AC Cobra
British chassis, American V8; a transatlantic sports car icon.
Last updated
via Wikipedia: AC Cobra · see source
AC Cars had been producing the AC Ace, a two-seater roadster, since 1953, and the Cobra was developed from this model.[1]
How it changed
The prototype Cobra, CSX2000, was built with a reinforced chassis, inboard rear disc brakes, and a Salisbury limited-slip rear end, all beyond the standard Ace specifications.[2] Of the Mk1 production run, 75 cars (including the prototype) were equipped with the 260 cubic inch Ford V8, while the other 51 Mk1 models received the 289 cubic inch version.[3] In late 1962, chief engineer Alan Turner redesigned the front end to incorporate rack-and-pinion steering; the rack came from the MGB and the steering column from the VW Beetle.[4] The Mark III chassis featured 4-inch main tubes and coil-spring suspension on all four wheels, replacing the earlier transverse leaf spring setup.[5]
When the FIA arrived in April, only 56 of the 100 required competition cars had been built, which made these cars hard to sell.[6]
What the maker and period sources say
A 1962 source states that the Ruddspeed-tuned 2.6-liter Ace was offered as a factory option, producing up to 170 horsepower.[7] The same source notes that the Ace's body was used for Shelby's earliest leaf-spring Cobras with only minor modifications.[7] That source also reports that CSX2000 was repainted multiple times while serving as the sole factory demonstrator.[2] A Supercars.net article describes the 427 S/C as the most desirable of all Cobra variants.[8]
Bill Cosby found CSX3303 very difficult to control and returned it to Shelby, who then sold it through a San Francisco dealer.[9]
References
- Wikipedia, "AC Cobra" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "1962 AC Ace "Ruddspeed"", willstonecars.com (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "1962 CSX2000 260 Cobra Roadster", shelbyamericancollection.org. facts only, no text reused. shelbyamericancollection.org
- Wikipedia, "AC Cobra" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bornhop, "Celebrating 50 Years of Shelby", Road & Track, May 2012, p. 52–61 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "AC Cobra" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "AC Cars Cobra 289 Mark II" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "AC Cobra" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Cobra Specifications", thecarsource.com, 8 March 2005 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "AC Cobra" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "1966 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C", Supercars.net (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "1962 AC Ace "Ruddspeed"", willstonecars.com. facts only, no text reused. willstonecars.com
- "1966 AC Cobra 427 S/C", Supercars.net. facts only, no text reused. supercars.net
- Wikipedia, "AC Cobra" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Barrett-Jackson Lot: 1301–1966 Shelby Cobra 427 "Super Snake"", barrett-jackson.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article AC Cobra (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: AC Cobra (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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