Octane, June 2020 - Book of the Month
'While we were talking with Peter Brock, designer of the Cobra Daytona Coupe, for Octane's cover feature about Cobras in issue 203, he recommended this new book to us. Which tells you all you need to know: if you're interested in these shapely racing coupés, it's an essential purchase.
'... there's far more to this book than the history of a single Daytona Coupe. As Brock himself writes in the foreword: ' [The author's] first-hand accounts ... bring into focus so many of the guys on the crew who have never had the recognition they deserved.' And for this reviewer, at least, it's the behind-the-scenes pictures inside and outside the Shelby workshops that really resonate - guys with shirtsleeves rolled up, working around the clock to finish a project that they're completely immersed in.
'Presentation of these images (and the notably clear text and captions) is uniformly superb. Look at the example, below, of CSX2286 being loaded into a TWA airliner: can't you just feel the heat bouncing off the concrete beneath a searing Californian sky? It all adds up to a very handsome production indeed.'
Auto Express, March 2020
'It's impressive to see a volume with such high production values and so much detail about a car that's so rare - only six Daytona Coupés were built. It's a well researched story, and as always we enjoy this series' selections of high-quality studio shots at the end of the book.'
Best of British
'I could not afford the deposit on one of this breed, so I will have to make do with lapping up all the excitement and atmosphere which is conveyed in Rinsey Mills' ace tribute to one of the six original coupes, CSX2300.
'...As we have come to expect from the Porter Press Great Cars series (of which this is No14), there is exhaustive, well-illustrated detail on what went before, the development, full race gen, the rivers and recent history of the cars. All in all, another winning volume.'
https://b-c-ing-u.com
'Under the current state of ‘house arrest’, having viewed the latest Hollywood blockbuster chronicling the on and off-track battle undertaken between Ford (Carroll Shelby) and Ferrari (‘Le Mans ’66’), my resolve to conclude the review of the latest Porter Press blockbuster was strengthened. I am delighted to tell you which of the pair I preferred…it was NOT the movie! I make zero apology for being an ardent fan of Porter Press’s publications. As the fourteenth in the series of ‘Great Cars’, its 336pp follow the cover sleeve precepts of elegant photography on a gloss black background, which looks great on either coffee table, or bookshelf, and deals with the model-specific CSX2300.
'…Texan Shelby was the means to that end and the author of this outstanding tome, Rinsey Mills, is probably better qualified than any other Shelby, or Cobra fan, having compiled the great man’s biography, which was published just weeks prior to his passing, as well as several other Cobra related titles. Designed by the infamous Peter Brock, who also wrote the book’s foreword, CSX2300’s racing history is explored in tremendous detail.'
Business Money, May 2020
'Under the current state of 'house arrest', having viewed the latest Hollywood blockbuster chronicling the on and off-track battle undertaken between Ford (Carroll Shelby) and Ferrari ('Le Mans '66'), my resolve to conclude the review of the latest Porter Press blockbuster was strengthened. I am delighted to tell you which of the pair I preferred... it was NOT the movie! I make zero apology for being an ardent fan of Porter Press's publications. As the fourteenth in the series of 'Great Cars', its 336pp follow the cover sleeve precepts of elegant photography on a gloss black background, which looks great on either a coffee table, or a bookshelf, and deals with the model-specific CSX2300. Interestingly, this great car, one of just six ever built, has as much relevance to historians as motoring and motorsport enthusiasts, having commenced its run of success for Shelby's equipe in 1964, contesting four World Sportscar championship rounds the following year.
'It is a wonderfully comprehensive study of a superb machine, from concept, design and build, through to a stunning collection of colour plates snapped at Reims in readiness for the book's publication.'
Porsche Road and Race, May 2020
'Truly one of the 'Great Cars', the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe is a most worthy title in this acclaimed series of books. The author, Rinsey Mills, is a lifelong enthusiast of Cobra, having restored and raced the cars. Any enthusiast of motorsport in the 1960s, whether that be Ferrari, Cobra, Aston Martin, Jaguar or Porsche, this book will prove a most valuable addition to your motorsport library.'
Daily Sports Car, June 2020
'As we have come to expect from Porter Press, the modern, studio shot photography is superb and contrasts superbly with the period shots of this car, particularly in its 'period of decline' towards the end of its first career.'
Wheels Alive, April 2020
'This impressively detailed book is clearly the product of intense research and it has the unmistakeable authenticity of a narrator immersed in his subject over many years. Author Rinsey Mills has also spoken extensively to many of the participants, very few of whom alas are still with us. His text is supported by copious illustrations, some of the images quite compelling, the sheer breadth of photography going far beyond the usual picture sources and typifying the endeavour which underpins this fine piece of historical writing.'
BRDC Bulletin, Spring 2020
'At £60 these are not inexpensive books but this represents superb value for what they offer. Long may they continue!' IT
Classic & Competition Car, March 2020
'The author, Rinsey Mills, draws on a long association with AC cars having written three previous books on the cobra as well as being Carroll Shelby's authorised biographer. This shows in the amount of detail he brings to the story and is well complemented by a truly excellent selection of photographs from such notable sources as the Bernard Cahier Archive, the Revs Institute and the Henry Ford/Dave Friedman Collection. Moreover, it is written in a style which makes it a pleasure to read.'
The Society of Automotive Historians
'...the autobiography of CSX2300, the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, is a very worthy addition to the Great Cars series and, for such a fine book, excellent value.'