Original Cobra: Shelby or AC?
Discussion
As your typical Anglo-Saxon I have always been brought up to believe that the original 1960s Cobra was known as the AC Cobra. However, everyone beyond these shores only seems to refer to them as the Shelby Cobra, whereas UK publications and dealers use the AC name. I have read numerous magazine articles over the last 25 years (and Classic Cars will have another out next week), but I am still not sure which name is right?
(NB. this post does not refer to the later 1980s/1990s AC/Autokraft Mark 4 versions.)
As I see it, Caroll Shelby was on the look out for a suitable chassis frame to shoehorn the small-block Ford V8 into and make a new sports car. He finally plumped for the chassis of the AC Ace as basis for this project and created the Mark 1 Cobra 260, Mark 2 Cobra 289 and wide-bodied Mark 3 427.
Did AC just supply him with the chassis from the UK for assembly in the USA? Where did the body shells come from? Did AC assemble the UK (and maybe European?) models with imported V8s? I remember reading that the wide-bodied "AC 289" (i.e. 289 engine in 427 shell) was an AC only product and seeing Aiden Mills-Thomas racing his blue one in the 1980s / early 1990s. I think that carried AC badging and a COB chassis number with a reg. like PPE101E or similar. From what I have gathered Shelby cars seem to carry CSX chassis numbers and only Shelby/Cobra badging. So were there in fact two separate production lines? Would a COB chassis number mean nothing to an American? Finally I know that AC used the basis of the Cobra chassis for the 428 sports car: was this a COB or a CSX?
Answers on a post-card please...
(NB. this post does not refer to the later 1980s/1990s AC/Autokraft Mark 4 versions.)
As I see it, Caroll Shelby was on the look out for a suitable chassis frame to shoehorn the small-block Ford V8 into and make a new sports car. He finally plumped for the chassis of the AC Ace as basis for this project and created the Mark 1 Cobra 260, Mark 2 Cobra 289 and wide-bodied Mark 3 427.
Did AC just supply him with the chassis from the UK for assembly in the USA? Where did the body shells come from? Did AC assemble the UK (and maybe European?) models with imported V8s? I remember reading that the wide-bodied "AC 289" (i.e. 289 engine in 427 shell) was an AC only product and seeing Aiden Mills-Thomas racing his blue one in the 1980s / early 1990s. I think that carried AC badging and a COB chassis number with a reg. like PPE101E or similar. From what I have gathered Shelby cars seem to carry CSX chassis numbers and only Shelby/Cobra badging. So were there in fact two separate production lines? Would a COB chassis number mean nothing to an American? Finally I know that AC used the basis of the Cobra chassis for the 428 sports car: was this a COB or a CSX?
Answers on a post-card please...
Thanks varsas. That's a little clearer now. Can we therefore say that all UK/Euro supplied cars were assembled at Thames Ditton as ACs on a COB-numbered chassis and that all of the rest of the world's cars were assembled in California as Shelbys on a CSX-numbered chassis?
Can I also assume then that the AC428 was built on a COB chassis?
Finally where did the bodyshells take shape back in the day? I know there is a company in Devon or thereabouts currently supplying them to Shelby.
Can I also assume then that the AC428 was built on a COB chassis?
Finally where did the bodyshells take shape back in the day? I know there is a company in Devon or thereabouts currently supplying them to Shelby.
Great thanks for your time and input. So in reality both camps are correct: the vast bulk of production was in California (probably about 1050 cars) bearing Shelby nomenclature on CS chassis, and the remaining 90 or so for Europe were Thames Ditton cars with AC badging on CO chassis.
Mystery solved!
Mystery solved!
Just for information this is the link to the company in North Devon who supplies Shelby with both chassis and bodyshells these days...
http://www.ndmetal.co.uk/default.asp
Regarding the big block variants, I was under the impression that the 428 was a tamed down unit compared to the 427, so it suited the AC428 sports car better. Did Shelby really install 428 units in Cobras in period, or were their big blocks all 427s?
http://www.ndmetal.co.uk/default.asp
Regarding the big block variants, I was under the impression that the 428 was a tamed down unit compared to the 427, so it suited the AC428 sports car better. Did Shelby really install 428 units in Cobras in period, or were their big blocks all 427s?
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