AC Cobra
Content
AC Cobra
“Shelby Cobra” redirects here. For the 2004 Ford Shelby 2 Production
Cobra Concept, see Ford Shelby Cobra Concept.
“Shelby 427” redirects here. For the NASCAR race that Production proved to be easy, since AC had already made
ran with this name in 2009, see Kobalt 400.
most of the modifications needed for the small-block V8
when they installed the 2.6 L Ford Zephyr engine, includThe AC Cobra, sold as the Shelby AC Cobra and ing the extensive rework of the AC Ace’s front end bodyShelby Cobra in the United States and often known work. The most important modification was the fitting of
colloquially as the Shelby Cobra in that country, is an a stronger rear differential to handle the increased engine
American-engined British sports car produced intermit- power. A Salisbury 4HU unit with inboard disc brakes
to reduce unsprung weight was chosen instead of the old
tently since 1962.
ENV unit. It was the same unit used on the Jaguar EType. On the production version, the inboard brakes were
moved outboard to reduce cost. The only modification of
the front end of the first Cobra from that of the AC Ace
2.6 was the steering box, which had to be moved outward
to clear the wider V8 engine.
1 History and development
AC exported completed, painted and trimmed cars (less
engine and gearbox) to Shelby who then finished the cars
in his workshop in Los Angeles by installing the engine
and gearbox and correcting any bodywork flaws caused by
the car’s passage by sea. A small number of cars were also
completed on the East Coast of the USA by Ted Hugus
in Pennsylvania.
Like many British specialist manufacturers, AC Cars
had been using the Bristol straight-6 engine in its smallvolume production, including its AC Ace two-seater
roadster. This had a hand-built body with a steel tube
frame, and aluminium body panels that were made using English wheeling machines. The engine was a preWorld War II design by BMW which by the 1960s was
considered dated. Bristol decided in 1961 to cease production of its engine and instead to use Chrysler 331 cu
in (5.4 L) V8 engines. AC started using the 2.6 litre Ford
Zephyr engine in its cars. In September 1961, American
automotive designer Carroll Shelby wrote to AC asking
if they would build him a car modified to accept a V8
engine. AC agreed, provided a suitable engine could be
found. Shelby went to Chevrolet to see if they would provide him with engines, but not wanting to add competition to the Corvette they said no. However, Ford wanted
a car that could compete with the Corvette and they happened to have a brand new engine which could be used
in this endeavor: Ford’s 260 in³ HiPo (4.2 L) engine – a
new lightweight, thin-wall cast small-block V8 tuned for
high performance. Ford provided Shelby with two engines. In January 1962 mechanics at AC Cars in Thames
Ditton, Surrey fitted the prototype chassis CSX2000 with
a 260 ci Ford V8 borrowed from Ford in the UK; the 221
ci was never sent. However, early engineering drawings
were titled “AC Ace 3.6”. After testing and modification,
the engine and transmission were removed and the chassis
was air-freighted to Shelby in Los Angeles on 2 February
1962.[5] His team fitted it with an engine and transmission
in less than eight hours at Dean Moon's shop in Santa Fe
Springs, California, and began road-testing.[6]
The first 75 Cobra Mk1 models (including the prototype)
were fitted with the 260 cu in (4.3 L).[6] The remaining 51 Mk1 models were fitted with a larger version of
the Windsor Ford engine, the 289 cu in (4.7 L) V8. In
late 1962 Alan Turner, AC’s chief engineer completed a
major design change of the car’s front end to accommodate rack and pinion steering while still using transverse
leaf spring suspension. The new car entered production
in early 1963 and was designated Mark II. The steering
rack was borrowed from the MGB while the new steering column came from the VW Beetle. About 528 Mark
II Cobras were produced in the summer of 1965 (the last
US-bound Mark II was produced in November 1964).
Since late 1962 when the new GM Stingray was shown up
briefly by the Mk1 Cobra (until hub failure intervened)
the development of the Grand Sport Corvette program
had continued at a pace and was thought to be going for
a build series of 125 cars. This would allow GM to compete directly in the FIA GT class of racing. Just to compound this Enzo Ferrari was trying to pull another “fast
one” on the FIA with the request for the homologation of
the 250LM. The FIA had not forgotten the serious lack
of production of the 250GTO, which it had granted homologation in advance of Enzo’s assured 100 minimum
per year. Just thirty-six were produced over three years
with two very different chassis, neither of which were too
1
2
similar to the 250 GT which was supposed to form the
basis of the vehicle. In an effort to prepare for the task
ahead alternative engines were considered. The 289 cu
in (4.7 L) leaf-spring Cobra dominated the US domestic race series (USRRC), with only one race lost in three
years. The results in the FIA GT class were different.
This was mainly due to the number of circuits that had
much higher sustained speeds. Aerodynamics were more
important and put the roadster at a disadvantage. As a
result, coupe versions were built.
A stroker 289 (325),and the larger 390/427 up to the
“cammer” 427 was considered. Shelby was told at the
eleventh hour to use the iron 427 cu in (7.0 L). There was
little time to fully develop a competition vehicle. The
coil spring Cobra production was slow and an insufficient
number made to meet FIA’s GT homologation. Therefore the S/C (Semi – Competition) was produced by making available to the general production the full race options for the street. By now Enzo was having races recategorised in Italy to prevent the almost inevitable defeat
on home soil as the 250LM was not homologated as a
GT and would have to run as a prototype. GM had pulled
the plug on the Grand Sport and so the five chassis that
were built had to run as prototypes and so were placed in
a difficult position to say the least.
Shelby had earlier in 1964 fit a larger Ford FE engine of
390 cubic inches (6.4 L) in to CSX2196. Unfortunately
the car was not able to receive the development it needed
as resources were aimed at taking the crown from Ferrari in the GT class. Ken Miles drove and raced the FEpowered Mark II at Sebring and pronounced the car virtually undriveable, naming it “The Turd”. It failed to finish
with the engine expiring due to damper failure. A new
chassis was required developed and designated Mark III.
CSX2196 was revised for the show down at Nassau which
allowed a more relaxed class division of racing. This allowed the GT cobras to run with prototype Ford GT, GM
Grand Sport Corvettes and Lola Mk.6. The first meeting
at which the GS Corvettes showed up was in 1963. It was
for this event in 1964 that the Fliptop cobra was used.
An aluminium 390 cubic inches (6.4 L) engine was used.
