The AC Cobra, sold in the United States as the Shelby Cobra and AC Shelby Cobra, is a
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
manufactured by British company
AC Cars
AC Cars, originally incorporated as Auto Carriers Ltd., is a British specialist automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest independent car makers founded in Britain. As a result of bad financial conditions over the years, the company was re ...
, with a
Ford V8
Ford engines are those used in Ford Motor Company vehicles and in aftermarket, sports and kit applications. Different engine ranges are used in various global markets.
3 cylinder
A series of Ford DOHC 12-valve inline-three engines with Twin Ind ...
engine. It was produced intermittently in both the United Kingdom and later the United States since 1962.
History and development
Like many British manufacturers,
AC Cars
AC Cars, originally incorporated as Auto Carriers Ltd., is a British specialist automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest independent car makers founded in Britain. As a result of bad financial conditions over the years, the company was re ...
had been using the
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
straight-6
The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine bal ...
engine in its small-volume production, including its
AC Ace
AC Ace is a car which was produced by AC Cars of Thames Ditton, England, from 1953 until 1963.
History
AC came back to the market after the Second World War with the 2-Litre range of cars in 1947, but it was with the Ace sports car of 1953 th ...
two-seater roadster. This had a hand-built body with a steel tube frame, and aluminium body panels that were made using
English wheel
The English wheel, in Britain also known as a wheeling machine, is a metalworking tool that enables a craftsperson to form compound (double curvature) curves from flat sheets of metal such as aluminium or steel.Parker, Dana T. ''Building Victory: ...
ing machines. The engine was a pre-World War II design by
BMW which by the 1960s was considered dated. In 1961 Bristol decided to cease production of its engine.
In September 1961, American retired race car driver and automotive designer
Carroll Shelby
Carroll Hall Shelby (January 11, 1923 – May 10, 2012) was an American automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur. Shelby is best known for his involvement with the AC Cobra and Mustang for Ford Motor Company, which he modified duri ...
wrote to AC asking if they would build him a car modified to accept a V8 engine. Bristol engines for the AC Ace two-seater sports car had recently been discontinued so AC agreed, provided a suitable engine could be found. Shelby went to Chevrolet to see if they would provide him with engines, but not wanting to add competition to the
Corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...
they said no. However,
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
wanted a car that could compete with the Corvette and they happened to have a brand new engine which could be used in this endeavor: the
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
engine – a new lightweight, thin-wall cast small-block V8. Ford provided Shelby with two engines.
AC Ace 3.6
In January 1962 mechanics at AC Cars in
Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a suburban village on the River Thames, in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Apart from a large inhabited island in the river, it lies on the southern bank, centred 12.2 miles (19.6 km) southwest of Charing Cross ...
, Surrey designed the "AC Ace 3.6" prototype with chassis number CSX2000.
AC had already made most of the modifications needed for the small-block V8 when they installed the inline 6
Ford Zephyr engine
Ford UK's Zephyr/Consul cars used a new family of engines. The Zephyr engine included both straight-4 and straight-6 OHV engines. Production began in 1951 and lasted through to 1966, when it was replaced by Ford's Essex V4 and Essex V6 engine ...
, including the extensive rework of the AC Ace's front end bodywork. The only modification of the front end of the first Cobra from that of the "AC Ace 2.6" was the steering box, which had to be moved outward to clear the wider V8 engine.
The most important modification was the fitting of a stronger rear differential to handle the increased engine power. A Salisbury 4HU unit with inboard
disc brake
A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hol ...
s to reduce unsprung weight was chosen instead of the old
E.N.V. unit. It was the same unit used on the
Jaguar E-Type.
After testing and modification, the engine and transmission were removed and the chassis was air-freighted to Shelby in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
on 2 February 1962, By this time the small-block's displacement was increased to .
Shelby's team paired this engine along with a transmission into CSX2000, in less than eight hours at
Dean Moon
Dean Moon (May 1, 1927 – June 4, 1987) was an American automobile designer. He grew up in Norwalk, California. Moon was around cars and racing from his youth. His father owned "Moon Cafe" and had a go-kart track he called "Moonza", a pun on M ...
's shop in Santa Fe Springs, California, and began road-testing.
Production
(CSX/CS 2001–2602)
A few changes were made to the production version:
* The inboard brakes were moved outboard to reduce cost.
