Recommended Reading List
Here are some of my favorite books about auto racing. If you have any interest
in the racing classics discussed in this section of Sandcastle V.I., you can't
go wrong getting any of them.
Cobras
- Shelby's Wildlife:
The Cobras and Mustangs by Wallace A. Wyss. Motorbooks International.
Osceola, WI: 1977.
(One of the earliest
Cobra books. Primarily a narrative history, with many B/W photos throughout.)
- Carroll Shelby's
Racing Cobra: A Definitive Pictorial History by Dave Friedman
and John Christy. Motorbooks International. Osceola, WI: 1990.
(Great B/W photos
by Friedman, with interesting text by Christy. But Friedman's more
recent Shelby Cobra is better.)
- Shelby Cobra:
The Shelby American Original Archives, 1962-1965 by Dave Friedman.
Motorbooks International. Osceola, WI: 1994.
(The best compilation
of B/W and color Cobra photos yet.)
- Shelby American
Racing History by Dave Friedman. Motorbooks International. Osceola,
WI: 1997
(Another great
pictorial history by Friedman. This one highlights the Cobras and
GT-40s, but concentrates on Shelby's Can-Am, Trans-Am, and GT-350
racing programs. An excellent race record listing is included as an
appendix.)
- The Cobra-Ferrari
Wars: 1963-1965 by Michael L. Shoen. CFW Publishing. Vancouver,
WA: 1990.
(The definitive
history of Cobra's World GT Championship years. If you want just one
book that covers that specific topic, this is it. Excellent narrative
and equal B/W and color photos throughout.)
- Daytona Cobra
Coupes: Carroll Shelby's 1965 World Champions by Peter Brock,
Dave Friedman, and George Stauffer. Stauffer Publishing. Blue Mounds,
WI: 1995.
(An even larger
volume that covers every detail of the Cobra Coupes, with an unbelievable
array of B/W and color photos. Another "must have.")
- Cobra: The
Real Thing! by Trevor Legate. Veloce Publishing. Dorset, England:
1994.
(The Cobra story,
from the British point of view. Many great color shots of British
"AC" Cobras.)
- Cobra
by Beki Adam. Osprey Publishing. London, England: 1989.
(An all-color
photo essay of rebuilt/refurbished Cobras and Cobra replicas.)
- Shelby American
World Registry by the Shelby American Automobile Club. Motorbooks
International. Osceola, WI: 1987.
(Like the title
says, a registry of every single Cobra, GT-40, and Shelby Mustang,
with individual car histories and many B/W photos. A new edition is
now available.)
- Remembering
the Shelby Years - 1962-1969 by Dave Friedman. Carroll Shelby
Children's Foundation. Los Angeles, CA: 1998.
(A collection
of almost 90 essays and tons of Dave Friedman's incomparable photographs
commemorating the highlights of Carroll Shelby's legendary years as
an auto racing team owner.)
GT-40s
- Shelby GT-40:
Shelby American Original Archives, 1964-1967 by Dave Friedman.
Motorbooks International. Osceola, WI: 1995.
(Companion to
Shelby Cobra, with equal B/W and color coverage of the GT-40s.)
- Ford GT-40
by John S. Allen. Osprey Publishing. London, England: 1991.
(Companion to
Osprey's Cobra. An all-color essay of refurbished GT-40s.)
- Ford GT-40: Production
and Racing History by Trevor Legate. Veloce Publishing. Dorset, England:
2001.
(Companion volume to
Veloce's Cobra: The Real Thing, traces the development of this great racer.
Great color and B/W coverage throughout.)
Eagles
- Gurney's Eagles:
The Exciting Story of the AAR Racing Cars by Karl Ludvigsen. Motorbooks
International. Osceola, WI: 1976.
(Until 2000,
this was the only book about Dan Gurney and his Eagles. Nice text
and B/W photos, but a more up-to-date offering with color coverage
was sorely needed.)
- Dan Gurney:
The Ultimate Racer by Karl Ludvigsen. Haynes Publishing. Somerset,
England: 2000.
(Finally -- a
book that pays fitting tribute to one of the most talented and versatile
auto racers ever! Concise text, many great B/W photos, and a too-short
color section highlight the key aspects of the racing career of Dan
Gurney. Of course, extensive coverage is given to the Formula 1 and
Indianapolis Eagle efforts.)
- Dan Gurney's
Eagle Racing Cars by John Zimmermann. David Bull Publishing. Phoenix, AZ: 2007.
(Again... Finally! -- the
definitive history of all of the racing cars carrying the "Eagle" name and constructed and raced by Dan Gurney's
All American Racers. Filled with concise text, beautiful B/W and color photos, technical details, and race records,
this book has a chapter devoted to each and every AAR racing car. If you're a Dan Gurney fan, you MUST get a copy
of this book. It may be hard to find, but your search will be well worth it. A great companion to Karl Ludvigsen's
book (above) about Dan Gurney - the racer.)
Javelins
- Amazing AMC
Muscle by Edrie J. Marquez. Motorbooks International. Osceola,
WI: 1988.
(More than half
of this volume is devoted to the design development of AMC vehicles,
but it's the only book with any meaningful coverage of AMC racing.
Nice, but it left me wanting for more racing details and photos.)
- AMC Muscle
Cars by Larry G. Mitchell. Motorbooks International. Osceola,
WI: 2000.
(Most of this
book looks at specific AMC muscle cars, such as the Javelin and AMX.
but one chapter is devoted to AMC racing programs. Great color and
B/W coverage throughout, although I'd still like to see a volume devoted
solely to AMC racing.)
Chaparrals
Ferraris
Other Racing
- Indy: Seventy-Five
Years of Racing's Greatest Spectacle by Rich Taylor. St. Martin's
Press. New York, NY: 1991.
(Nice photo history
of the "500," with results of all races through 1991.)
- The Le Mans
24-Hours Race by Michael Cotton. The Bath Press. Bath, England:
1989.
(A nice narrative
history of the famous all-nighter with lots of B/W and a few color
photos, but individual race results would have made it even better.)
- Le Mans
24-Hours by Brian Laban. MBI Publishing. St. Paul, MN: 2001.
(Large, fully-illustrated
history of the racing classic. Includes top 5 finishers and class winners
for all races through 2001.)
- Can-Am
by Pete Lyons. Motorbooks International. Osceola, WI: 1995.
(The definitive
history of the definitive American road racing series. This one has
it all, lots of B/W and color and the results of every race
in the series.)
- Trans-Am: The
Pony Car Wars 1966-1972 by David Friedman. Motorbooks International.
Osceola, WI: 2001.
(The definitive
history of the "Pony Car" road racing series. Filled with B/W and color
and the results of every race during the years covered. An expanded
history bringing the Trans-Am story through the present would be great.)
- The Complete
History of Grand Prix Motor Racing by Adriano Cimarosti. Crescent
Books. New York, NY: 1989.
(A little dated
now, but a very good history of Grand Prix racing, from 1894 to 1989.
It includes year-by-year narratives, tons of B/W and color photos,
car cutaways, and track diagrams. No race results, though.)
- American Grand
Prix Racing by Tim Considine. Motorbooks International. Osceola,
WI: 1997.
(A text and photographic
look at "A Century of Drivers and Cars" representing America's efforts
in international Grand Prix racing. Extensive coverage is given to
Dan Gurney's Grand Prix racing career and his Formula 1 Eagles.)
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