However, the car failed to finish.
2
PRODUCTION
AC Cobra 427s were actually fitted with Ford’s 428 cubic inches (7.01 L) engine, a long stroke, smaller bore,
lower cost engine, intended for road use rather than racing. It seems that a total of 300 Mark III cars were sent
to Shelby in the USA during the years 1965 and 1966,
including the competition version. 27 small block narrow fender versions, which were referred to as the AC
289, were sold in Europe. Unfortunately, The MK III
missed homologation for the 1965 racing season and was
not raced by the Shelby team. However, it was raced successfully by many privateers and went on to win races all
the way into the 1970s. The remaining 31 unsold examples were detuned and fitted with wind screens for street
use. Called S/C for semi-competition, an original example can currently sell for 1.5 million USD, making it one
of the most valuable Cobra variants.[7]
Cobra 289 Dragonsnake (CSX 2427) showing drag slicks at rear
Shelby wanted the AC Cobras to be “Corvette-Beaters”
and at nearly 500 lb (227 kg) less than the Chevrolet
Corvette, the lightweight roadster accomplished that goal
at Riverside International Raceway on 2 February 1963.
Driver Dave MacDonald piloted CSX2026 past a field of
Corvettes, Jaguars, Porsches, and Maseratis and recorded
the Cobra’s historic first-ever victory. Later, Shelby offered a drag package, known as the Dragonsnake, which
won several NHRA National events with Bruce Larson or
[8]
The new car was designed in cooperation with Ford in Ed Hedrick at the wheel of CSX2093. Only five DragDetroit. A new chassis was built using 4 in (102 mm) onsnake Cobras were produced by the factory, with three
main chassis tubes (up from 3 in (76 mm)) and coil spring others (such as CSX2093) prepared by customers using
[9]
suspension all around. The new car also had wide fenders the drag package.
and a larger radiator opening. It was powered by the “side An AC Cobra Coupe was calculated to have done 186
oiler” Ford 427 engine (7.0 L) rated at 425 bhp (317 kW), mph (299 km/h) on the M1 motorway in 1964, driven by
which provided a top speed of 164 mph (262 km/h) in the Jack Sears and Peter Bolton during shakedown tests prior
standard model and 485 bhp (362 kW) with a top speed to that year’s Le Mans 24h race.[10] A common misconof 185 mph (298 km/h) in the competition model. Co- ception is that this incident persuaded the British Govbra Mark III production began on 1 January 1965; two ernment to introduce the 70 mph (110 km/h) maximum
prototypes had been sent to the United States in Octo- speed limit on UK motorways, which up until that year
ber 1964. Cars were sent to the US as unpainted rolling had no speed restrictions, although government officials
chassis, and they were finished in Shelby’s workshop. Al- have cited the increasing accident death rate in the early
though an impressive automobile, the car was a financial 1960s as the principal motivation, the exploits of the AC
failure and did not sell well. In fact to save cost, most Cars team merely highlighting the issue.
3
The AC Cobra was a financial failure that led Ford and
Carroll Shelby to discontinue importing cars from England in 1967. AC Cars kept producing the coil-spring AC
Roadster with narrow fenders, a small block Ford 289
and called the car the AC 289. It was built and sold in
Europe until late 1969. AC also produced the AC 428
until 1973. The AC Frua was built on a stretched Cobra
427 MK III coil spring chassis using a very angular steel
body designed and built by Pietro Frua. With the demise
of the 428 and succeeding 3000ME, AC shut their doors
in 1984 and sold the AC name to a Scottish company.
The company’s tooling, and eventually the right to use the
name, were licensed by Autokraft, a Cobra parts reseller
and replica car manufacturer owned by Brian A. Angliss.
Mk IV with a 250 hp (186 kW) at 4,200 rpm, 4,942
cc Ford V8 which provided a top speed of 215 km/h
(134 mph) and 0–100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. At the 1990
Geneva Salon the Lightweight version was presented:
weight was down to 1,070 kg (2,360 lb) (compared to
1,190 kg or 2,620 lb) and power was up to 370 hp (276
kW) at 5,750 rpm thanks to alloy heads, a Holley fourbarrel carburettor, and no catalytic converter.[11] While
the Lightweight did not meet US federal regulations, the
Mk IV did, and 480 cars of all versions were built until
1996.
2.1
Brian Angliss left AC Cars in 1996 and the company was
restructured under new management. Two new 'Cobra'
style cars were launched in 1997, the 'Superblower', an
aluminium-bodied car with a supercharged 4,942cc Ford
V8 providing 320 bhp and the cheaper 'Carbon Road Series’ (CRS) with a carbonfibre body and a 225 bhp version
of the Ford V8 engine. 22 Superblowers and 37 CRSs
were built between 1997 and 2001.
Chassis numbering
The Ace chassis numbers read AEX... “A” being the
car series and “X” being for export with left-hand drive.
Later with the introduction of the Bristol engine the chassis numbers ran “BEX...” When switching to the Ford
2.6 engine the Ace chassis numbers ran “RS...” for Ruddspeed as Ken Rudd may have been influential in the
choice of engine. The first Cobra chassis was left hand
drive and given the next letter in the alphabet,i.e. C. Then
“SX” for “Shelby eXport” i.e. exported to USA. Therefore the numbers ran CSX... for all the US export Cobras.
The four following numbers ran from 2000 sequentially.
When the MKIII Cobra was built the identification ran
from CSX3000, the 3 signifying coil spring suspension.
For the European market the cars were built wholly by
AC cars in Thames Ditton using engines and transmissions imported from Ford USA. These cars were given
chassis numbers beginning “COB....” for “Cobra Britain”
i.e. RHD home market and “COX...” for “Cobra Export”
i.e. RHD export other than to USA. COB/COX cars had
chassis numbers beginning with a 6 and then either a 0 to
signify a leaf sprung chassis or a 1 to signify a coil sprung
chassis.
4 Post Autokraft era
A further variant, 'the 212 S/C' with a 3506 cc 350 hp
twin-turbocharged Lotus V8 engine was introduced in
2000, but only two examples were built.
In 2006, AC closed its UK factory and moved to Malta.
