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AC Cobra - A Brief History |
For several years the AC Cobra held the title of being the fastest production car in the world. It is worth mentioning at this point, that in 1964 an AC Cobra was recorded travelling at a speed of 183 mph on the M1 motorway causing questions to be raised in parliament. Legend has it that this event led to the introduction of a 70 mph speed limit on UK motorways. Production of the original Cobras ended in 1969 but today they are once again being made by AC at their new factory which, acquired in 1988, is situated within the grounds of the old Brooklands racing circuit. |
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The
AC Cobra was launched in 1962 and was to become one
of the most legendary sports cars ever built. It was
born out of an arrangement between AC who were looking
for a new engine for their Ace sports car, and Carroll
Shelby, who after retiring from motor racing was looking
for a new business venture. The project went ahead with
full backing from the Ford Motor Company (USA) who were
to supply the engine. The end result was a light and
tremendously powerful sports car, the likes of which
had not been seen before. The very first cars used a
4.2 litre V8 engine but a 4.7 litre unit soon replaced
this, with the most powerful 7-litre version arriving
in 1964. This 427 version as it was known (the 427 being
the engine capacity in cubic inches) remained in production
for 2 years. A heavier chassis was used on all Cobras
from 1965. Many changes were made throughout production
of the Cobra, and these included completely redesigned
suspension, and the change over to rack and pinion steering
in an attempt to tame the cars handling.
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Specifications (typical) |
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260 |
289 |
427 |
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1962 |
1962-1969 |
1964 - 1966 |
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2 door sports |
2 door sports |
2 door sports |
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12ft 7 in |
12ft 7 in |
13ft 0 in |
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5ft 1in |
5ft 1in |
5ft 8in |
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2019lb |
2315lb |
2529lb |
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4265cc V8 |
4736cc V8 |
6984cc V8 |
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260 bhp @ 5800 rpm |
271 bhp @ 6000 rpm |
425 bhp @ 6500 rpm |
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269lb ft @ 4800 rpm |
314lb ft @ 3400 rpm |
480lb ft @ 3500 rpm |
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4 speed manual |
4 speed manual |
4 speed manual |
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Rear |
Rear |
Rear |
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Discs front & Rear |
Discs front & Rear |
Discs front & Rear |
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Transverse leaf spring |
Transverse leaf spring |
Coil & wishbone |
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Transverse leaf spring |
Transverse leaf spring |
Coil & wishbone |
Model
Performance (typical examples) |
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260 |
289 |
427 |
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138 mph |
140 mph |
165 mph |
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5.7 seconds |
5.5 seconds |
4.2 seconds |
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15 mpg |
15 mpg |
10 mpg |
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