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AC Cobra - the car with the snake

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Created on September 1, 1984

Reading time 15min

Written by:

Dough Nye

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

Rob de la Rive Box

Archiv

Bruno von Rotz

Rob de la Rive Box

Archiv

Bolton und Sanderson 1963 in Le Mans - hier kann die geballte Kraft des V8 gut eingesetzt werden

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AC Cobra am AVD Oldtimer Grand Prix 2008

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Bild von Partner Planai Classic 2025 Inline 1

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AC Cobra (1963) - Chassis des amerikanisch-englischen Sportwagens an der London Motorshow 1963

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AC Cobra 427 (1965) - 7 Liter Hubraum und minimales Gewicht

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Bolton/Sanderson in Le Mans 1963 auf dem Weg zum internationalen Sieg

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Shelby AC Cobra - Gurney am Lenkrad der Cobra bei der Targa Florio von 1964

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Shelby AC Cobra - Gurney überholt eine Giulietta an der Targa Florio 1964

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Cobra Daytona - Doppelsieg in Reims 1965

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AC Cobra am AVD Oldtimer Grand Prix 2007

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OGP 1989 - Mit Abstand der Schnellste war Rolf Versen, 202, auf AC Cobra

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AC Cobra am Oldtimer Sunday Morning Treffen 2010

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Summary

In 1959, Carroll Shelby won Le Mans as a driver. Two years later, he had to give up racing. He plunged straight into a new adventure and built a sports car that is a legend today and was a feared opponent on the racetrack from the very beginning. Shelby obtained the engine from Ford after Chevrolet showed no interest. And AC supplied the bodywork after the end of Bristol meant that "fast" engines were no longer available. The very first prototype ran at 240 km/h on the Hangar Straight at Silverstone and the Cobra's racing career soon began. However, it was the Cobra Daytona Coupé that brought the aerodynamic possibilities that ultimately led to the Le Mans victory against the Ferrari Coupés. Shelby soon turned his attention to the GT-40 project, but many more road cars left the factory until the lights went out around 1968.

This article contains the following chapters

Ford took up every motorsport activity, including Shelby's
The first prototype
Production could begin
The first orders arrive
Much honor
Pete Brock's sketches turned the Cobra into true classic racing monsters
Gurney also had a seat in the coupé
Ferrari was stronger in the end
The Daytona monsters made short work of the Ferrari in 1965
Away from racing, back on the road
One last real Cobra - the Daytona

Estimated reading time: 15min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Few believed at the time that Carroll Shelby would have to give up car racing. He had won countless SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) races in Allards and Jaguars. In the fifties, he also came to Europe to drive for Aston Martin. But two years after the highlight of his career - winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959 (with Roy Salvadori in an Aston Martin DBR 1/300) - he had to hang up his helmet on medical advice. Shelby was suffering from angina pectoris. This news struck like a bolt of lightning. Nobody could have imagined it for this tree-tall guy with the leather Texa hat. Well, he lived as intensely as he raced. Nor did he disdain a good drink. In any case, the Americans saw him as the prototype of the steely-eyed Texan racing driver. He looked far too healthy for heart stories.

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