Not a replica but certainly a tribute Cobra

[HistoryBuff]

Here's a story about an AC Mk, III which is the Brit version A.C.  made with big block chassis and body but small block engine. It was , for a short time, the owner's tribute to psychedelic art, but then with the owner's sudden death,  the Beatles wrote a song about him and it became a tribute to the deceased until it was painted over.

https://mycarquest.com/2021/11/a-day-in-the-life.html

[shelbydoug]

Here's a story about an AC Mk, III which is the Brit version A.C.  made with big block chassis and body but small block engine. It was , for a short time, the owner's tribute to psychedelic art, but then with the owner's sudden death,  the Beatles wrote a song about him and it became a tribute to the deceased until it was painted over.

https://mycarquest.com/2021/11/a-day-in-the-life.html

It's an AC. A Cobra is something Shelby built.

[HistoryBuff]

Were you the guy who, when Cobras arrived at Shelby's shop, peeled off the AC badge and put in their placeon the Shelby badge? History's against you, they were sold as A.C.Cobras. Plus part of the deal with A.C. is they could market their own versions as A,V. Mk. III. I even consider the A.C.Mk.IVs as Cobras.
I m going to try to post an AC Mk.IV brochure cover, it says made by Autokraft who took over AC factory from A.C. Cars

[shelbydoug]

Were you the guy who, when Cobras arrived at Shelby's shop, peeled off the AC badge and put in their placeon the Shelby badge? History's against you, they were sold as A.C.Cobras. Plus part of the deal with A.C. is they could market their own versions as A,V. Mk. III. I even consider the A.C.Mk.IVs as Cobras.
I m going to try to post an AC Mk.IV brochure cover, it says made by Autokraft who took over AC factory from A.C. Cars

It doesn't matter now. It's what the "Registry" calls them. Talk to Ned. He's got the clout now.

No I'm not that guy and yes I know the story.

Shelby was great at diplomacy until he got litigation happy. That was one of his charms. Diplomacy, not litigation.

I only saw two COB's personally. Both in the early '70s. One was right hand drive and had AC medallions on it. No Cobra stuff.

The other one was left hand drive with AC on the steering wheel and Cobra on the nose. I do not know the chassis numbers but one was from Mass. Graham somebody. Wren. That's it, Graham Wren. Ned's got them in the Registry...somewhere.

I don't remember the other ones owner.

I forget which was which. No digital cell phone cameras back then unfortunately and before you say it, yes, memories can be a little blurry these days.


"We" just referred to the COB's as the Brit's version. Shelby was still hiding on safaris in Africa so he wasn't around yet to ask about it.

We were 427 "happy" here at the time. A small block in a "427 chassis" was not in favor...yet.

[Cobra Ned]

It's an AC. A Cobra is something Shelby built.
[/quote]

Yeah, sort of. Consider the leaf-spring small-block cars sold by AC Cars in Europe: Shelby had the sales rights to North America, AC had the European rights. They used COB/ COX VINs and they were called AC Cobras rather than Shelby Cobras.

Then, along comes the coil-spring Cobra, which in the USA could only be had with a big-block engine. Decidedly not what Europe wanted, since they were taxed on engine displacement. But they were built on the same production line as the cars destined for the USA and at the same time. What to call them? If we say AC Cobra, people will think it's the same car already out there with leaf springs. So let's call it the "AC 289 Sports." No Shelby reference; no Cobra reference. But the same car, just with the 289 hi-performance engine rather than a 427. And because it was built along with the other '60s Cobras, it is classified as one and shown in the Registry as one.

Build-dates are the big difference between the 1960's Cobras and everything that came letter, including the AC MKIV, which was built for a successor entity of AC Cars under the management of Brian Angliss at Brooklands rather than the Hurlock family at the Thames Ditton factory.

This is not a Cobra? You're nuts.

[shelbydoug]

It's an AC. A Cobra is something Shelby built.

You're nuts.
[/quote]

Yes. That seems to be the general consensus.