* The fuel tank filler was relocated from the fender to the center of the trunk. The trunk lid had to be shortened to accommodate this change.
AC exported completed, painted, and trimmed cars (less engine and gearbox) to Shelby who then finished the cars in his workshop in Los Angeles by installing the engine and gearbox and correcting any bodywork flaws caused by the car's passage by sea. A small number of cars were also completed on the East Coast of the US by Ed Hugus in Pennsylvania, including the first production car; CSX2001.
The first 75 Cobra Mk1 models (including the prototype) were fitted with the .
The remaining 51 Mk1 models were fitted with a larger version of the Windsor Ford engine, the V8.
In late 1962, Alan Turner, AC's chief engineer, completed a major design change of the car's front end to accommodate
rack and pinion steering while still using
transverse leaf spring suspension (with the leaf spring doubling as the upper suspension link). The new car entered production in early 1963 and was designated ''Mark II''. The steering rack was borrowed from the
MGB while the new steering column came from the
VW Beetle
The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, ...
. About 528 Mark II Cobras were produced from 1963 to the summer of 1965 (the last US-bound Mark II was produced in November 1964).
European model
(COB/COX 6001–6062)
In 1963 to keep production focused on producing cars for Shelby American Inc., the
Ruddspeed Ace was discontinued. To supply cars to the European market, AC began to market and sell the Cobra in Europe. Advertisements from the time state that the Cobra was designed to meet the requirements of Shelby American Inc.
390 Big Block Cobra
Shelby experimented with a larger
Ford FE engine
The Ford FE engine is a Ford V8 engine used in vehicles sold in the North American market between 1958 and 1976. The FE was introduced to replace the short-lived (in the USA) Ford Y-block engine, which American cars and trucks were outgrowing. It ...
, of in chassis number CSX2196. Unfortunately, the car was not able to receive the development it needed, as resources were aimed at taking the crown from Ferrari in the GT class.
Ken Miles
Kenneth Henry Jarvis Miles (1 November 1918 – 17 August 1966) was a British-American sports car racing engineer and driver best known for his motorsport career in the US and with American teams on the international scene. He is an induct ...
drove and raced the FE-powered Mark II at Sebring and pronounced the car virtually undrivable, naming it "The Turd". It failed to finish with the engine expiring due to damper failure.
CSX2196 was revised for the showdown at Nassau which allowed a more relaxed class division of racing. This allowed the Cobras to run with a prototype
Ford GT40, GM
Grand Sport Corvettes and a
Lola Mk6
The Lola Mk6 GT was a racing car with a production run of only three units, built between 1962 and 1963 by British car manufacturer Lola Cars. With its Ford V8 engine, the Mk6 GT was the first mid-mounted, high displacement V8-powered Grand Tour ...
. An aluminium engine was used. By the end of the first lap, the Cobra had a lead of the length of the start-finish straight. However, the car failed to finish due to brake problems.
Cobra 427
![Shelby Cobra 427 (539467867)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Shelby_Cobra_427_%28539467867%29.jpg)
A new
chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
was required, developed, and designated ''Mark III''. The new car was designed in cooperation with Ford in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
. A new chassis was built using main chassis tubes, up from , and
coil spring
A selection of conical coil springs
The most common type of spring is the coil spring, which is made out of a long piece of metal that is wound around itself.
Coil springs were in use in Roman times, evidence of this can be found in bronze Fib ...
suspension
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Suspension (topology), in mathematics
* Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics
* Suspension of a ring, in mathematics
* Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspende ...
all around (an especially significant change up front, where the previously-used transverse leaf spring had done double duty as the top link). The new car also had wide
fenders and a larger
radiator
Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics.
A radiator is always a ...
opening. It was powered by the "side oiler"
Ford FE engine equipped with a single 4-barrel 780
CFM Holley carburetor
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...
rated at at 6000 rpm and at 3700 rpm of
torque
In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of th ...
, which provided a top speed of in the standard model. The more powerful tune of with a top speed of in the semi-competition (S/C) model.
;Competition models (CSX/CSB 3001–3100)
Cobra Mark III production began on 1 January 1965; two prototypes had been sent to the United States in October 1964. Cars were sent to the US as unpainted rolling chassis, and they were finished in Shelby's workshop.
