In the fall of 1961, the Texas racer Caroll Shelby appeared in AC Cars with the idea to install an eight-cylinder V-shaped Ford engine with a volume of 4.2 liters in a beautiful and made of light alloys of a sports car ASE. By the beginning of 1962, AC launched the first prototypes, and in the fall of 100 cars were sent to America to complete the work. The legendary Cobra is probably included in the list of cars with high specific power and, possibly, the fastest of them.
Initially, the car was assembled on the same steel tubular chassis as a six -cylinder ace, on which transverse sheet springs for the front and rear suspension were attached.
Thanks to the use of a relatively light body and an eight-cylinder V-shaped engine with a high torque, this beautiful miniature double sports car had amazing characteristics. The first machines were equipped with a 4.2 -liter engine, but very soon Shelby replaced the engine with a larger volume of 4727 cm3, which achieved an increase in power from 164 to 195 liters. With. The maximum speed of the 289 model was 222 km/h, however, the acceleration made an even greater impression: acceleration from a place to 96 km/h was carried out in 5.5 seconds, four hundred meters from the place passed in 13.9 seconds. It was not enough for Shelby. In 1965, he installed a 6989 cm3 engine, and a “seven -liter cobra” was born.
Powerful AC Cobra
The basic version was equipped with an engine of 345 liters. C, and with good adjustment, the engines of the SC series of “SC” developed a power of 480 liters. C, or even more; The acceleration time from a place to 96 km/h was 4.2 seconds, which in 1967 became glorified by AC Cobra as a quickly accelerating machine in the world among all that were produced in series. There was a less powerful, “428” model “Cobra”, equipped with an eight-cylinder V-shaped engine of 6997 cm3 and a capacity of 390 liters. With. In fact, the “seven -liter cobra” was a completely new machine, which was not reminiscent of an elegant, graceful beauty with massive arches, in front and behind hiding huge buses “Goodyear”. Only doors and hood “Cobra 289” of the model remained unchanged. However, which is much more important, the chassis was improved and became tougher, and in the suspension, instead of outdated springs, springs were used.
The production of Cobra cars ceased in 1968, when the machines with an engine volume 4.7 and 7 liters were produced simultaneously. Since 1965, “Baby Cobra” with the same body as a machine with a seven -liter engine, has become known in the UK as AC 289 Sports. In America, cars were sold under the names “Shelby Cobra” and “Ford Cobra” or “American Cobra Shelby”.
It remains to add several notes to the history of Cobra. The chassis under the elegant Italian body compartment designed by Frue (Frua) turned into AC 428, the production of which began in 1966. In 1983, thanks to Brian Angliss, the car received a second birth as “Mk 4 Cobra” – but this is a completely different story.
Photo AC Cobra
Video AC Cobra