However only 3 right-hand drive carbon-fibre AC Mk Vs
powered by 340 bhp 5-litre Ford V8 engines were built
before the Maltese operation closed. Since 2009, AC has
licenced Gullwing GmbH in Germany to produce the AC
MK VI, with an aluminium coated composite body and
powered by a 6.2 litre 440 hp LS3 Chevrolet engine, or
a 550 hp supercharged version. In the UK, AC Heritage
based at Brooklands, is licenced by AC to produce traditional 289 and 427 continuation ACs.
5 Coupé
3
Autokraft era
Autokraft manufactured an AC 289 continuation car
from 1982 as the Autokraft Mk IV, basically a Mk III
with a 302 cubic inches (4.95 L) Ford V8 and Borg
Warner T5 Transmission. The Mk IV also received
an independent suspension. Shortly thereafter, Carroll
Shelby filed suit against AC Cars and Brian A. Angliss,
in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The ensuing settlement resulted in Shelby and AC Cars/Angliss releasing
a joint press release whereby AC/Angliss acknowledged
that Carroll Shelby was the manufacturer of record of all
the 1960s AC Cobra automobiles in the United States and
that Shelby himself is the sole person allowed to call his
car a Cobra. Nonetheless, production of the Mk IV continued, from 1987 as a joint venture with Ford as the AC
Main article: Shelby Daytona
In an effort to improve top speed along the legendary
Mulsanne Straight at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, a
number of enclosed, coupe variations were constructed
using the leafspring chassis and running gear of the
AC/Shelby Cobra Mark II. The most famous and numerous of these were the official works Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupes. Six were constructed, each being subtly different from the rest. AC Cars also produced a Le Mans
coupé. The car was a one-off and was nearly destroyed
after a high-speed tire blow-out at the 1964 Le Mans race.
The car was qualified conservatively second in GT. The
race started well with the AC, chassis number A98, maintaining its position in the top two in GT and even leading the class for a time. This was not to last as an act of
sabotage (newspaper in the fuel tank) began to block the
4
7 CONTINUATION CARS
6 Counterfeit Cobras
1964 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe (CSX2299)
In 1993 the Los Angeles Times exposed a Carroll Shelby
scheme[12] to “Counterfeit” his own cars. With the price
of an original 427 c.i. Cobra skyrocketing, Shelby had,
by his own written declaration executed under penalty of
perjury, caused the California Department of Motor Vehicles (the government agency responsible for titling vehicles and issuing operator permits) to utter forty-three
“Duplicate Titles” for vehicles that did not officially exist
in company records. A letter from AC Cars confirmed
the fact that the chassis numbers Shelby had obtained titles for were never manufactured, at least by AC Cars.
Only fifty-five 427 c.i. Cobras had been originally produced out of a block of serial numbers reserved for 100
vehicles. Shelby had taken advantage of a loophole in the
California system that allowed one to obtain a duplicate
title for a vehicle only on a written declaration, without
the vehicle identification number appearing in the DMV’s
database or the declarant ever presenting an actual vehicle for inspection.[13] Shelby later admitted[13] that the
chassis had been manufactured in 1991 and '92 by McCluskey Ltd, an engineering firm in Torrance, California,
and were not authentic AC chassis.
7 Continuation cars
1965 Willment/Ghia Coupe (CSX3055)
fuel filter. The car lost time until this was diagnosed and
cleaned out. The car proceeded on at the predetermined
conservative lap time and for the next stint remained trouble free. The car was able to match the Shelby Daytona’s
speed despite running a higher differential ratio (2.88 instead of 3.07) and a lower state of engine tune for relia- 50th Anniversary Cobra Limited Edition CSX8000.
bility (355 hp instead of the Daytona’s 385 hp).
From the late 1980s onwards, Carroll Shelby (Shelby AuThe third significant Cobra-based coupe was the Will- tomobiles, Inc.) and associated companies have built
ment Cobra Coupe built by the JWA racing team.
what are known in the hobby as “Continuation Cars";
A road-going Shelby Daytona Cobra replica is being man- Shelby authorized continuations of the original AC-built
ufactured by Superformance and Factory Five Racing, a Cobra series. Produced in Las Vegas, Nevada, these cars
well known kit car company. These cars use Pete Brock's retain the general style and appearance of their original
bodywork designs, scaled up to increase room inside, and 1960s ancestors, but are fitted with modern amenities.
a newly designed spaceframe chassis, they are powered by Initially the car everyone wanted in a Continuation was
Roush-built Ford Windsor (Sportsman) engines. The Su- a 427 S/C model which was represented in the CSX4000
performance Shelby Daytona Coupe is the only modern- series. This was meant to continue where the last 427
day vehicle recognized by Shelby as a successor to the S/C production left off, at approximately serial number
original Coupes.
CSX3560 in the 1960s.
Other road-going Shelby Daytona Cobra replicas include The initial CSX4000 series cars were completed from the
Daytona Sportscar from Australia.
chassis built by McCluskey Ltd as well as other new parts
5
and reconditioned Ford engines. Given the value of the
vehicle many “extra” cars have appeared over the years,
even some sharing the same chassis number. Gradually
as the vintage parts supply ran low, newly constructed
frames and body panels were obtained from a variety of
suppliers. The production of chassis numbers CSX4001
to CSX4999 took roughly 20 years and many different
business relationships to complete.
most notable modification is the addition of Twin Paxton Superchargers, TPS. Shelby crafted two 427 models
by himself adding a TPS. He gave Bill Cosby one and
kept one for himself the CSX3303. He eventually converted the competition roadster to a street legal car with
windshields, mufflers, etc. and named it the 427 SC (
semi-competition).
Another non-competition 427 roadster, CSX3303, was
converted and given to Shelby’s close friend, entertainer
Bill Cosby. Cosby attempted to drive the super-fast Cobra, but had issues with keeping it under control; he recounted his experience on his 1968 stand-up comedy album 200 M.P.H.. Cosby gave the car back to Shelby,
who then shipped it out to one of their dealers in San
Francisco, S&C Ford on Van Ness Avenue. S&C Ford
To date most continuations are produced in fiberglass, then sold it to customer Tony Maxey. Maxey, suffering
with some ordering cars with aluminium or carbon-fibre the same issues as Cosby did with the car, lost control and
drove it off a cliff, landing in the Pacific Ocean waters.[14]
bodywork.
All models of Cobra produced are available now as continuations. In 2009, CSX4999 was produced, concluding the 4000 series. Production has continued with the
CSX6000 serial numbers, featuring “coil over” suspension. The 289 FIA “leaf spring” race version of the car is
reproduced as CSX7000, and the original “slab side” leaf
spring street car is the CSX8000 series.
