The Cobra Ferrari Wars

THE COBRA-FERRARI WARS 1963-1965, 2nd Edition. The true story of Carroll Shelby’s war against Enzo Ferrari, and the cars and the men who made racing history. 372 pages and 85,000 words, based on interviews of 53 of the original participants, conducted over 18 years. Over 530 archival photos, drawings, blueprints and documents, including 57 large-format color prints, all original. Acclaimed by Ferrari and Cobra enthusiasts alike, this award-winning classic is now available through the original publisher. $80 plus $10 priority mail shipping.

Extensive information (including visuals and source materials) is available at www.thecobraferrariwars.com or you may contact me, Michael L. Shoen, the author, directly at 480-483-3537 (AZ) or [email protected]. I have more original documents and can add them to the website if there is interest.

 

Peter:

In about 2001, the producer of the DVD asked my permission to use the copyrighted title of my 1990 book, “The Cobra-Ferrari Wars”. I gave permission as long as the film clearly credited my book, which was never done. Hence the confusion. The DVD came out in about 2004. I had nothing to do with the DVD, other than that it crudely copied the information and order from my book. The DVD has a lot of inaccuracies, including visual ones, so the best answer would be for you to read the book. I regret having allowed use of my book’s title because the DVD is of such inferior quality, is inaccurate and confusing. Check out my website www.thecobraferrariwars.com for some of the reviews given to my book. Michael L. Shoen

 

Erik:

It was tough to sell the coupe. After I sold it, I was so discouraged and exhausted that I sold the roadster 2345 which was equally a magic car and donated all my memorabilia to a museum which is now called the Shelby Collection. I had three coupes but the last one was the first I had found (I had owned it since 1969) and the one that had won all the races. I had to sell it in 1996 to finance a legal struggle I had been fighting for years.

Turns out I subsequently got into lots of other interesting and possibly more worthwhile things: I spent over two years fighting the national security state, got into hiking and restoration of desert and mountain land, and helping trashed orphanages. We "won" the legal struggle wherein I had the singular honor or helping my father who was a great man. Selling the coupe facilitated this, so good things come from bad.

I was privileged to have found and interviewed and become a friend of so many of the original Cobra-Ferrari guys before it became popular. When I found these guys (early '70s) they were surprised that anyone was interested but were eager to talk about what had been a primary annealing experience in their life. I made a lot of friends and shared a bond that transcends money and notoriety, which are, in the end, just bulls---. Spiritual values are the only thing that survives and I was privileged to hook up with the positive values of the cars and the people who made it happen. It doesn't matter whether I own the cars presently or not. I am doing a lot of other interesting things. Check out my website www.beautifuldixiecanyon.com

I've had a fun life and I will lose it all in the end anyway and I'll lose my health before that. I hope someone else enjoys the cars and I hope they display them in such a way that others can enjoy them too. Best, Mike S.