AC Cobra. The Most Important Car In The UK?

[Proto]

I’m told that driving a Cobra on wet roads can be ‘interesting’!

A friend of mine used to build replicas for a living, Crendon Replicas, as close to the real thing as possible. His attention to detail was incredible. Not sure he ever made much money. Retired a couple of years back and sold the business on.

Crendon Replicas

 

[Drago]

Aye, they're lairy in the wet. Ma's feller has spent a bit of time and cash updating the suspension by eliminating rubber bushes and rose joining the whole thing. It eliminates the unnecessary slop and allows precise suspension set up, and makes a massive difference.

 

[Milzy]

I use that title, as it was instrumental in the introduction of the 70MPH motorway limit

This one is a replica though
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news...-an-ac-cobra-coupe/ar-BBWvrL4?ocid=spartanntp

For all the youngsters out there, this is a car with no; Turbocharging, supercharging, ground-effect, aerodynamic aids, engine management electronics, traction control, etc.....
The road going cars had a fearsome reputation, & still do!

Heck, even a 'bog-stock' baby Cobra (289ci, or 4.7 litres) could crack 140, & 0-60MPH in just over 5 seconds
Its big brother (427ci, 7.2 litres) would knock on the door of 165, & get to 100MPH in less than 9 seconds!!

And this was in the mid-60s!
A Cobra held the Guiness World Record for fastest accelerating road-legal car for quite a few years

One Cobra was officially 'clocked' at 198MPH (with the same lack of technology, as listed above)
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/shelby-cobra-427-s-c-csx3035-1965.302618/


Granted, yes, it was on a NASCAR track. but how many years did it take for 'normal' road cars to beat it, & with what technology?

AND, for a quite a few years, a naturally aspirated car was the fastest road-car in the world, having reached (was it??) 240MPH, the McLaren F1 (& still is the fastest non forced induction car, I think??)

There’s no replacement for displacement. If you were lucky enough to have such a beast in those times it wasn’t too bad filling the tank often with cheap fuel prices. I’ve had a couple of 3.0 V6’s the first one I was only 19 & it was only about 60 p a litre. A couple of years ago filling my Mitsubishi GTO crippled me & it had to go. I took it to Loch Ness once £200 round trip on juice. I hate all cars nowadays, my passion is the bycycles.

 

[Drago]

I actually quite like cars. I simply hate driving and spending money. If every car in the world was in q giant museum I'd spend many a pleasant day walking around, only to cycle home at the end of it.

 

[Jody]

I remember picking up a Cobra rep a good few years ago for work. Beautiful car that garnered a lot of attention but the gear stick snapped on the way back to the showroom so the car was stuck in 4th. It had no problem pulling away from the lights even in 4th due to its weight and engine. It was a great car to drive but not one I would like to go too fast in.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Good morning,
Now, this is a Cobra!

https://fantomworks.com/project/1965-shelby-cobra/

Sadly the machine guns in the bonnet are fake. :-(
Bye
Ian

Yes, I saw that programme too, but prefer 'Sin City Motors' (the 'Apprentice' episodes) & 'Diesel Brothers'

I’m told that driving a Cobra on wet roads can be ‘interesting’!

A friend of mine used to build replicas for a living, Crendon Replicas, as close to the real thing as possible. His attention to detail was incredible. Not sure he ever made much money. Retired a couple of years back and sold the business on.

Crendon Replicas

Yes, like the name-sake reptile, it can definately turn on you, bite & kill you