The AC Cobra 427

Carroll Shelby's Performance Sports Car

The AC Cobra 427 captured the imagination of the performance sports car world back in the mid '60s. AC simply followed a time honoured recipe for performance car success: They squeezed the biggest, most powerful engine possible into a frame strong enough to carry it.

To top it off they gave it an elegant and attractive well-designed body, with the option of an open top to make cruising on the open road a dream.

The AC Ace

AC were one of Britain's oldest car manufacturers, but it was with the Ace's debut at the 1953 London Motor Show that the company made its first good impression. The Ace was one of Britain's first post-war sports cars and its sporting chassis and attractive body were much admired features.

Carroll Shelby

It was Carroll Shelby in 1962 that saw the potential. Impressed by the performance of the AC-Bristols in American racing, he persuaded AC to fit one out with a Ford V-8 engine. There was no problem fitting the 260 cu. in or 4.4 litres lightweight engine, but to take the doubled power output the drive-train and suspension was beefed up.

Power Mad!

Shelby, still not happy with a 'puny' 270-350 bhp became power mad! He fitted a Ford 7-litre engine and revamped the suspension and chassis. This was to become the basis of the following 4.7-litre versions from 1964.

World Sports Car Championship

On the race track the Cobra won its first World Sports Car Championship victory in 1965. Although they did not go into International GT racing, they did have success with American SCCA events. Shelby had been looking for a car that could beat the Chevrolet Corvette and he had found it.

Le Mans 24h race

The Cobra's legendary performance is alleged to have been a factor in the UK bringing into effect national speed limits. In 1964, Jack Sears and Peter Bolton, testing a Cobra on the M1 motorway before the year's Le Mans 24h race, were calculated to have reached speed of 185 mph. Officials from the UK government denied this was an influence, claiming that though it highlighted the risks, it was the increasing death rate that was the prime motivating factor for the laws.

Goddess of a Car

Though lacking in creature comforts, on the road the Cobra was everything you could have wanted in a sports car. The road model was fast with a top speed of 160 mph and had a body of immortal elegance. the noise and sheer exhilaration of performance made the AC Cobra a goddess of a car.