Vehicle Description
Convinced that a market existed for an inexpensive sports car
combining European chassis engineering and American V8 power, Le
Mans-winning Texan racing driver Carroll Shelby concocted an
unlikely alliance between AC Cars and the Ford Motor Company. The
former's Ace provided the simple twin-tube chassis frame -
strengthened and supplied with four-wheel disc brakes for the Cobra
- into which was persuaded one of Ford's lightweight, small-block
V8s. The 260ci (4.2-litre) prototype first ran in January 1962,
with production commencing later that year. Exclusively for the USA
initially, Cobras - minus engines - were sent from England to be
finished off by Shelby in California, and it was not until late in
1963 that AC Cars in Thames Ditton got around to building the first
fully finished European-specification cars.
After 75 Cobras had been built with the 260ci engine, the more
powerful 289ci (4.7-litre) unit was standardized in 1963.
Rack-and-pinion steering was the major MkII up-date; then in 1965 a
new, stronger, coil-suspended MkIII chassis was introduced to
accommodate Ford's 427ci (7.0-litre) V8 engine. Wider bodywork,
extended wheelarch flares and a bigger radiator intake combined to
create the definitive - and much copied - Cobra MkIII look. Only
1,000-or-so Cobras of all types were built between 1962 and
1967.
But for Brian Angliss, the Cobra story would have ended in 1967.
The Autokraft boss had built up a business restoring Cobras and
supplying parts, and in the early 1980s acquired the rights to the
AC name plus a quantity of jigs and tooling from the old Thames
Ditton factory. Keeping the overall style of the MkIII, Autokraft
produced the MkIV, which was appropriately updated to meet current
legislation and powered by a Ford 5.0-litre V8 engine. Around 480
were built before Autokraft folded in 1996, largely due to the
costs incurred developing its new Ace model.
This 1989 Autokraft AC Cobra Mk IV was sold new by Frontier Motors
in Pawnee, Oklahoma, finished in Mercedes-Benz Signal Red over
black leather upholstery.While its early history is not known at
this time, by 2000 it resided in Portland, Oregon, where a single
resolute custodian would pamper the car for the following 23 years.
It then passed on to a significant collection in the southwest, and
to date has only achieved 923 miles on its odometer!
As expected of such a low mileage example, the car presents
beautifully. The aluminum bodywork is as new, and features fender
vents as well as fiberglass inner fenders, a chrome fuel filler
cap, chrome gravel guards, dual exhaust outlets, and tubular
bumpers with overriders. The paintwork is immaculate, as is the
cabin which features fixed-back bucket seats trimmed in black
leather upholstery along with a color-coordinated dashboard and
door panels. Amenities include a heater, headrests, a rearview
mirror, a locking glove box, three-point seatbelts, and sun visors.
The Moto-Lita leather-wrapped steering wheel is mounted on a
tilting column. Autokraft-branded instrumentation consists of a
tachometer, a 180-mph speedometer, and gauges for oil pressure,
coolant temperature, fuel level, oil temperature, and voltage.
The engine compartment continues the theme and is beautifully
detailed. Its engine is Ford's tried, and true fuel injected
5.0-liter V8,which drives the rear wheels via a Borg-Warner T5
five-speed gearbox and optional limited-slip differential. Other
notable features include 15" Halibrand alloy wheels that have
recently been fitted with new tires, four-wheel disc brakes,
adjustable coilovers, a wet weather hood, side screens, and a
tonneau cover.
As the Mk IV offers a handful of welcome updates over the original
Shelby Cobras, it makes for a wonderful driver's car, providing
ample amounts of both power and additional comfort. These cars are
accepted by the SAAC as proper Cobras and are in the SAAC registry.
This example would be the perfect stablemate to an original 289 or
427, or it can also be driven and enjoyed with ease and
reliability. As it bears the AC name and was produced using many of
the same tools and techniques as the originals, the Mk IV
represents an interesting period in Shelby and AC history, and this
exquisite low mileage example is ready to be enjoyed on your
favorite roads.
Offers welcome and trades considered
