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 d

Appendix C:

1968 Shelby Numerology: VIN Codes and Tags