Lot 209: AC Cobra MkII Tribute

In the early 1950's, AC seemed doomed as a car maker because all it had were invalid carriages and an old fashioned 2 litre saloon and tourers. As it seemed that AC would fade, John Tojeiro was making chassis for a small number of customers. They were simple but effective ladder frames with independent front and rear suspension. AC's own Allan Turner revised the body style, turning pretty into beautiful, and so the AC Ace was born. The Ace was an immensely successful car in every way; it sold strongly, won races and was perhaps the loveliest car of its era. AC, however, had no replacement in the pipeline. The Ace was then-hit by the fact that Bristol ceased production of the 2 litre engine which had become the backbone of AC's range. It turned to a tuned version of the 2.6 litre Ford Zephyr engine, which gave better performance, but it moved the car into the 3 litre class. It began to appear that the Ace and AC itself would fade away. Then Carroll Shelby, Texan chicken farmer and racing driver, had the bright idea of fitting a 4 litre Ford V8 engine into an Ace chassis. Other people had fitted American V8s into British chassis before Shelby, but none had been successful. There was something about Shelby's concept which was completely right. The engine was light and compact, the car's lines had not aged and the chassis was race-bred. It is therefore to the Cobra's great credit that so many tribute cars have been produced. With a 3.5 litre all aluminium Rover engine at its heart, this Cobra breathes through Holley 4 barrel carburettors and features an Offenhauser inlet manifold and stainless steel exhaust. The engine has been rebuilt and blue printed, and the cylinder head features hardened valves and seats for unleaded fuel. Power is fed to the road via a Salisbury limited slip differential and overdrive is fitted for more relaxed cruising. Residing with the current owner for the last 30 years, it is finished in Ford midnight blue with a grey leather interior enhanced with a Moto-Lita wooden steering wheel and is described as being in very good condition throughout. Supplied with the registration mark '188 DDA' this great car will certainly provide plenty of thrills and is offered at an attractive reserve.