Shelby’s original model, CSX3015, was kept by Carroll
Shelby himself over the years as a personal car, sometimes entering it into local races like the Turismos
Visitadores Cannonball-Run race in Nevada, where he
was “waking [up] whole towns, blowing out windows,
throwing belts and catching fire a couple of times, but
finishing.”[15] The CSX3015 was auctioned on 22 JanCars were also produced by AC Cars until 2006, and uary 2007, at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event
since 2009 have been produced by AC Heritage, who are in Scottsdale, Arizona, for $5 million plus commislicensed by AC to produce 289 and 427 continuations.
sion (£2.8 million), a record for a vehicle made in the
U.S.[16][17]
In 2004, at the North American International Auto Show
in Detroit, Ford unveiled a concept for a modernized AC
Cobra. The Ford Shelby Cobra Concept was a continuation of Ford’s effort to bring back the retro sports cars
that had been successful in the 1960s, including the Ford
GT40 and the fifth generation Ford Mustang.
8
Super Snake
9 See also
• Bill Thomas Cheetah, the 1963-started, Chevrolet
Corvette-based private-venture challenger to the
Cobra
• The Snake and the Stallion
10 References
10.1 Notes
[1] 1963 Shelby AC Cobra sales brochure, http://blog.
quartoknows.com Retrieved on 15 October 2015
Competition 427, (CSX3009) “Ollie the Dragon”
AC produced only 23 AC Cobra 427 competition roadsters. In 1966, one was selected and converted into a special model called the 427 (CSX3015) “Cobra to End All
Cobras.” The first one of these was originally part of a European promotional tour before its conversion. This conversion called for making the original racing model street
legal with mufflers, a windshield and bumpers amongst
other modifications. But some things were not modified,
including the racing rear end, brakes and headers. The
[2] “1962 AC Cobra 260 car technical specifications from
Carfolio.com – 2 door 4.2 litre (4265 cc) V8 263.6 PS,
4 speed manual”. Carfolio.com. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
[3] “1963 AC Cobra 289 car technical specifications from
Carfolio.com – 2 door 4.7 litre (4727 cc) V8 274.8 PS,
4 speed manual”. Carfolio.com. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
[4] “1968 Shelby Cobra 427 car technical specifications from
Carfolio.com – 2-door 7-litre (7010 cc) V8 359.9 PS,
6
11
4-speed manual”. Carfolio.com. Retrieved 2 February
2011.
[5] Friedman, Dave (1994). “1”. Shelby Cobra: the Shelby
American color archives. MBI Publishing. ISBN 978-087938-757-0.
[6] Bornhop, Andrew (May 2012). “Celebrating 50 Years of
Shelby”. Road & Track 63 (9): 52–61.
[7] “1966 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C”. Supercars.net. Retrieved
1 February 2011.
[8] “1966 AC Cobra 427 S/C”. Supercars.net. Retrieved 1
February 2011.
[9] Comer, Colin (July 2012). “1963 Shelby Cobra Dragonsnake”. Sports Car Market 24 (7): 64–65.
[10] “185mph on the British motorway in 1963 – the real story
from Jack Sears”. classicdriver.com. Retrieved 4 January
2008.
[11] Büschi, Hans U., ed. (1991). Automobil Revue 1991 (in
German and French) 86. Berne, Switzerland: Hallwag. p.
151. ISBN 978-3-444-00514-5.
[12] “Winning The Battle Against Vehicle Insurance Fraud:
Glossary of Vehicle Insurance Fraud Terms” (PDF).
preinsuranceinspection.com. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
[13] Dean, Paul (15 April 1993). “Car Trouble? : Autos:
Questions have been raised over Carroll Shelby’s claim
he’s building 43 of his classic Cobras using original chassis. Shelby says he’s the victim of a business feud. April
15, 1993 PAUL DEAN TIMES STAFF WRITER”. latimes.com. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
[14] “Barrett-Jackson Lot: 1301–1966 Shelby Cobra 427 “Super Snake"". barrett-jackson.com. Retrieved 1 May
2011.
[15] “Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Show and Auction – 1966
Shelby Cobra 427 Supersnake”. about.com.
[16] “Carroll Shelby’s Super Snake Sells For Record $5 Million
Dollars”. mustangblog.com.
[17] “Car goes for £2.8million”. thesun.co.uk (London). 10
May 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2008.
10.2
Bibliography
• Holmes, Mark (2007). Ultimate Convertibles: Roofless Beauty. London: Kandour. pp. 148–153. ISBN
978-1-905741-62-5.
11
External links
• AC Cobra at DMOZ
• AC Cobra at the Internet Movie Cars Database
• Shelby Automobiles Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada
EXTERNAL LINKS
• thecobraferrariwars.com
• AC Cars website
• AC Heritage website
• AC Cobra 427 (1969) Exterior and Interior in 3D
4K UHD
7
12
12.1
Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
Text
• AC Cobra Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_Cobra?oldid=686961599 Contributors: Wayne Hardman, SimonP, Zippy, Hephaestos, Modster, Liftarn, Arpingstone, AllardsGap, Kingturtle, ²¹², Ebustos, Morven, Topbanana, Riddley, Phil Boswell, Robbot, Moondyne, Texture, DocWatson42, Axeman, Michael Devore, Henry Flower, Dawidl, Mboverload, Bobblewik, Gzuckier, Sfoskett, Klemen
Kocjancic, Sucatraps, Spinal83, Mwanner, Longhair, Jearle, Nsaa, Pauli133, Woohookitty, TomTheHand, Qaddosh, FF7terra, Al E.,
Macaddct1984, Jagvar, Rjwilmsi, Quiddity, Vegaswikian, Bubba73, FlaBot, ApolloBoy, Arathon, YurikBot, Jimp, RussBot, Conscious,
Zlatko, Jbattersby, Willirennen, Rurik, Fram, Picaman, Entheta, SmackBot, Nasty, The Helper S, Betacommand, Chris the speller, The359,
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12.2
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12.3
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“Shelby Cobra” redirects here. For the 2004 Ford Shelby 2 Production
Cobra Concept, see Ford Shelby Cobra Concept.