Unfortunately, The MK III missed
homologation
Homologation (Greek ''homologeo'', ὁμολογέω, "to agree") is the granting of approval by an official authority. This may be a court of law, a government department, or an academic or professional body, any of which would normally work fr ...
for the 1965 racing season and was not raced by the Shelby team. Only 56 of the 100 planned cars were produced. Of those, 31 unsold competition models were detuned and fitted with windscreens for street use. Called S/C for semi-competition, an original example can currently sell for US$1.5 million, making it one of the most valuable Cobra variants.
;Production models (CSX/CSB 3101–3360)
Some Cobra 427s were fitted with Ford's engine, a long stroke, smaller bore, lower cost engine, intended for road use rather than racing. The AC Cobra was a financial failure that led Ford and
Carroll Shelby
Carroll Hall Shelby (January 11, 1923 – May 10, 2012) was an American automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur. Shelby is best known for his involvement with the AC Cobra and Mustang for Ford Motor Company, which he modified duri ...
to discontinue importing cars from England in 1967.
AC 289 Sports
(COB/COX 6101–6132)
AC Cars
AC Cars, originally incorporated as Auto Carriers Ltd., is a British specialist automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest independent car makers founded in Britain. As a result of bad financial conditions over the years, the company was re ...
kept producing the coil-spring AC Roadster with narrow fenders and a small block Ford 289. It was built and sold in Europe until late 1969.
Packages
Dragon Snake
Shelby offered a drag package, known as the Dragon Snake, which won several NHRA National events with Bruce Larson or Ed Hedrick at the wheel of CSX2093.
Only six 289 Dragon Snake Cobras were produced by the factory: "2019", "2357" as factory team cars, and "2248", "2416", "2427", "2472" as private team cars. One 427 Dragon Snake, 3198, was produced.
![Rétromobile 2018 - AC Cobra 289 Dragon Snake - 1963 - 001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/R%C3%A9tromobile_2018_-_AC_Cobra_289_Dragon_Snake_-_1963_-_001.jpg)
Cobras were also prepared by customers using the drag package. Examples include: "2075", "2093", "2109", "2353", and 3159 "King Cobra."
Slalom Snake
Designed for auto-cross events, only two examples were produced, the CSX2522 "Slalom Special", and the CSX2537 "Slalom Snake". Both had white exterior paint (with red racing strings) and red leather interiors.
![1964 Shelby Cobra Slalom Snake](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/1964_Shelby_Cobra_Slalom_Snake.jpg)
Equipped almost identically to CSX2522, the second example had aluminum valve covers, a tuned air cleaner, a Smiths heater, seat belts, front and rear brake cooling ducts, a hood scoop, brake cooling scoops, side exhausts and a painted roll bar (2522's roll bar was chromed). Suspension options included Koni shock absorbers, front and rear anti-sway bars, unpolished six-inch magnesium pin-drive wheels, and Goodyear Blue Streak Sports Car Special tires.
Super Snake
In 1966, CSX 3015 S/C was selected and converted into a special model called the Supersnake the "Cobra to End All Cobras." Originally part of a European promotional tour before its conversion. This conversion called for making the original racing model street legal with mufflers, a windshield and bumpers amongst other modifications. But some things were not modified, including the racing rear end, brakes and
headers. The most notable modification is the addition of Twin Paxton Superchargers, TPS.
Shelby crafted a second model, CSX 3303, from a street version. CSX 3303 was given to comedian
Bill Cosby
William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...
, his close friend. When Cosby attempted to drive CSX3303, he found that it was very difficult to keep under control; he later recounted the experience on his 1968 stand-up comedy album ''
200 M.P.H.''. Cosby gave the car back to Shelby, who then shipped it out to one of his company's dealers in San Francisco, S&C Ford on Van Ness Avenue. S&C Ford then sold it to customer Tony Maxey. Maxey, suffering the same issues as Cosby did with the car, had his throttle stick while leaving a traffic stop, lost control and drove it off a cliff, landing in the Pacific Ocean waters.
Shelby used his CSX 3015 as a personal car over the years, sometimes entering it into local races like the Turismos Visitadores Cannonball-Run race in Nevada, where he was "waking
pwhole towns, blowing out windows, throwing belts and catching fire a couple of times, but finishing."
