AC Autokraft Cobra Mk. IV

i think avon still makes 255 65 16's if i recall correctly

 

Yes these are the Brian Angliss AC Cobras. The following is from an AC sales brochure - “1985 - The updated 5.0 litre AC Cobra is re-introduced into North America, using the original tooling and meeting 50 State EPA and DOT Federal Regulations.
1986 - After some fifty six years of ownership, the Hurlock family sold their controlling interest in AC Cars to the joint ownership of Autokraft Limited and the Ford Motor Company."

This AC Cobra is not for sale. See more photos and read more at this link:This AC Cobra Arrived Today

 

IMO
Every cobra built after 1967
Is a replica
Lets get real... History cannot be altered
They were real up until the last 67's
Certainly anything less than a 427 after 67 is a comprimise.


Enjoy it for what it is not what you would like it to be
I enjoyed this greatly improved version
But never worried about what it wasnt.
If branded by paper work a continuation car , it would not have changed a thing
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You are seriously mis-informed. But there is a solution - re-read post no. 10 in this thread.

 

sorry ,which part am I mis informed about..

Is a drogo 250 GTO a real GTO, even though the hammers that shaped the body are from the same man.

 

Your statement that "Every cobra built after 1967 Is a replica".

 

OK!

 

here's a modern day GT350 of same vintage.........................

 

Some are kit cars, some are replicas and some are recreations. Some have positive connotatiosn some negative

 

Now some cars like the ones from Shelby are so caled continuations but less authetic than say a kirkham.

Each of these machiens needs to be jusdged on its own merits.

A Mk4 is a real Ac tot he extent Ac tarded hands and made the builds.
A SPF GT40 is licensed by the type holders.

Lots of grey areas, puposefully ket thta way by dealers who wnat to trade in ever limited stocks.

Entusiasts just liek cool cars and know what each one is.

The best of the new buiolds to me is a Mk4 with the dash style from the 60s and a hi po 302, that 80's dash is hideous

 

Gents, one of clients is selling his! This one won't last....
1986 AC AutoKraft Cobra MKIV - Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche, Aston Martin specialists at Exoticars USA

 

When he was selling "Cobras" in the US, Caroll Shelby wasn't actually building them.

He bought rolling chassis with aluminium bodies from AC in England, and then fitted 260, 289 or 429 Ford engines in them.

AC was selling the same car as AC 289 or 427 on the European market.

After selling around 1000 of various types, Shelby gave up selling Cobras, but AC kept on making them in limited quantity. AC also sold the rear engine AC 3000 at the same time, and the luxury AC 428 designed by Frua.

Brian Angliss of Autokraft in Brooklands, Weybridge, England, bought from the Hurlocks, the name AC and the manufacturing rights for the 289 and 427. He went into partnership with Ford for a while, and planned other models, whilst still producing the aluminium bodies 427 with as 5L engine, called the MKIV. .

When Ford pulled the plug, Angliss sold the AC name and the intellectual properties for the MKIV to South African Lubynski of Pride Motors.

Lubynski made the AC MKIV with Ford 5L. and also Lotus turbo engine. He launched the Carbon body but still made aluminium cars. He tried to transfer production to Malta, but the venture ended in failure with only 4 cars produced there.

Now Lubynski licenses the brand name AC, and the cars come from 3 different units:

- Superformance in South Africa for some carbon fiber cars. When Caroll Shelby started his "continuation" series, he bought the rolling chassis made by Superformance in South Africa, and the cars were assembled by Shelby. Independently, Superformance produces exactly the same cars in kit, sold as AC MKIV (4); that production still goes on and receives AC chassis numbers. Check Superformance website.

- AC Automotive is a German company run by Herr Mohr who used to produce Mercedes 300SL Gullwing replicas. Now is produces AC MKVI (5) with composite body in various guises, but with Chevrolet engines, traction control, ABS, large cockpit, ergonomic controls, leather interior, Porsche brakes, etc... Probably the most luxurous and user-friendly "Cobra". Prices from £100,000 upwards. These cars also have AC chassis numbers. Check AC Automotive website

-AC Heritage run by Steve Gray at Brooklands Weybridge, England, hand produces in tiny quantity (15 a year?) the aluminium AC on the equipment salvaged from Brian Angliss' former Autokraft venture, and with some of its workforce as well. AC Heritage builts "continuation" AC 289 and 427 that receive the FIA stamps of "authenticity" and are allowed to race in historic series, with AC chassis numbers. These are probably the last genuine AC produced. Some are built for the road. Prices start at £150,000 for the cheapest 289. Check AC Heritage website

AS much as some other cars are good, and the Kirkham is one of them, they don't have an AC chassis plate, and are not considered as "true" AC. I won't mention the kits, of course.

 

Getting back to the question as to whether "modern" Cobras are appreciated, I think the market speaks well to that. The top end of the market has moved to factory built "rollers", rather than kits. Kirkham, Shelby, ERA, Superformance and others are representative of that move, and all command high resale values. Just picked one up myself, and am at least as excited about the coming driving experience as any of my other cars that i have recently purchased. Finally...my own "Cobra"...after all these years...

 

I am not arguing if "modern" Cobras are appreciated or not, but a car with a genuine AC chassis number should always fetch an higher price in the end than one that hasn't.

So, buyers beware !!!

 

William, good post. Yes, "AC" was building cars long before the "Cobra" moniker came into being. And damn right the AC MKIV has the same lineage as the 260, 289, 427 and 428 cars.

 

Agree, good post William.

 

It may already be somewhere in this thread, but the AC Cobras are divided as follows:

Mark I: Leaf Spring, 260 cu. in., Worm & Sector Steering

Mark II: Leaf Spring, 289 cu. in., Rack & Pinion Steering

Mark III: Coil Spring, 427 or 289 cu. in., Rack & Pinion Steering

Mark IV: Coil Spring, 427 or 302 cu. in., Rack & Pinion Steering, longer footwells, wider cockpit, fiberglass inner fender panels (to prevent dents from stones thrown up by the tires), longer nose on most cars.

ALL versions alloy bodied, and built by AC Cars.

 

Cobra was just a name added by Shelby on the ACs he assembled in his factory at Los Angeles; the equivalent cars sold in Europe by AC were just 289 or 427.

The name Cobra was passed on to FORD and never used on any AC later.

Shelby lost ownership of the brand.

 

Old thread I know.......... But are you sure "Cobra" was never used on AC cars? I just happened to stumble across this thread and thought I would comment. I actually know of a number of AC cars built by Autokraft after 1986 (after Brian Angelis partnered with Ford and bought AC) where "Cobra" was indeed used on the MK IV (licensed by Ford, who was a partner in the venture). Both in name and in badges that actually came on the cars. Just FYI I guess. After 1986, they were official AC Cobra's, but NOT Shelby's. All in the name..........

 

The Hurlocks never used the "Cobra" name on their cars whilst they were selling rolling chassis to Shelby, back in the 60s.
Their cars, identical to the Shelby Cobras, were simply sold in Europe as AC 289 or 427.
When Shelby stopped, Ford took over the "Cobra" trademark.
It may have reappeared on Autokraft (or Angliss) built cars in the 80s, since Ford was involved and part owner of AC then.
When Ford pulled out, AC collapsed and the "Cobra" trademark went back to Ford.
When Lubynsky bought AC, he tried for years to recover the Cobra name from Ford, and only recently managed to get hold of it apparently, since the ACs are now again advertised as "Cobra", if I go by their website.

 

Correct. I was indeed referring to the cars built in the 80's, when Ford was involved and licensed use of the name "Cobra" to be used on those cars.