headed by Randy Richardson and Michael Holmes—this softcover, photo book features the iconic photography of Shelby American’s official photographer, Dave Friedman.
It begins with the very first Cobra, CSX2000, nearing completion, its aluminum skin unpainted as mechanics fit a 260 cubic-inch Ford V8 into the sturdy AC chassis, and quickly carries the familiar tale on through to the racing versions—including the fabled Dragon Snake quarter-mile challenger—and into the design and development of the Daytona Coupe.
Then there’s a chapter on the quartet of King Cobras, the Cooper Monaco-based sports racers that Shelby unleashed upon the United States Road Racing Championship in 1963 and ’64, and finally a look at the beginnings of the GT40 program that ultimately yielded victory for Ford at Le Mans. All the familiar names and faces are to be found in their usual places making their invaluable contributions to the overall exercise.
Available for US$27.50 from www.speedmerchantsofvenice.com, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Carroll Shelby Foundation.