“Shelby 427” redirects here. For the NASCAR race that Production proved to be easy, since AC had already made
ran with this name in 2009, see Kobalt 400.
most of the modifications needed for the small-block V8
when they installed the 2.6 L Ford Zephyr engine, includThe AC Cobra, sold as the Shelby AC Cobra and ing the extensive rework of the AC Ace’s front end bodyShelby Cobra in the United States and often known work. The most important modification was the fitting of
colloquially as the Shelby Cobra in that country, is an a stronger rear differential to handle the increased engine
American-engined British sports car produced intermit- power. A Salisbury 4HU unit with inboard disc brakes
to reduce unsprung weight was chosen instead of the old
tently since 1962.
ENV unit. It was the same unit used on the Jaguar EType. On the production version, the inboard brakes were
moved outboard to reduce cost. The only modification of
the front end of the first Cobra from that of the AC Ace
2.6 was the steering box, which had to be moved outward
to clear the wider V8 engine.
1 History and development
AC exported completed, painted and trimmed cars (less
engine and gearbox) to Shelby who then finished the cars
in his workshop in Los Angeles by installing the engine
and gearbox and correcting any bodywork flaws caused by
the car’s passage by sea. A small number of cars were also
completed on the East Coast of the USA by Ted Hugus
in Pennsylvania.
Like many British specialist manufacturers, AC Cars
had been using the Bristol straight-6 engine in its smallvolume production, including its AC Ace two-seater
roadster. This had a hand-built body with a steel tube
frame, and aluminium body panels that were made using English wheeling machines. The engine was a preWorld War II design by BMW which by the 1960s was
considered dated. Bristol decided in 1961 to cease production of its engine and instead to use Chrysler 331 cu
in (5.4 L) V8 engines. AC started using the 2.6 litre Ford
Zephyr engine in its cars. In September 1961, American
automotive designer Carroll Shelby wrote to AC asking
if they would build him a car modified to accept a V8
engine. AC agreed, provided a suitable engine could be
found. Shelby went to Chevrolet to see if they would provide him with engines, but not wanting to add competition to the Corvette they said no. However, Ford wanted
a car that could compete with the Corvette and they happened to have a brand new engine which could be used
in this endeavor: Ford’s 260 in³ HiPo (4.2 L) engine – a
new lightweight, thin-wall cast small-block V8 tuned for
high performance. Ford provided Shelby with two engines. In January 1962 mechanics at AC Cars in Thames
Ditton, Surrey fitted the prototype chassis CSX2000 with
a 260 ci Ford V8 borrowed from Ford in the UK; the 221
ci was never sent. However, early engineering drawings
were titled “AC Ace 3.6”. After testing and modification,
the engine and transmission were removed and the chassis
was air-freighted to Shelby in Los Angeles on 2 February
1962.[5] His team fitted it with an engine and transmission
in less than eight hours at Dean Moon's shop in Santa Fe
Springs, California, and began road-testing.[6]
The first 75 Cobra Mk1 models (including the prototype)
were fitted with the 260 cu in (4.3 L).[6] The remaining 51 Mk1 models were fitted with a larger version of
the Windsor Ford engine, the 289 cu in (4.7 L) V8. In
late 1962 Alan Turner, AC’s chief engineer completed a
major design change of the car’s front end to accommodate rack and pinion steering while still using transverse
leaf spring suspension. The new car entered production
in early 1963 and was designated Mark II. The steering
rack was borrowed from the MGB while the new steering column came from the VW Beetle. About 528 Mark
II Cobras were produced in the summer of 1965 (the last
US-bound Mark II was produced in November 1964).
Since late 1962 when the new GM Stingray was shown up
briefly by the Mk1 Cobra (until hub failure intervened)
the development of the Grand Sport Corvette program
had continued at a pace and was thought to be going for
a build series of 125 cars. This would allow GM to compete directly in the FIA GT class of racing. Just to compound this Enzo Ferrari was trying to pull another “fast
one” on the FIA with the request for the homologation of
the 250LM. The FIA had not forgotten the serious lack
of production of the 250GTO, which it had granted homologation in advance of Enzo’s assured 100 minimum
per year. Just thirty-six were produced over three years
with two very different chassis, neither of which were too
1
2
similar to the 250 GT which was supposed to form the
basis of the vehicle. In an effort to prepare for the task
ahead alternative engines were considered. The 289 cu
in (4.7 L) leaf-spring Cobra dominated the US domestic race series (USRRC), with only one race lost in three
years. The results in the FIA GT class were different.
This was mainly due to the number of circuits that had
much higher sustained speeds. Aerodynamics were more
important and put the roadster at a disadvantage. As a
result, coupe versions were built.
A stroker 289 (325),and the larger 390/427 up to the
“cammer” 427 was considered. Shelby was told at the
eleventh hour to use the iron 427 cu in (7.0 L). There was
little time to fully develop a competition vehicle. The
coil spring Cobra production was slow and an insufficient
number made to meet FIA’s GT homologation. Therefore the S/C (Semi – Competition) was produced by making available to the general production the full race options for the street. By now Enzo was having races recategorised in Italy to prevent the almost inevitable defeat
on home soil as the 250LM was not homologated as a
GT and would have to run as a prototype. GM had pulled
the plug on the Grand Sport and so the five chassis that
were built had to run as prototypes and so were placed in
a difficult position to say the least.
Shelby had earlier in 1964 fit a larger Ford FE engine of
390 cubic inches (6.4 L) in to CSX2196. Unfortunately
the car was not able to receive the development it needed
as resources were aimed at taking the crown from Ferrari in the GT class. Ken Miles drove and raced the FEpowered Mark II at Sebring and pronounced the car virtually undriveable, naming it “The Turd”. It failed to finish
with the engine expiring due to damper failure. A new
chassis was required developed and designated Mark III.
CSX2196 was revised for the show down at Nassau which
allowed a more relaxed class division of racing. This allowed the GT cobras to run with prototype Ford GT, GM
Grand Sport Corvettes and Lola Mk.6. The first meeting
at which the GS Corvettes showed up was in 1963. It was
for this event in 1964 that the Fliptop cobra was used.
An aluminium 390 cubic inches (6.4 L) engine was used.
However, the car failed to finish.