CSX3015 was auctioned on 22 January 2007, at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event in Scottsdale, Arizona, for $5 million plus commission (£2.8 million), a record for a vehicle made in the U.S.
Adaptations
(CF/CFX 01–80)
AC also produced the
AC 428
__NOTOC__
Year 428 ( CDXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Felix and Taurus (or, less frequently, year 1181 ''Ab urb ...
Frua on a stretched Cobra 427 MK III coil spring chassis. The steel body was designed and built by
Pietro Frua
Pietro Frua (2 May 1913 - 28 June 1983) was one of the leading Italian coachbuilders and car designers during the 1950s and 1960s.
Early years
Frua was born in Turin, the centre of coachbuilding in northern Italy. He was the fourth son of Angela, ...
until 1973.
(EF/EFX 501–508)
The American Electric Car Company used an even further modified chassis for their vehicles.
GHIA SPYDER
(CSX 5001–5002)
One prototype chassis (CSX 3063) was shipped to Ghia in Italy in 1965 for a body styling exercise. This vehicle was first displayed during a European car show with a Cobra license tag. An article about the car was written up in the Winter 65/66 edition of "Style Quarterly" magazine. Shelby American internal production records show that the car was shipped to Shelby American for Evaluation and review. AC Cars Ltd internal production records show that Shelby American placed an order for two 96-inch chassis (CSX 5001–5002) in 1966. AC labeled these chassis as "GHIA CONVERTIBLE" in their factory ledger.
FORD XD COBRA
(CSX 3001)
Shelby American internal production records show that the car was shipped to Shelby American for evaluation and review in early 1966. The vehicle was returned to Ford and now resides in the Detroit Historical Museum.
AutoKraft
Autokraft manufactured an AC 289 continuation car called the Autokraft Mk IV, basically a Mk III with a Ford V8 and Borg Warner T5 Transmission. The Mk IV also received an independent suspension.
In 1986, Autokraft (as a joint venture with Ford joining in 1987) purchased AC Cars, and produced the AC Mk IV Cobra, with a at 4,200 rpm, Ford V8, which provided a top speed of and in 5.2 seconds.
At the 1990 Geneva Salon the Lightweight version was presented: weight was down to (compared to ) and power was up to at 5,750 rpm thanks to alloy heads, a
Holley four-barrel carburettor, and no catalytic converter.
While the Lightweight did not meet US federal regulations, the Mk IV did, and 480 cars of all versions were built until 1996.
AC Car Group
In 1996 the company was purchased by Pride Automotive. Two new 'Cobra' style cars were launched in 1997, the 'Superblower', an aluminium-bodied car with a supercharged Ford V8 providing and the cheaper 'Carbon Road Series' (CRS) with a carbonfibre body and a version of the Ford V8 engine. 22 Superblowers and 37 CRSs were built between 1997 and 2001.
In 1999, a limited edition run of 25 289 FIA Cobras were planned. Only 1 example was manufacturered, chassis number COB 1001.
A further variant, 'the 212 S/C' with a twin-turbocharged Lotus V8 engine was introduced in 2000, but only two examples were built.
In 2001, the company relocated its factory to
Frimley
Frimley is a town in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately southwest of central London. The town is of Saxon origin, although it is not listed in Domesday Book of 1086.
Train services to Frimley (on the line betwe ...
, Surrey. By August 2002, the company was in a financial low and briefly acquired by Private Corp, who closed operations in October 2003. Only two models were produced, a FIA 289 (COX 2610), and a 427 Cobra (COX 3361). The cars were intended to be sold in the US market, through a new company, AC Cars USA, in Florida. Both cars were numbered following where the original ledger entries left off during the 1960s.
AC Motor Holdings Ltd
On 8 July 2002, a new company was formed in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
named AC Motor Holdings and was responsible for the branding of the company.
In late 2003, the Frimley factory was under the control of AC Motor Holdings.
On 4 December 2003, Shelby and AC announced a co-production of the CSX1000 and CSX 7500 series. Only 14 CSX1000, and 2 CSX 7500 cars were built by 2007.
Between 2004 and 2007, AC Motor Holdings produced the AC Mk V in their Malta factory. However, only 3 right-hand drive and 2 left-hand drive carbon-fibre AC Mk Vs powered by Ford V8 engines were built before the Maltese operation closed.
