Lot 131: 1966 AC MK 111 427 Cobra

When The Autocar road tested an AC Cobra 427, they found it could accelerate, 0-l00mph, in 11.7 seconds and cover the standing quarter mile in 12.9 seconds. It was the fastest 0-l00mph acceleration that The Autocar had ever recorded at the time of its test. The rear wheels spun all the way to 60mph in first gear, third gear was not engaged until 115mph had been reached, and top speed was given as 'in excess of 145mph'. A reasonable estimate would be over 160mph. This startling car was to set the precedent for perhaps the ultimate sports car, a real racing machine for the road. The popularity of this car is evident almost 50 years on with the Cobra still in production today, with styling almost unchanged albeit a number of modern modifications and engine choices. This particular car is one of the original 'big block' Shelby Cobra's from 1966. Finished in Red with black leather interior, this Mk.III lefthand drive example features the awesome 7 litre V8 and sounds magnificent. The car was originally sold in kit form to Shelby America by AC at Thames Ditton on 6th September 1966. The car was invoiced to Shelby America with red/black colour scheme for $6145.00! After being built the car was sold through Haywards Motors, California fitted with a 428 Interceptor engine. It was then re-sold in July 1967 to Eagle Ford of Stockton, CA. The car remained in America until 1973 whereupon it was exported back to the UK. It was then sold in 1974 after the first UK owner, who was fortunate enough to own two examples of the big block Cobra, decided to slim down his car collection and used the proceeds of the sale to invest in Porcelain! The new owner kept the car for the next few years, using it occasionally but eventually he decided it wasn't being used enough and allowed the famous Midland Motor Car Museum to display the car on a long term basis. It was loaned to the museum from 1980 until 1999 and there is a file full of correspondence between the owner and the museum over its 19 year stay which makes for an interesting read. The car was used in a report written by 'Old Car' magazine in September 1989, still on loan to the motor museum during that period. This Cobra became well known over the years it was displayed, being one of the lowest mileage and original 427 Cobra's in the UK and was indeed, as one would expect, a star attraction there. The car was featured more recently in a road test and report for Octane magazine, December 2003 driven by the well respected racer/ journalist Mark Hales who put the car through its paces against two other Cobra variants. The car was also invited to take part in the Rosemount Performance Car display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2003. It is presented today in superb condition after being extensively refurbished by Uniclip Automotive, Cobra specialists between 2002-2003. The car is finished in Red coachwork with Black hide, as per original specifications complete with a comprehensive history file almost every MOT certificate dating back to 1973. The file contains service/maintenance bills dating back to the 1970's along with restoration bills from Uniclip. The engine has been dyno tested and is producing 520 lbs/ft torque @ 3000-4600 and 411 hp @4600rpm. The originality of this car is shown by the bonnet and boot catches that have the chassis number stamped on them and the mountain of paperwork that accompanies this important motorcar. This example is surely one of the finest and well documented 427 Cobra's to be offered to the market today and represents an un-missable opportunity.