Blog: History of AC Cobra

[Trevor Legate]

True - Ford were impressed by the MkIV (Mike Kranefuss and others brought examples) and were prepared to give AC Cars, under Angliss ownership, a 25-year deal to use the Cobra name. This went down the drain when AC was sold in 1996 to another person who traded as AC Motor Holdings, not AC Cars Ltd.

[CobraEd]

It's a SHELBY Cobra. Until Shel got a hold of it it was just a little under powered british roadster from a company that was on the brink of going out of business.


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[LMH]

Originally Posted by CobraEd

It's a SHELBY Cobra. Until Shel got a hold of it it was just a little under powered british roadster from a company that was on the brink of going out of business.


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Actually, it's not. It's an A.C. Cobra as quoted from the chassis manual that came with each car. "The A.C. Cobra is designed and built at the A.C. Factory, England"...

It does say in the second paragraph that "Shelby American Inc. is responsible for the conception of the car, and in America for fitting of the engine and gear box, manufactured by the Ford Motor Company of America."

But it doesn't name the car as "Shelby Cobra".

Larry

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by CobraEd

It's a SHELBY Cobra. Until Shel got a hold of it it was just a little under powered british roadster from a company that was on the brink of going out of business.
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Well not exactly...Bristol Aeroplane Company, the supplier of the Bristol engine used by AC Cars Ltd was going out of business. AC Cars was not going out of business.
The V8 260ci was not the first Ford engine used in an AC, the first was a 2.6 liter 6 cyl used in the Rudd Speed.
By the way,there is no reference to 'Shelby' anywhere on 260 & 289 Cobras. They were known as AC Cobras.