Autokraft AC Cobra Mk IV

[767Jockey]

The interiors in these cars look to me like they belong in one of those Liberace crowd Excalibur ersatz Dusenburg style disasters. It's just terrible. Nice car on the outside, but damn, that hideous interior. What the hell were they thinking?

[Harpoon PV2]

Originally Posted by 767Jockey

The interiors in these cars look to me like they belong in one of those Liberace crowd Excalibur ersatz Dusenburg style disasters. It's just terrible. Nice car on the outside, but damn, that hideous interior. What the hell were they thinking?

You need to understand, these were not kit cars, or continuation cars. They were sold at Ford dealers as brand new cars, so they had to comply with the safety and emission standards of the day! The one thing they had going for them was, that the AC name was used with permission of the Hurlock family. All original Cobra's were built by AC, something that even the modern CSX Shelby cars can not claim! By all accounts, they are fun to drive, and are an important link in the Cobra story! Cheers, Dennis

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by Harpoon PV2

You need to understand, these were not kit cars, or continuation cars. They were sold at Ford dealers as brand new cars, so they had to comply with the safety and emission standards of the day! The one thing they had going for them was, that the AC name was used with permission of the Hurlock family. All original Cobra's were built by AC, something that even the modern CSX Shelby cars can not claim! By all accounts, they are fun to drive, and are an important link in the Cobra story! Cheers, Dennis

I completely get the circumstances under which they were fitted with the terrible interior. What I don't get is the concept that this was the best they could come up with. It's terrible. The whole concept of the car is "it's not a kit car." And then - they install an interior that looks like it belongs in one of those cheesy VW based Kit Cars of the early days.

[patrickt]

Would you rather have a kit car that looks like a real car or a real car that looks like a kit car?

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by 767Jockey

...What I don't get is the concept that this was the best they could come up with. It's terrible....

I agree. If the idea was to appeal to those Cobra enthusiasts who missed the boat with the originals, then for starters, why not emulate the dash with the correct shape (some of it is there) and the correct instrumentation. I can still buy period correct Smiths gauges from Caerbont or Nisonger.

Why do this if you don't have to....?

[1985 CCX]

I too had to get used to the dash. My way of getting around the "softening" of the MKIV dash was to retro-fit the steering wheel and shifter.

Now I am at peace with it, however its still a fragile and yet great car.
To me its a great car, better than the MKII's and MKIII's that I have driven from a driving around town standpoint.
Its a lot bit slower than both but none the less a great touring car. Nothing beats a Cobra (MKI, MKII, MKIII, MKIV) for thrills, this is what I commonly call a Gentlemen's AC made to drive and enjoy.

One has to remember most of the changes to the MKIV were due to US DOT requirements which seems to the case for most cars.....
AC did make Lightweights which carried a more MKIII standard dash in some cases, these cars were touched by the 80's (as was I) and just like many cars of that era different.

I think when these cars were designed they were not trying to copy a Shelby, they wanted a Ford/AC sports car. Certainly with Ford influence they could have done anything they wanted this was just the result.
Bill Ford and Jack Rousch has them, so do I

And lastly, not sure if the radio works, never turned it on as its still a drivers car.

[CowtownCobra]

Originally Posted by 767Jockey

The interiors in these cars look to me like they belong in one of those Liberace crowd Excalibur ersatz Dusenburg style disasters. It's just terrible. Nice car on the outside, but damn, that hideous interior. What the hell were they thinking?

I just died laughing reading that, thanks hahaha