Acedes Holdings Llc
On 20 April 2008, AC announced its Heritage Series, the UK operations were granted to Brooklands Motor Company, dba AC Heritage. The US operations were granted to AC AutoKraft, Llc, of Michigan.
Both companies are licensed to produce traditional aluminum-body models: Ruddspeed, 289, and 427 continuation Aces and Cobras.
In 2009, AC licensed Gullwing GmbH in Germany, dba AC-Automotive, to produce the AC MK VI, with an aluminium coated composite body and powered by a LS3 Chevrolet engine, or a supercharged version.
In 2012, the AC Mrk II Classic was released. Available in either aluminum or fiberglass bodies.
In 2017, the AC Mrk1 260 Legacy edition was released in a limited production of nine cars. Also released was the AC 378 a newer composite body version of the Cobra.
Shelby Daytona Coupé
![Shelby Daytona, 1964](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Shelby_Daytona%2C_1964.JPG)
In an effort to improve top speed along the legendary
Mulsanne Straight
The Mulsanne Straight (''Ligne Droite des Hunaudières'' in French) is the name used in English for a formerly long straight of the Circuit de la Sarthe around which the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race takes place. Since 1990, the straight is int ...
at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, a number of enclosed, coupe variations were constructed using the leafspring chassis and running gear of the AC/Shelby Cobra Mark II. The most famous and numerous of these were the official works Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupes. Six were constructed, each being subtly different from the rest.
AC Cars also produced a Le Mans coupé. The car was a one-off and was nearly destroyed after a high-speed tire blow-out at the 1964 Le Mans race. The car was qualified conservatively second in GT. The race started well with the AC, chassis number A98, maintaining its position in the top two in GT and even leading the class for a time. This was not to last as an act of sabotage (newspaper in the fuel tank) began to block the fuel filter. The car lost time until this was diagnosed and cleaned out. The car proceeded on at the predetermined conservative lap time and for the next stint remained trouble free. The car was able to match the Shelby Daytona's speed despite running a higher differential ratio (2.88 instead of 3.07) and a lower state of engine tune for reliability ( instead of the Daytona's ).
The Willment race team became interested in Shelby's Cobra-based coupe and inquired on purchasing one. Shelby turned down the offer, but supplied the drawings to Willment. Dubbed the Willment Cobra Coupe, this car was fully built by the JWA racing team and numbered 2131 on the frame.
427 Super Coupes
A prototype (CSX 3027) was to become 427 Coupe, but since the focus was shifted towards the GT program, this project received little attention. The bodywork and chassis were soon scrapped.
Two further chassis were ordered number CSX 3054 and CSX 3055. This project was also abandoned with just CSX 3054 receiving a body. CSX 3055 was sold to the Willment Race Team and was fitted with a Fiat body designed by Ghia.
Counterfeit Cobras
In 1993, the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' exposed a scheme by Shelby to counterfeit his own cars. With the price of an original 427 c.i. Cobra skyrocketing, Shelby had requested the
California Department of Motor Vehicles
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is the state agency that registers motor vehicles and boats and issues driver licenses in the U.S. state of California. It regulates new car dealers (through the New Motor Vehicle Board), com ...
(the government agency responsible for titling vehicles and issuing operator permits) to issue 43 duplicate titles for vehicles that did not officially exist in company records. A letter from
AC Cars
AC Cars, originally incorporated as Auto Carriers Ltd., is a British specialist automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest independent car makers founded in Britain. As a result of bad financial conditions over the years, the company was re ...
confirmed the fact that the chassis numbers for which Shelby had obtained titles were never manufactured, at least not by AC Cars. Only 55 427 c.i. Cobras had been originally produced out of a block of serial numbers reserved for 100 vehicles. Shelby had taken advantage of a loophole in the California system that allowed one to obtain a duplicate title for a vehicle with only a written declaration, without the
vehicle identification number
A vehicle identification number (VIN) (also called a chassis number or frame number) is a unique code, including a serial number, used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles, towed vehicles, motorcycles, scooters ...
appearing in the DMV's database or the declarant ever presenting an actual vehicle for inspection.
Shelby admitted that the chassis had been manufactured in 1991 and 1992 by McCluskey Ltd, an engineering firm in Torrance, California, and were not original AC chassis,
however Shelby denied having misled anyone and said he was a victim of a campaign by Brian Angliss, a British competitor, who owned AC at the time and was also building Cobras from the original tooling and wished to enhance his sales by smearing Shelby's car.
