Mustang Unbridled & Inside Shelby American 2 Book Set

Deep-dive into the full story behind Ford’s beloved pony car in this high-octane history.

Mustang Unbridled delivers the most comprehensive account of Ford’s Mustang ever published, a thrilling ride through six decades of continuous production that reveals one of history’s greatest automotive success stories.

Author Robert M. Kennedy begins before the beginning, outlining the evolution of Ford Motor Company from its founding through the early 1960s, delineating the key events that set the Blue Oval on a performance-car path.

From there, Kennedy steers the reins of Mustang’s story through each of its generations, detailing the impacts of internal and external politics, engineering decisions, advertising campaigns, competitive models, racing endeavors, pop culture, and world events, on its unprecedented success. Henry Ford II, Lee Iacocca, Don Frey, and other Ford staff set the stage, joined by a host of key outside influencers, including Carroll Shelby, Steve Saleen, Jack Roush, Vaughn Gittin, Jr., and many more.

From the V4-powered Mustang prototype of 1962 to the fire-breathing, world-beating Boss and Shelby versions of the late ’60s and early ’70s; and from the Mustang II and Fox body cars to today’s high-performance Dark Horse and GTD supercar, Mustang Unbridled offers an unequaled examination of Ford’s legendary pony car.

“Robert M. Kennedy’s dogged research and ability to uncover truths that have been vetted with Mustang notables gives Mustang Unbridled some eye-opening viewpoints that may leave fans re-thinking what they thought they knew about Ford’s steel steed.”

—John M. Clor, Enthusiast Communications Manager, Ford Racing

“In Mustang Unbridled Robert M. Kennedy weaves the waves of national and global change into his Mustang historical narrative. Kennedy brings a fresh perspective and ‘youthful’ enthusiasm to a car that has always been about the fun and joy of youth.”

—Donald Farr, Editor, Mustang Times

In the late 1950s, a young John Morton was transfixed with sports car racing. His dreams of competition eventually led him to enroll, in 1962, in the Shelby School of High Performance Driving. In a bold moment after the last class, Morton asked Shelby if he might come to work for the newly formed Shelby American. The answer was “Yes; here's a broom.” Thus ended Morton’s college career and began his long racing career. Over the next three years, Morton would be a firsthand witness to the evolution of one of the most iconic sports car builders and racing teams of the 1960s. Shelby’s company overflowed with talent, from designer Pete Brock to fabricator extraordinare Phil Remington to drivers like Dan Gurney, Ken Miles, Dave MacDonald, Bob Bondurant, and Phil Hill. The cars were equally captivating: Shelby Cobra, Mustang GT 350, Ford GT, Daytona Coupe. Morton’s story is intertwined with the memories of other Shelby staffers of the period to reveal the rousing, sometimes tragic, story of this famed group. Morton eventually traded his broom for a steering wheel, racing Cobras as well as his own cars until he left Shelby in 1965. Although he and Shelby parted ways, their relationship endured as John went on to compete in a number of racing series. He remains an active historic racer today.