About
From Restoration to Writing: A Passion for Cars
Few people are as passionate about muscle cars and Shelby Automobiles as Colin Comer, a man who has certainly blurred the line between profession and obsession when it comes to his favorite subject. After spending the better part of two decades building a successful restoration business and collector car dealership, Comer found another passion in life- writing. After getting his first “gig” as a Contributing Editor to Sports Car Market Magazine in 2004, Comer has gone on to write for just about every automotive publication there is. Comer has served as Editor-at-Large for both Sports Car Market and American Car Collector magazines; Editor for Road & Track magazine; a Senior Editor at Vintage Motorsport magazine; Colunmnist, Editor, and Valuation Expert for Hagerty; and many others.
Million-Dollar Muscle Cars
Comer’s articles that caught the attention of automotive publishing giant Motorbooks International in 2006, which led to his first book “Million-Dollar Muscle Cars” being published in 2007. Beyond the rave reviews, the now out of print “Million-Dollar Muscle Cars” remains Motorbook’s best-selling book of its type.
The Complete Book of Shelby Automobiles
Playing on Comer’s well-known love of all things Shelby, Motorbooks next convinced him to write “The Complete Book of Shelby Automobiles,” released in 2009, then published in three languages to satisfy demand, becoming the best-selling Shelby book of all time as well as being the definitive guide to all things Shelby in the process. After multiple printings this title was updated and revised in 2014 and re-released again.
Shelby Cobra Fifty Years
So it was only fitting that the right guy to write a book celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Shelby Cobra was Comer as well, the result being “Shelby Cobra Fifty Years,” which was called “The greatest car book of all time” by Esquire magazine. “Shelby Cobra Fifty Years” has also achieved worldwide acclaim, including being the 2011 International Automotive Media Bronze award winner, and due to worldwide demand ended up being published in three languages. This legendary title has now been re-released as “Shelby Cobra: The Snake That Conquered The World.”
The All-American Muscle Car
Comer co-authored “The All-American Muscle Car” along with the dream team of Randy Leffingwell, Joe Oldham, Jim Wangers and David Newhardt in 2013. This book celebrates fifty years of the muscle car from its birth in the 1960s to its resurrection of the 1980s through today.
Shelby Mustang Fifty Years and Shelby Mustang: The Total Performance Pony Car
For his fifth book Comer again gave us a milestone book on the cars near and dear to his heart- Shelby Mustangs. Originally published in 2014, “Shelby Mustang Fifty Years,” much like “Cobra Fifty Years,” is an insightful celebration of all fifty years of the Shelby Mustang along with the people that made it happen and continue to keep the legend going strong today. No Mustang or Shelby enthusiasts bookshelf will be complete without the original version of this epic work or even the updated and revised version entitled “Shelby Mustang: The Total Performance Pony Car” that launched in late-2019.
Shelby American: 60 Years of High Performance
Comer’s latest work, “Shelby American: 60 Years of High Performance” was released in late-2023 as, you guessed it, a celebration of six decades of Shelby American but also a way to recognize and celebrate the unsung heroes of Shelby. Profiled within this epic work are some of the players that were insturmental in Shelby’s World Championship and LeMans-winning efforts but yet remain little known. Comer, with the help of his long-time friend and SAAC founder Rick Kopec, dug deep to give some very deserving players their due. And, in true Comer fashion, this book is packed with never before seen historical photos that are worth the cost of admission alone, as they say!
Hands-On Experience and Racing Prowess
Comer’s always insightful, intelligent and witty prose comes from a wealth of firsthand experience of a lifetime spent not only studying cars but also being up to his elbows in grease restoring them. When not under the hood (or chained to a keyboard) Comer is also an accomplished racer that can be found driving said cars to the limit whenever he can. And that, folks, is the take-no-prisoners attitude combined with diligent research and fact-checking that makes Comer’s writing something that always raises the bar.
Colin, his wife and their two children reside in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, or, in Comer’s words, “fifty-two miles from Road America.”
Looking for your next great automotive read?
From legendary classics to rare collectibles — Colin Comer’s books offer insider stories only an expert can tell.