2
PRODUCTION
AC Cobra 427s were actually fitted with Ford’s 428 cubic inches (7.01 L) engine, a long stroke, smaller bore,
lower cost engine, intended for road use rather than racing. It seems that a total of 300 Mark III cars were sent
to Shelby in the USA during the years 1965 and 1966,
including the competition version. 27 small block narrow fender versions, which were referred to as the AC
289, were sold in Europe. Unfortunately, The MK III
missed homologation for the 1965 racing season and was
not raced by the Shelby team. However, it was raced successfully by many privateers and went on to win races all
the way into the 1970s. The remaining 31 unsold examples were detuned and fitted with wind screens for street
use. Called S/C for semi-competition, an original example can currently sell for 1.5 million USD, making it one
of the most valuable Cobra variants.[7]
Cobra 289 Dragonsnake (CSX 2427) showing drag slicks at rear
Shelby wanted the AC Cobras to be “Corvette-Beaters”
and at nearly 500 lb (227 kg) less than the Chevrolet
Corvette, the lightweight roadster accomplished that goal
at Riverside International Raceway on 2 February 1963.
Driver Dave MacDonald piloted CSX2026 past a field of
Corvettes, Jaguars, Porsches, and Maseratis and recorded
the Cobra’s historic first-ever victory. Later, Shelby offered a drag package, known as the Dragonsnake, which
won several NHRA National events with Bruce Larson or
[8]
The new car was designed in cooperation with Ford in Ed Hedrick at the wheel of CSX2093. Only five DragDetroit. A new chassis was built using 4 in (102 mm) onsnake Cobras were produced by the factory, with three
main chassis tubes (up from 3 in (76 mm)) and coil spring others (such as CSX2093) prepared by customers using
[9]
suspension all around. The new car also had wide fenders the drag package.
and a larger radiator opening. It was powered by the “side An AC Cobra Coupe was calculated to have done 186
oiler” Ford 427 engine (7.0 L) rated at 425 bhp (317 kW), mph (299 km/h) on the M1 motorway in 1964, driven by
which provided a top speed of 164 mph (262 km/h) in the Jack Sears and Peter Bolton during shakedown tests prior
standard model and 485 bhp (362 kW) with a top speed to that year’s Le Mans 24h race.[10] A common misconof 185 mph (298 km/h) in the competition model. Co- ception is that this incident persuaded the British Govbra Mark III production began on 1 January 1965; two ernment to introduce the 70 mph (110 km/h) maximum
prototypes had been sent to the United States in Octo- speed limit on UK motorways, which up until that year
ber 1964. Cars were sent to the US as unpainted rolling had no speed restrictions, although government officials
chassis, and they were finished in Shelby’s workshop. Al- have cited the increasing accident death rate in the early
though an impressive automobile, the car was a financial 1960s as the principal motivation, the exploits of the AC
failure and did not sell well. In fact to save cost, most Cars team merely highlighting the issue.
3
The AC Cobra was a financial failure that led Ford and
Carroll Shelby to discontinue importing cars from England in 1967. AC Cars kept producing the coil-spring AC
Roadster with narrow fenders, a small block Ford 289
and called the car the AC 289. It was built and sold in
Europe until late 1969. AC also produced the AC 428
until 1973. The AC Frua was built on a stretched Cobra
427 MK III coil spring chassis using a very angular steel
body designed and built by Pietro Frua. With the demise
of the 428 and succeeding 3000ME, AC shut their doors
in 1984 and sold the AC name to a Scottish company.
The company’s tooling, and eventually the right to use the
name, were licensed by Autokraft, a Cobra parts reseller
and replica car manufacturer owned by Brian A. Angliss.
Mk IV with a 250 hp (186 kW) at 4,200 rpm, 4,942
cc Ford V8 which provided a top speed of 215 km/h
(134 mph) and 0–100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. At the 1990
Geneva Salon the Lightweight version was presented:
weight was down to 1,070 kg (2,360 lb) (compared to
1,190 kg or 2,620 lb) and power was up to 370 hp (276
kW) at 5,750 rpm thanks to alloy heads, a Holley fourbarrel carburettor, and no catalytic converter.[11] While
the Lightweight did not meet US federal regulations, the
Mk IV did, and 480 cars of all versions were built until
1996.
2.1
Brian Angliss left AC Cars in 1996 and the company was
restructured under new management. Two new 'Cobra'
style cars were launched in 1997, the 'Superblower', an
aluminium-bodied car with a supercharged 4,942cc Ford
V8 providing 320 bhp and the cheaper 'Carbon Road Series’ (CRS) with a carbonfibre body and a 225 bhp version
of the Ford V8 engine. 22 Superblowers and 37 CRSs
were built between 1997 and 2001.
Chassis numbering
The Ace chassis numbers read AEX... “A” being the
car series and “X” being for export with left-hand drive.
Later with the introduction of the Bristol engine the chassis numbers ran “BEX...” When switching to the Ford
2.6 engine the Ace chassis numbers ran “RS...” for Ruddspeed as Ken Rudd may have been influential in the
choice of engine. The first Cobra chassis was left hand
drive and given the next letter in the alphabet,i.e. C. Then
“SX” for “Shelby eXport” i.e. exported to USA. Therefore the numbers ran CSX... for all the US export Cobras.
The four following numbers ran from 2000 sequentially.
When the MKIII Cobra was built the identification ran
from CSX3000, the 3 signifying coil spring suspension.
For the European market the cars were built wholly by
AC cars in Thames Ditton using engines and transmissions imported from Ford USA. These cars were given
chassis numbers beginning “COB....” for “Cobra Britain”
i.e. RHD home market and “COX...” for “Cobra Export”
i.e. RHD export other than to USA. COB/COX cars had
chassis numbers beginning with a 6 and then either a 0 to
signify a leaf sprung chassis or a 1 to signify a coil sprung
chassis.
4 Post Autokraft era
A further variant, 'the 212 S/C' with a 3506 cc 350 hp
twin-turbocharged Lotus V8 engine was introduced in
2000, but only two examples were built.
In 2006, AC closed its UK factory and moved to Malta.
However only 3 right-hand drive carbon-fibre AC Mk Vs
powered by 340 bhp 5-litre Ford V8 engines were built
before the Maltese operation closed. Since 2009, AC has
licenced Gullwing GmbH in Germany to produce the AC
MK VI, with an aluminium coated composite body and
powered by a 6.2 litre 440 hp LS3 Chevrolet engine, or
a 550 hp supercharged version. In the UK, AC Heritage
based at Brooklands, is licenced by AC to produce traditional 289 and 427 continuation ACs.
