AC Cobra 427

(1964 - 1967)

Brand:

AC (also known as AC Cars)

Model:

Cobra 427

Related:

Cobra

Country:

United Kingdom

Car articles about AC Cobra 427 by year

Premium
AC Cobra - the car with the snake

October 1, 2012 — Dough Nye 26

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.

Shelby Cobra 427 - breathtaking

May 13, 2026 — Bruno von Rotz 56

As if the Shelby Cobra 289 wasn't fast enough, Carroll Shelby went one better in 1964 and introduced the Cobra 427 with a seven-liter V8 and over 400 hp. This sports car was actually supposed to dominate the racetracks, but the number of units required for homologation was missed, so most of the cars were sold as "softer" road versions. However, "gentle" was not to be taken too literally, as a test drive with an original Cobra 427 shows.

Premium
AC Cobra 427 - Shelby's seven-liter powerhouse

April 9, 2011 — Max Nötzli 6

The recipe used by former Le Mans winner Carroll Shelby almost 50 years ago was as simple as it was effective: he took a lightweight, two-seater roadster of the old English school and fitted it with a powerful V8 engine instead of the traditional six-cylinder engine. The result was breathtaking in the truest sense of the word. The Cobra 289 and 427 are among the fastest sports cars ever and the 1000 or so original examples are considered sought-after rarities. Even today, the acceleration capacity is still impressive.

Premium
AC Cobra 289 Recreation - it doesn't always have to be Shelby

December 24, 2017 — Bruno von Rotz 67

With the AC Cobra, Carroll Shelby presented a sports car in 1962 that offered outstanding performance for comparatively little money thanks to the power of a large V8 engine. Racing success soon followed, but not all race tracks allowed the new sports car star to shine equally brightly. On the road and in club racing, however, the Cobra performed magnificently. To this day, it remains one of the most appealing sports cars of all time. This driving report tells the story of the 289 Cobra and portrays the replica of a famous racing Cobra in many pictures, supplemented by video and audio material.

Current market prices for AC Cobra 427

AC Cobra 427 (1965-1967)

Roadster, 394 PS, 6989 cm³

AC 427 Frua (1966-1973)

Convertible, 426 PS, 7033 cm³

AC 427 Frua (1967-1973)

Coupe, 426 PS, 7033 cm³

AC Cobra 289 (1963-1966)

Roadster, 271 PS, 4727 cm³

AC Cobra 289 (1966-1969)

Roadster, 271 PS, 4727 cm³

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Photos of AC Cobra 427 (random selection)

Shelby Cobra 427 (1966) - the hardtop specially made for this Cobra turns the roadster into a coupé

Shelby Cobra 427 (1966) - the driver sits almost on the rear axle

Shelby Cobra 427 (1966) - the tailgate of the individual hardtop gives access to the trunk lid

Shelby Cobra 427 (1966) - the open Cobra, ready to go

Shelby Cobra 427 (1966) - a tailgate on the Cobra? Certainly rare!

Shelby Cobra 427 (1966) - allows even strolling without problems

Shelby Cobra 427 (1966) - the radiator opening at the front was significantly enlarged for the seven-liter V8 engine

Shelby Cobra 427 (1966) - compared to the Cobra 289, the 427 variant was significantly wider

Shelby Cobra 427 (1966) - individually designed hardtop with tailgate

Shelby Cobra 427 (1966) - every drive is an experience

Shelby Cobra 427 (1966) - could easily keep a Miura at bay on the highway back then

Shelby Cobra 427 (1966) - modern accessory, well made - the hardtop with tailgate

More images on AC Cobra 427

Auctioned vehicles of AC Cobra 427

Brand	Model	Year	Status	Auction name
AC Shelby Cobra 427 1967 Sold RM/Sotheby's Amelia Island (March 14, 2015)	Shelby Cobra 427	1967	Sold	RM/Sotheby's Amelia Island (March 14, 2015)
AC Cobra 427 lhd 1965 Sold Artcurial Motorcars Monaco Sale 2013 (July 22, 2013)	Cobra 427 lhd	1965	Sold	Artcurial Motorcars Monaco Sale 2013 (July 22, 2013)
AC Shelby Competition Cobra 427 1965 Sold RM/Sotheby's Arizona Auction (January 28, 2016)	Shelby Competition Cobra 427	1965	Sold	RM/Sotheby's Arizona Auction (January 28, 2016)
AC Shelby Cobra 427 1966 Sold RM/Sotheby's The Arizona Sale (January 15, 2015)	Shelby Cobra 427	1966	Sold	RM/Sotheby's The Arizona Sale (January 15, 2015)
AC Shelby Cobra 427 1966 Not Sold Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction (August 18, 2017)	Shelby Cobra 427	1966	Not Sold	Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction (August 18, 2017)
AC Shelby Cobra 427 1965 Not Sold Stanislas Machoir Nizza Sale (October 17, 2015)	Shelby Cobra 427	1965	Not Sold	Stanislas Machoir Nizza Sale (October 17, 2015)
AC Shelby Cobra 427 1966 Sold RM/Sotheby's Arizona Auction (January 19, 2017)	Shelby Cobra 427	1966	Sold	RM/Sotheby's Arizona Auction (January 19, 2017)
AC Cobra 427 Continuation LHD 1965 Sold Artcurial Rétromobile 2014 & Solo Alfa by Artcurial Motorcars (February 7, 2014)	Cobra 427 Continuation LHD	1965	Sold	Artcurial Rétromobile 2014 & Solo Alfa by Artcurial Motorcars (February 7, 2014)
AC Cobra Mk III 427 S/C Continuation 1965 Sold RM/Sotheby's Cliveden House (June 12, 2024)	Cobra Mk III 427 S/C Continuation	1965	Sold	RM/Sotheby's Cliveden House (June 12, 2024)
AC Cobra 289 Sports 1967 Not Sold RM/Sotheby's Records Tubmle in RM Sothebys Historic £21.6M Anniversary London Sale (September 7, 2016)	Cobra 289 Sports	1967	Not Sold	RM/Sotheby's Records Tubmle in RM Sothebys Historic £21.6M Anniversary London Sale (September 7, 2016)

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Engine sounds of AC Cobra 427 vehicles (random selection)

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