Quote:
Originally Posted by cycleguy55
I've lost / forgotten the source reference, but have seen elsewhere the following, but also expect others will disagree / dispute this: - Mark I cars were leaf spring with worm and sector steering
- Mark II changed steering to rack and pinion
- Mark III are coil spring cars
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Ford Motor Company and Shelby American would probably have had no idea what one meant by MKI, MKII, and MKIII in the 1960s; A.C. Cars probably would not have either. Those terms appear to have cropped up in the early 1970s by different people making attempts to separate different versions of ‘Cobras’ from each other. The first “MK” anything that has been found was in a factory reference from A.C. dated June 26, 1972. During production there were Cobra I or Model 1 vehicles and then Cobra II or Model 2 vehicles in the USA the best I can tell.
The parts department at Shelby American had their own naming conventions.
The January 15, 1965 Shelby American parts book there were “COBRA I” and “COBRA II” vehicles. It was very important to tell the parts department what your chassis number was so they knew which parts your car would require. (The race wheels Halibrand created for 427 Cobra as marked “COBRA II” I believe.
The December 23, 1966 Shelby American parts book there were “Model 1…1963-65” Cobras and “Model 2 in the Cobra series indicates the Cobra 427…”.
That earliest "MK" anything I have located was in correspondence between the A.C. Cars parts department and the owner of a COX61xx coil spring chassis trying to get information in 1972. Months of back and forth confusing correspondence finally included "MK" naming in the June 26, 1972 letter to the car owner. A.C. had been giving answers specific for a leaf spring chassis suspension set up to the owner of a coil spring car until that letter.
Over time all kinds of MK (Mark) definitions have been created. I have no idea who started the "Mark" naming, could have been just about anybody at any time a change was made. I have read everything I could get since the 1970s. Owners and fans seem to disagree more than agree. When new drawings were done in November 1962 for what became the CSX2126-CSX2164 version of main chassis, the title was "DESCRIPTION:- CHASSIS FRAME" for "MODEL:- 3•6 ACE". Some I have seen include:
MKI = all leaf spring cars no matter which engine or steering system, OR leaf spring cars powered by a 260 engine no matter what the chassis number was, OR a leaf spring car with the cam and follower based steering system no matter what engine was installed. (June 26, 1972 A.C. Cars letter “…COBRA Mark 1.” chassis had transverse leaf springs with “…an earlier type of front suspension.”.)
MKII = leaf spring chassis with a 289 engine installed no matter what the chassis number was, OR a leaf spring car with rack and pinion steering, or a coil spring chassis with 427 or 428 engine. (June 26, 1972 A.C. Cars letter, “…COBRA Mark 2. has transverse springing...”)
Note: The prototype Cobra started off with a 221 2V Ford Fairlane engine. There were leaf spring cars outfitted with 260 engines and 289 engines. There were chassis outfitted with cam and follower based steering that had 260 and 289 engines. CSX2196, a leaf spring car with rack and pinion steering, first received a 1964 Galaxie R Code 427 8V engine. CS 2030 was the prototype car for rack and pinion steering. Most of the MKI and MKII names definitions get blown up real quick, except the two in the A.C Cars letter.
MKIII = usually means coil spring chassis with either a 427 or 428 engine BUT some call it a coil spring chassis with a 289 engine (A.C. Cars European “289 Sports”). (The June 26, 1972 letter to an owner of a COX61xx chassis was told, “…it is definitely called a COBRA Mark 3. Coil suspension.”, which is the very first factory reference sentence I have come across using “Mark” anything.)
None of these really help original car owners much if any. Since the day they were sold getting the correct parts for any original car meant having the chassis number ready for the parts and service departments. There were chassis orders and then within those orders specification changes were made. Was your car a street car or factory prepared race car? Two chassis one number apart can be very different. For example, two production specification change sets most may recognize include the change in steering system at CSX2126 and the change in electrical and systems at CSX2201. Literally hundreds of parts or subsystems changed between CSX2001 and the last 289 Sports.
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