Thursday 21st August 2003

Hardtop for AC

Now an all weather car for people with very large heads

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[PetrolTed]

It is a little bizarre.

[murcielago]

WHAT THE F**K HAVE THEY DONE TO THAT CAR!!!!
IT IS NOW OFFICIALLY UGLY NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!!!
I hope that car crashes and other ones like that
They've spoilt a great car :-(

[B19GRR]

Did the designers loose their pencils and have to use crayons?!!! What a bloody mess!

[bilko]

How to make a stunning car look damn ugly!
I seem to remember AC bringing out a proper hard top a few years ago, looked gorgeouse. It was a sort of tourquiose with blacked out windows.
Didn't like the E Type hard top either, although this one is retrofit.

[sidekick]

An absolute bargain for a mere 5 1/2 grand...NOT!

[murcielago]

Someones got to tell AC that they're popularity is about to fall rapidly

[FourWheelDrift]

It is at least better than the soft top tent thingy, or are the soft tops just for kit car Cobra's.

Tent.

[grahambell]

bilko said:

I seem to remember AC bringing out a proper hard top a few years ago, looked gorgeouse. It was a sort of tourquiose with blacked out windows.

Sounds like you're referring to the Mamba, which was effectively a Cobra coupe with updated styling but never made it past the prototype stage before AC went under - again. Certain sources reckon they might actually launch it this year, but with AC you never know.

Agree this hardtop looks a mess though. Gardner Douglas came up with a much neater solution.

[Twin Turbo]

If AC wants to produce a proper hard top, they'd do much better by bringing the Daytona Coupe bodystyle back. Now THAT was a good looking car....

[bilko]

Yep here it is the AC mamba as found on our very own Pistonheads. Much better looking IMO.

[chrisx666]

Large heads? - even Frank Sidebottom would have plenty of room in that hard top!

[sagalout]

Am I right in thinking the Daytona top was a fixed fast back affair. Seem to remember Hawke Cars did a FHC replica some time back, looked good but lost the DHC fun. this however is an abomination that would come from the worst of Kit Car producers.

[grahambell]

sagalout said:

Am I right in thinking the Daytona top was a fixed fast back affair. Seem to remember Hawke Cars did a FHC replica some time back, looked good but lost the DHC fun. this however is an abomination that would come from the worst of Kit Car producers.

The version that Hawke did was a replica of the original 1960s Cobra hardtop produced in an attempt to improve aerodynamics for racing. However, as this fits right across the middle of the boot lid preventing you from opening it, it's rather impractical.

Didn't really help the Cobra overcome its aerodynamic problems either, so Shelby American came up with an entirely new coupe body and dubbed it the Daytona.

[johnwilk]

I cannot believe that anyone would find this abomination remotely acceptable. It is beyond belief. If this cannot be aesthetically improved then just junk the project. It's horrible. It has been said that Peter Wheeler's dog had a hand (paw) in designing a few TVRs - why not hand the project over to him? It certainly could not be any worse.

[docevi1]

I quite like it h:

In fact, if i had an AC cobra I would be inclined to think about getting one, but not at that price. To be honest, I would love a kit car with a hard-top like that, it would mean I could drive it during the winter...

And I presume it's not permenant, it's a hard-top for rainy days...

Stefan

[cotty]

I think I would rather get wet. The roof just looks so bulbus

[danmangt40]

that is comically out of proportion. I think AC doesn't want anyone to put a hardtop on their car but didn't want to be criticized for alienating customers who wanted a closed car. Now they have an excuse, but no one is going to buy it. yikes.

[robert farago]

Wow.

[agent006]

acbloke said:

“I have had numerous requests from customers for this product and I am sure that nobody will be disappointed when they see it .”

Or indeed dissapointed when shown the MX5 page of autotrader.

[gnomesmith]

It looks pretty much like the tops they fitted when the Cobra was a new car although it avoids the need for a split boot lid.

I've seen much worse efforts.