The Shelby AC Cobra story has been told so many times that we're just giving a brief account, mainly so that we can talk about what came after. By the time AC Cars persuaded Ford of England to supply their Zodiac inline six to replace the Bristol during 1961, Ford of Detroit was preparing to release their new lightweight "thin wall" cast iron V8 in the 1962 Fairlane, first in 221 cubic inch capacity and later as a 260. It was the latter engine which Shelby persuaded Ford to supply for his first Cobra in 1962, and it powered the first 75 chassis which AC sent to Shelby in LA. After AC engineer Alan Turner substituted rack and pinion steering and a ball joint front suspension, the next 528 chassis were powered by the punchier 289 cubic inch V8, and the 260 Cobra became known as Mark I. Contrary to postmodern myth and legend, it was the 289 Cobra in Mark II form, not the 427 Mark III, which made the car (and Shelby) famous in road racing, and won the FIA Manufacturer's Championship in the over 2000cc class for Shelby American in 1965.* By the summer of 1973, the Cobra had reached the bottom of its value curve as a used car, but the rise of vintage racing was about to re-ignite interest in these shapely, lightweight roadsters. I was offered a well-used example like the one below for $4,700, and turned it down because it needed a paint job and had a busted speedometer. Today, of course, you could put three kids through Stanford on the proceeds from selling a car like it. Pretty, isn't it? Even with torn upholstery and a dent in the nose...
Not everyone agreed that the Cobra Daytona Coupe, penned by Shelby designer Peter Brock, was a looker. After the first alloy prototype was hammered out over a wooden buck in California, the final 5 bodies were built in Italy by Carrozzeria Gransport. The Italians did not love the appearance, but Brock (pictured with the car below) was convinced that the new contours would cheat the wind enough to raise the car's top speed; they actually added 20 mph. The Daytonas contributed mightily to Shelby American's success in endurance racing...
And they clean up nicely, making for an effective museum exhibit or living room display.
During that championship year, 1965, Shelby and AC turned away from the 289* to make the final Cobra, and production lasted through 1967. The coil-sprung 427 Cobra Mark III (Mark I and II had transverse leafs, like the AC Ace) has claimed the distinction of the first computer-designed chassis (the computers belonged to Ford) and a rabid cult following which may have produced enough fiberglass-bodied Cobra replicas to outnumber the 348 alloy originals by at least 5 to 1. It was a fearsome brute, but as we shall see, it was a hard act to follow...
*Footnote: 2nd place in the FIA Manufacturer's Championship in 1965 was taken by arch rival Ferrari. After introduction of the Mark III, AC offered the new chassis design with the 289 engine for the home market and Europe, but produced fewer than 30 examples.
Photo Credits:
Top: wikimedia
2nd: simeonemuseum.org
3rd: wikimedia
4th: hemmings.com
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