Shelby's Wildlife: The Cobras and Mustangs [Hardcover]

Wallace A Wyss (Author), Carroll Shelby (Foreword)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks International; Revised edition (1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879380454
• ISBN-13: 978-0879380458
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,454,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Wallace Alfred Wyss was born in Detroit, in the Henry Ford hospital. His father , a Swiss immigrant, was a worker on the Ford assembly line somewhat earlier. Wyss grew up in the "musclecar" era, only blocks from Woodward Ave. and could hear drag racers peeling out on Woodward from his house. His first career was in advertising copywriting , working on the Chevrolet account where he wrote ads for Corvettes and Camaros, Chevelles and Novas. His first book was published in 1977, Shelby's Wildlife: the Cobras and the Mustangs which sold 50,000 copies during its 17 years in print.
He says he happened upon becoming the chronicler of Shelby-American quite by accident. "Back in the '60s, I was walking along a street in downtown Detroit when a lady turned a corner in a bright red 427 Cobra, sliding sideways in a full drift, with great balls of fire popping out of the side exhausts, frightening a nearby mounted policeman's horse. She pulled up to me and asked "Which way is Cobo Hall? (the convention center)." I replied "If you give me a ride, I will show you where it is." I jumped in and she drove off at 140 mph. It turned out later that she was a race driver employed by Shelby as his Cobra Caravan toured the U.S. A few years later when the owner of Motorbooks Int. asked me who he could hire to write about the Cobra, I volunteered, and have done three books on Shelby and Cobras since." Wyss later began a long association with Iconografix Inc., doing many pictorial books including Ford GT40 Photo Archive with Brian Winer, and Porsche 356 Photo Archive. His newest books from Iconografix are SHELBY The Man, The Cars, The Legend and COBRA and SHELBY MUSTANG Photo Archive. He also self-published, with Al Axelrod and Brian Winer, the instant collectible, a limited edition book entitled Ford GT40 and the New Ford GT. An accomplished fine artist specializing in collector cars, his work, in the form of oil paintings, made its debut in a Carmel CA gallery in 2007 and will be the subject of a feature in an April 2010 issue of Hemmings Classic Car magazine. Limited edition prints of his originals work are available from www.Albaco.com and www.woodiesofcarmel.com. Wyss, who for a short time was a cowboy on the Bitteroot range in Montana, lives part time on his ranch, Cobra Ranch, in the picturesque village of Mendocino in N. California and also in S. California, where he is involved in breeding thoroughbred race horses

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the price, October 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Shelby's Wildlife: The Cobras and Mustangs (Hardcover)

For someone unfamiliar with the Shelby marque and Cobras, SHELBY'S WILDLIFE is a good introduction. There are $100 books on the subject, but Wyss's book, even at a used book price, is far, far lower. It covers the racing scene of the 1960's as well as any other, and it deserves a reprinting and updating, since the legendary Shelby is still around and making mischief.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous story, nicely told., June 30, 2006

By 

Phil Henny (Portland OR U.S.A) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shelby's Wildlife: The Cobras and Mustangs (Hardcover)

As an outsider from the Shelby Team, Wallace Wyss did a good job. A few mistakes and wrong dates...didnt botter me. So far I found a very few racing books without mistakes! This fabulous story is nicely told, I liked it!
I found very UNFAIR to see one (unknown..) reader to rate the book only one star. Get the book and enjoy it. Phil Henny

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Early chronology/intro to the world of Cobra and GT-350, September 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Shelby's Wildlife: The Cobras and Mustangs (Hardcover)

Wyss' book presents an interesting over-view of the development of the 260, 289, 427 Cobra as well as the GT-350 product. Original pictures (taken before the arrival of shabby kit cars which tarnished the marque), afford accurate views of authentic cars. Wyss offers a 1970's perspective of the Shelby (Ol' Shell) effort. The book is devoid of "pulp fiction text" and magazine phraseology so common in latter day Cobra books. Wyss instead speaks in an altuistic narration style which is simple yet informative and very entertaining. The later updated reprint of this book wrongfully included the Dodge "Shelby" compact car which had no place in the racing history or drama. I recommend this book as an integral part of any Cobra enthusiast's library.