5 Coupé
3
Autokraft era
Autokraft manufactured an AC 289 continuation car
from 1982 as the Autokraft Mk IV, basically a Mk III
with a 302 cubic inches (4.95 L) Ford V8 and Borg
Warner T5 Transmission. The Mk IV also received
an independent suspension. Shortly thereafter, Carroll
Shelby filed suit against AC Cars and Brian A. Angliss,
in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The ensuing settlement resulted in Shelby and AC Cars/Angliss releasing
a joint press release whereby AC/Angliss acknowledged
that Carroll Shelby was the manufacturer of record of all
the 1960s AC Cobra automobiles in the United States and
that Shelby himself is the sole person allowed to call his
car a Cobra. Nonetheless, production of the Mk IV continued, from 1987 as a joint venture with Ford as the AC
Main article: Shelby Daytona
In an effort to improve top speed along the legendary
Mulsanne Straight at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, a
number of enclosed, coupe variations were constructed
using the leafspring chassis and running gear of the
AC/Shelby Cobra Mark II. The most famous and numerous of these were the official works Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupes. Six were constructed, each being subtly different from the rest. AC Cars also produced a Le Mans
coupé. The car was a one-off and was nearly destroyed
after a high-speed tire blow-out at the 1964 Le Mans race.
The car was qualified conservatively second in GT. The
race started well with the AC, chassis number A98, maintaining its position in the top two in GT and even leading the class for a time. This was not to last as an act of
sabotage (newspaper in the fuel tank) began to block the
4
7 CONTINUATION CARS
6 Counterfeit Cobras
1964 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe (CSX2299)
In 1993 the Los Angeles Times exposed a Carroll Shelby
scheme[12] to “Counterfeit” his own cars. With the price
of an original 427 c.i. Cobra skyrocketing, Shelby had,
by his own written declaration executed under penalty of
perjury, caused the California Department of Motor Vehicles (the government agency responsible for titling vehicles and issuing operator permits) to utter forty-three
“Duplicate Titles” for vehicles that did not officially exist
in company records. A letter from AC Cars confirmed
the fact that the chassis numbers Shelby had obtained titles for were never manufactured, at least by AC Cars.
Only fifty-five 427 c.i. Cobras had been originally produced out of a block of serial numbers reserved for 100
vehicles. Shelby had taken advantage of a loophole in the
California system that allowed one to obtain a duplicate
title for a vehicle only on a written declaration, without
the vehicle identification number appearing in the DMV’s
database or the declarant ever presenting an actual vehicle for inspection.[13] Shelby later admitted[13] that the
chassis had been manufactured in 1991 and '92 by McCluskey Ltd, an engineering firm in Torrance, California,
and were not authentic AC chassis.
7 Continuation cars
1965 Willment/Ghia Coupe (CSX3055)
fuel filter. The car lost time until this was diagnosed and
cleaned out. The car proceeded on at the predetermined
conservative lap time and for the next stint remained trouble free. The car was able to match the Shelby Daytona’s
speed despite running a higher differential ratio (2.88 instead of 3.07) and a lower state of engine tune for relia- 50th Anniversary Cobra Limited Edition CSX8000.
bility (355 hp instead of the Daytona’s 385 hp).
From the late 1980s onwards, Carroll Shelby (Shelby AuThe third significant Cobra-based coupe was the Will- tomobiles, Inc.) and associated companies have built
ment Cobra Coupe built by the JWA racing team.
what are known in the hobby as “Continuation Cars";
A road-going Shelby Daytona Cobra replica is being man- Shelby authorized continuations of the original AC-built
ufactured by Superformance and Factory Five Racing, a Cobra series. Produced in Las Vegas, Nevada, these cars
well known kit car company. These cars use Pete Brock's retain the general style and appearance of their original
bodywork designs, scaled up to increase room inside, and 1960s ancestors, but are fitted with modern amenities.
a newly designed spaceframe chassis, they are powered by Initially the car everyone wanted in a Continuation was
Roush-built Ford Windsor (Sportsman) engines. The Su- a 427 S/C model which was represented in the CSX4000
performance Shelby Daytona Coupe is the only modern- series. This was meant to continue where the last 427
day vehicle recognized by Shelby as a successor to the S/C production left off, at approximately serial number
original Coupes.
CSX3560 in the 1960s.
Other road-going Shelby Daytona Cobra replicas include The initial CSX4000 series cars were completed from the
Daytona Sportscar from Australia.
chassis built by McCluskey Ltd as well as other new parts
5
and reconditioned Ford engines. Given the value of the
vehicle many “extra” cars have appeared over the years,
even some sharing the same chassis number. Gradually
as the vintage parts supply ran low, newly constructed
frames and body panels were obtained from a variety of
suppliers. The production of chassis numbers CSX4001
to CSX4999 took roughly 20 years and many different
business relationships to complete.
most notable modification is the addition of Twin Paxton Superchargers, TPS. Shelby crafted two 427 models
by himself adding a TPS. He gave Bill Cosby one and
kept one for himself the CSX3303. He eventually converted the competition roadster to a street legal car with
windshields, mufflers, etc. and named it the 427 SC (
semi-competition).
Another non-competition 427 roadster, CSX3303, was
converted and given to Shelby’s close friend, entertainer
Bill Cosby. Cosby attempted to drive the super-fast Cobra, but had issues with keeping it under control; he recounted his experience on his 1968 stand-up comedy album 200 M.P.H.. Cosby gave the car back to Shelby,
who then shipped it out to one of their dealers in San
Francisco, S&C Ford on Van Ness Avenue. S&C Ford
To date most continuations are produced in fiberglass, then sold it to customer Tony Maxey. Maxey, suffering
with some ordering cars with aluminium or carbon-fibre the same issues as Cosby did with the car, lost control and
drove it off a cliff, landing in the Pacific Ocean waters.[14]
bodywork.
All models of Cobra produced are available now as continuations. In 2009, CSX4999 was produced, concluding the 4000 series. Production has continued with the
CSX6000 serial numbers, featuring “coil over” suspension. The 289 FIA “leaf spring” race version of the car is
reproduced as CSX7000, and the original “slab side” leaf
spring street car is the CSX8000 series.
