2012 AC Cobra - the Real Thing!

[Chafford1]

AC are offering three new Cobra variants for sale in the UK and Europe:

The AC Mk11 Classic - a composite bodied car with an LS3 Corvette Engine for European market cars and a Ford V8 for UK cars. The car will be built by Hi Tech in South Africa and cost around £67,500

Mk 11 Classic - 2012 Geneva Motorshow





Mk 11 Classic - Hi Tech Factory



The AC Mk11 Classic Aluminium - about 10 cars a year will be built by AC Heritage at Brooklands for upwards of £150,000

The AC MkVI - a composite bodied car with a Corvette LS3 engine built by AC Automotive in Germany for £100,000.

Mk VI - 2012 Geneva Motorshow





Mk VI, Mk 11 Classic and Mk 11 Classic Aluminium - 2012 Geneva Motorshow



Good to see AC are back with the genuine article!

[Jacobyte]

Chafford1 said:

And that coupe in the background is an AC 378 GT Zagato, previously branded a "Perana" (based on a Corvette).

[Chafford1]

The 378 GT Zagato is covered here:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[sisu]

so what happened to the original AC CSX manufacturing that went to Malta? You pay near on 100k for a plastic Chevy engined cobra. Who is the real AC

[Chafford1]

sisu said:

so what happened to the original AC CSX manufacturing that went to Malta? You pay near on 100k for a plastic Chevy engined cobra. Who is the real AC

AC's operation in Malta was wound up in 2007. In 2009 AC licenced two companies, Gullwing GMBH (now AC Automotive) in Germany and Brooklands Motor Company (AC Heritage) based at Brooklands race track to produce AC badged cars.

The AC Heritage operation at Brooklands produces aluminium AC Cobras in the traditional fashion, much like Autokraft did with the AC Mk IV in the '80s and '90s.

[Bezerk]

I would rather have this badge on mine...

[Chafford1]

The AC Mk IV sold in the '80s and '90s was titled 'Cobra' in Europe with Ford's authority. This arrangement came to an end in 2000. Most of the '60s cars were titled 'Cobra' apart from the AC 289 Sports.

Currently, Shelby's 289 and 427 cars are entitled to use the Cobra badge but these, to my knowledge, are not sold in the UK.

Personally, I prefer the 'AC' badge.

Edited by Chafford1 on Thursday 5th April 21:33

[DJRC]

Chafford1 said:

sisu said:

so what happened to the original AC CSX manufacturing that went to Malta? You pay near on 100k for a plastic Chevy engined cobra. Who is the real AC

AC's operation in Malta was wound up in 2007. In 2009 AC licenced two companies, Gullwing GMBH (now AC Automotive) in Germany and Brooklands Motor Company (AC Heritage) based at Brooklands race track to produce AC badged cars.

The AC Heritage operation at Brooklands produces aluminium AC Cobras in the traditional fashion, much like Autokraft did with the AC Mk IV in the '80s and '90s.

Its the same stand they had at Geneva last yr, just with more spin and bullst.

[Chafford1]

DJRC said:

Chafford1 said:

sisu said:

so what happened to the original AC CSX manufacturing that went to Malta? You pay near on 100k for a plastic Chevy engined cobra. Who is the real AC

AC's operation in Malta was wound up in 2007. In 2009 AC licenced two companies, Gullwing GMBH (now AC Automotive) in Germany and Brooklands Motor Company (AC Heritage) based at Brooklands race track to produce AC badged cars.

The AC Heritage operation at Brooklands produces aluminium AC Cobras in the traditional fashion, much like Autokraft did with the AC Mk IV in the '80s and '90s.

Its the same stand they had at Geneva last yr, just with more spin and bullst.

They had a single model, the MkVI last year - this year they have four models, new Chairman, new financing plus Jim Price's extensive manufacturing backup at Hi Tech. The AC Heritage Factory at Brooklands will be open to the public at the Brooklands Double Twelve event on 16/17 June together with the first completed Mk11 50th anniversary aluminium car. AC are currently setting up a dealership network to sell the cars.

So I'm cautiously optimistic about their prospects.

[LuS1fer]

They are developing an electric model too - the AC DC.

[JamesYates]

LuS1fer said:

They are developing an electric model too - the AC DC.

Nice

[Chafford1]

LuS1fer said:

They are developing an electric model too - the AC DC.

Not very original.

[LuS1fer]

They're bringing out a bandwagon you can jump on too....

[AndrewW-G]

This is just a kit car, with a very tenuous licencing link to the original AC / Shelby cars produced in the early-mid sixties.

[Chafford1]

AndrewW-G said:

This is just a kit car, with a very tenuous licencing link to the original AC / Shelby cars produced in the early-mid sixties.

Have a look at one of Steve Gray's new ACs and tell me it's a kit car:

http://www.acheritage.co.uk/newbuildcob427~61.html

[jains15]

LuS1fer said:

They are developing an electric model too - the AC DC.

You forgot the liiiightening bolt

[AndrewW-G]

Chafford1 said:

AndrewW-G said:

This is just a kit car, with a very tenuous licencing link to the original AC / Shelby cars produced in the early-mid sixties.

Have a look at one of Steve Gray's new ACs and tell me it's a kit car:

http://www.acheritage.co.uk/newbuildcob427~61.html

Was it built by AC / Shelby . . . . . NO, it's a very accurate replica of the cars built by AC and Shelby by some very talented people, with a licence agreement signed with somebody who's bought the rights to the name, a link that is several times removed from the original organisations responsible.

I think it's fare to say, that any argument that these cars are genuine AC / Shelby originals, has more than a whiff of Triggers broom about it.

[Chafford1]

No-one is saying that the current cars are '60s originals'. However they are genuine ACs and are recorded in the AC Cars Factory Ledger with an AC chassis number - known as the 'Bible'.

The red car is an AC 427 Mk111 (COX 3361)
.

To quote Mr Gray '....we are the only manufacturers of anything that can legally be called an AC in the world being produced in the UK. Our bloodline and pedigree is important to the end user and our cars contain original manufactured AC components....'

If you go to the Brooklands Double Twelve event on the 16/17 June you'll be able to see the AC Heritage factory and the first 50th Anniversary aluminium AC Cobra.

http://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/index.php?/double1...

Edited by Chafford1 on Friday 6th April 19:46

Edited by Chafford1 on Friday 6th April 19:51