EX-Damon Hill AC Cobra MkIV CRS for sale
What do we prefer: the Cobra that helped the '96 F1 champ create a new revenue stream - or what Johnny Herbert bought?
Love or loathe Formula 1 drivers, but you’ve got to hand it to them for their taste in cars. Max Verstappen spent a fraction of his many championship bonuses on an Aston Martin Valkyrie, while a McLaren F1 takes pride of place in Lewis Hamilton’s eclectic collection. But anyone who watched the last season of Drive To Survive will know Lando Norris is cooler than the whole grid combined purely for using a Fiat Jolly to zoom about the streets of Monaco.
F1 drivers used to be far more modest with their car purchases. Michael Schumacher, for instance, was often spotted between races driving an array of Fiats, Lancias and Alfa Romeos, while Nigel Mansell had all sorts of tat including an old Fiat Tipo and the bizarre iC Modulo M89 three-wheeler he recently auctioned off. But the Golden Raspberry has to go to Damon Hill, who’s admitted several years back that he didn't like cars and was content with driving a diesel VW Passat. Not that there’s anything particularly wrong with a Passat - but it doesn’t exactly shout ‘Formula 1 World Champion’, does it?
This does, however. It’s an AC Cobra MkIV CRS once owned by the 1996 F1 champ (or by a firm he helped establish anyway, though more on that in a mo). The MkVI CRS (for Carbon Road Series) was no man-in-a-shed kit car, but a proper attempt to revive the British sports car maker after several turbulent decades. Pride Automotive, who acquired AC Cars in the year Hill became champion, looked set to follow a similar business model to Caterham, offering a car that looks every bit like the iconic sports car only with more modern materials and components. That meant carbon fibre bodywork for the MkIV CRS, along with independent suspension all round, a Hydratrak limited-slip differential and AP Racing brakes with four-pot callipers up front.
Sounds ace, as will the 5.0-litre V8 upfront. Impressively, the Ford-derived motor only manages to squeeze 228hp from such a large capacity, which works out at about 45hp per litre. On the plus side, it’s on the light side at around a tonne and, as a result, will apparently hit 60mph in around five seconds. Not blisteringly quick, but what do you expect from a car that can trace its roots back to the 1950s? AC made a supercharged version with 100hp more and while that does sound like a lot of fun, it’s probably a bit of a handful. For rumbling down country roads, the CRS should do nicely.
Despite all the modern bits, most of which are out of view, the car doesn’t look all that different to the Cobras from the '60s. The design is a slightly more conservative take on the more muscular 427s of old, with a mesh grille and rear-exit exhaust distinguishing it from the original cars. It looks a bit more modern on the inside, with carpet lining the transmission tunnel and an updated design for the Cobra’s signature three-spoke steering wheel. A button-on roof is supplied, as is a cover for the passenger side for solo hooning sessions. Looks the part in blue with silver centre stripes, too.
It was first registered to P1 International, the private supercar members club Hill co-founded back in 2001. So much for disliking cars, eh Damon? It’s one of the later cars as well, being number 34 in the 37-strong production run, and has covered just 15,500 miles under its two previous owners. How does £95,995 sound? It doesn’t look like an F1 champion premium has been applied, either, with this (lower mileage) CRS costing £25k more. Of course, if you’re after F1 star power for less, PH has you covered: there’s this R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R once owned by three-time Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert for half the price…
"It was first registered to P1 International, the private supercar members club Hill co-founded back in 2001. So much for disliking cars, eh Damon?"
At the time my dad was invited to join the P1 club so we went up to the warehouse in Leatherhead (iirc) and were shown around the available cars by Damon himself. Safe to say he knew little to nothing about any of them, which was a joke from a sales point of view. I remember talking to him about a Noble we were looking at and he had no idea what engine was in it. Overall, as the article says, I got the impression he had very little interest in either the cars or the P1 club. No surprised it folded with that kind of marketing.
https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/influx/people/james-h...
I wonder if it mentions anywhere in the documentation about my sister in law reversing their Land Cruiser through the front of it? Maybe that is why it is cheap
You can always pop the bonnet and show them the “AC cars Ltd, Brooklands” chassis build plate and number.
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