Continuation Cars
![AC Cobra - 50th Annyversary Cobra Limited Edition CSX8000 (02)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/AC_Cobra_-_50th_Annyversary_Cobra_Limited_Edition_CSX8000_%2802%29.jpg)
Since the late 1980s onwards, various companies have built what are known in the hobby as "Continuation Cars".
Shelby authorized continuations of the original AC-built Cobra series. Produced in Las Vegas, Nevada, these cars retain the general style and appearance of their original 1960s ancestors, but are fitted with modern amenities. The initial version for continuation was a 427 S/C model which was represented in the CSX4000 series. This was meant to continue where the last 427 S/C production left off, at approximately serial number CSX3360 in the 1960s.
The initial CSX4000 series cars were completed from the chassis built by Mike McCluskey with NOS and reconditioned parts. Based in Torrance, Calif., McCluskey had been Shelby’s personal mechanic since the 1960s and was a well-established restorer and fabricator. Given the value of the vehicle many "extra" cars have appeared over the years, even some sharing the same chassis number. Gradually as the vintage parts supply ran low, newly constructed frames and body panels were obtained from a variety of suppliers. The production of chassis numbers CSX4001 to CSX4999 took roughly 20 years and many different business relationships to complete.
In 2009, CSX4999 was produced, concluding the 4000 series. Production has continued with the CSX6000 serial numbers, featuring "coil over" suspension.
The 289 FIA "leaf spring" race version of the car is reproduced as CSX7000, and the original "slab side" leaf spring street car is the CSX8000 series. The Daytona Coupe is reproduced as the CSX 9000 series.
To date most continuations are produced in fiberglass, with some ordering cars with aluminium or carbon-fibre bodywork.
In 2004, at the
North American International Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. ...
in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
, Ford unveiled a concept for a modernized AC Cobra. The
Ford Shelby Cobra Concept
The Ford Shelby Cobra is a concept car that Ford unveiled at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. The Shelby Cobra concept is a roadster inspired by the original AC Cobra that AC Cars developed in 1961.
Develop ...
was a continuation of Ford's effort to bring back the retro sports cars that had been successful in the 1960s, including the
Ford GT40 and the fifth generation
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...
.
In 2014, Shelby American announced a limited edition production of 50 cars for the 50th anniversary of the original 427 Shelby Cobra.
During the continuation period, Kirkham Motorsports were contracted by Shelby to produce rolling Cobra body/chassis units but this did not end amicably. Pete Brock said in a Hot Rod magazine interview "Like the Kirkhams, even when they were supplying most of Shelby’s Cobra parts. Shelby would go to them and say he would buy their entire year’s worth of production and sign a contract. They called me and asked if they should do it and I said, "As long as you get the money up front, but if you let a car out the door, you’ll lose money." Shelby paid that way for two years and then finally
irkhamsgot a great big order and Shelby's truck driver said he forgot to bring the check. He went back with a bunch of cars on the transporter and Shelby told them he wasn't going to pay them—that they owed it to him. That almost put
irkhamsout of business."
See also
*
Bill Thomas Cheetah
The Bill Thomas Cheetah was an American sports car designed and engineered entirely with American components, and built from 1963 to 1966 by Chevrolet performance tuner Bill Thomas. It was developed as a competitor to Carroll Shelby's Cobra.
B ...
, the 1963-started,
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a two-door, two-passenger luxury sports car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet since 1953. With eight design generations, noted sequentially from C1 to C8, the Corvette is noted for its performance and distinctive ...
-based private-venture challenger to the Cobra
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James Heffel's Shelby Cobra converted to hydrogen
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The Snake and the Stallion''
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Timeline of most powerful production cars
This list is limited to unmodified production cars which meet the eligibility criteria below. All entries must verified from reliable sources.
Eligible cars
Because of inconsistencies in the definitions of production cars, dubious claims by ...
References
External links
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Shelby Automobiles Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada thecobraferrariwars.comAC Cars websiteAC Heritage websiteAC Cobra 427 (1969) Exterior and Interior in 3D 4K UHD
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ac Cobra
1960s cars
Cobra
Group 4 (racing) cars
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Roadsters
Cobra