Shelby’s original model, CSX3015, was kept by Carroll
Shelby himself over the years as a personal car, sometimes entering it into local races like the Turismos
Visitadores Cannonball-Run race in Nevada, where he
was “waking [up] whole towns, blowing out windows,
throwing belts and catching fire a couple of times, but
finishing.”[15] The CSX3015 was auctioned on 22 JanCars were also produced by AC Cars until 2006, and uary 2007, at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event
since 2009 have been produced by AC Heritage, who are in Scottsdale, Arizona, for $5 million plus commislicensed by AC to produce 289 and 427 continuations.
sion (£2.8 million), a record for a vehicle made in the
U.S.[16][17]
In 2004, at the North American International Auto Show
in Detroit, Ford unveiled a concept for a modernized AC
Cobra. The Ford Shelby Cobra Concept was a continuation of Ford’s effort to bring back the retro sports cars
that had been successful in the 1960s, including the Ford
GT40 and the fifth generation Ford Mustang.
8
Super Snake
9 See also
• Bill Thomas Cheetah, the 1963-started, Chevrolet
Corvette-based private-venture challenger to the
Cobra
• The Snake and the Stallion
10 References
10.1 Notes
[1] 1963 Shelby AC Cobra sales brochure, http://blog.
quartoknows.com Retrieved on 15 October 2015
Competition 427, (CSX3009) “Ollie the Dragon”
AC produced only 23 AC Cobra 427 competition roadsters. In 1966, one was selected and converted into a special model called the 427 (CSX3015) “Cobra to End All
Cobras.” The first one of these was originally part of a European promotional tour before its conversion. This conversion called for making the original racing model street
legal with mufflers, a windshield and bumpers amongst
other modifications. But some things were not modified,
including the racing rear end, brakes and headers. The
[2] “1962 AC Cobra 260 car technical specifications from
Carfolio.com – 2 door 4.2 litre (4265 cc) V8 263.6 PS,
4 speed manual”. Carfolio.com. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
[3] “1963 AC Cobra 289 car technical specifications from
Carfolio.com – 2 door 4.7 litre (4727 cc) V8 274.8 PS,
4 speed manual”. Carfolio.com. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
[4] “1968 Shelby Cobra 427 car technical specifications from
Carfolio.com – 2-door 7-litre (7010 cc) V8 359.9 PS,
6
11
4-speed manual”. Carfolio.com. Retrieved 2 February
2011.
[5] Friedman, Dave (1994). “1”. Shelby Cobra: the Shelby
American color archives. MBI Publishing. ISBN 978-087938-757-0.
[6] Bornhop, Andrew (May 2012). “Celebrating 50 Years of
Shelby”. Road & Track 63 (9): 52–61.
[7] “1966 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C”. Supercars.net. Retrieved
1 February 2011.
[8] “1966 AC Cobra 427 S/C”. Supercars.net. Retrieved 1
February 2011.
[9] Comer, Colin (July 2012). “1963 Shelby Cobra Dragonsnake”. Sports Car Market 24 (7): 64–65.
[10] “185mph on the British motorway in 1963 – the real story
from Jack Sears”. classicdriver.com. Retrieved 4 January
2008.
[11] Büschi, Hans U., ed. (1991). Automobil Revue 1991 (in
German and French) 86. Berne, Switzerland: Hallwag. p.
151. ISBN 978-3-444-00514-5.
[12] “Winning The Battle Against Vehicle Insurance Fraud:
Glossary of Vehicle Insurance Fraud Terms” (PDF).
preinsuranceinspection.com. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
[13] Dean, Paul (15 April 1993). “Car Trouble? : Autos:
Questions have been raised over Carroll Shelby’s claim
he’s building 43 of his classic Cobras using original chassis. Shelby says he’s the victim of a business feud. April
15, 1993 PAUL DEAN TIMES STAFF WRITER”. latimes.com. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
[14] “Barrett-Jackson Lot: 1301–1966 Shelby Cobra 427 “Super Snake"". barrett-jackson.com. Retrieved 1 May
2011.
[15] “Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Show and Auction – 1966
Shelby Cobra 427 Supersnake”. about.com.
[16] “Carroll Shelby’s Super Snake Sells For Record $5 Million
Dollars”. mustangblog.com.
[17] “Car goes for £2.8million”. thesun.co.uk (London). 10
May 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2008.
10.2
Bibliography
• Holmes, Mark (2007). Ultimate Convertibles: Roofless Beauty. London: Kandour. pp. 148–153. ISBN
978-1-905741-62-5.
11
External links
• AC Cobra at DMOZ
• AC Cobra at the Internet Movie Cars Database
• Shelby Automobiles Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada
EXTERNAL LINKS
• thecobraferrariwars.com
• AC Cars website
• AC Heritage website
• AC Cobra 427 (1969) Exterior and Interior in 3D
4K UHD
7
12
12.1
Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
Text
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Kocjancic, Sucatraps, Spinal83, Mwanner, Longhair, Jearle, Nsaa, Pauli133, Woohookitty, TomTheHand, Qaddosh, FF7terra, Al E.,
Macaddct1984, Jagvar, Rjwilmsi, Quiddity, Vegaswikian, Bubba73, FlaBot, ApolloBoy, Arathon, YurikBot, Jimp, RussBot, Conscious,
Zlatko, Jbattersby, Willirennen, Rurik, Fram, Picaman, Entheta, SmackBot, Nasty, The Helper S, Betacommand, Chris the speller, The359,
Stephen Hui, Jacob Poon, OrphanBot, RedHillian, BostonMA, EVula, Lokisgodhi, The PIPE, Captainbeefart, SamBlob, John, Euchiasmus, Mugsywwiii, Regan123, Huchimama, Rock4arolla, BMan1113VR, CJ DUB, CrashRiley, BSI, Rellum, R337, Pegasus1138, Igoldste,
Tawkerbot2, Vanisaac, CmdrObot, WHlanteigne, Mcginnly, Jsmaye, Pyrope, AmadeoV, Arrataz, Scottmandrake, Cydebot, Atomaton,
Capmaster, Daniel J. Leivick, Trident13, JoshHolloway, Centuriono, Thijs!bot, Jmg38, AndrewDressel, Jelliott4, James086, LG4761,
Dawkeye, L. Evans, Nick Number, Natalie Erin, AntiVandalBot, DougW, Bull-Doser, CZmarlin, Pedantic79, OSX, Hamsterlopithecus, Bzuk, Thecamperman, Geniac, Magioladitis, Janadore, Ling.Nut, Sivart345, KConWiki, EmmanuelD, Chovee, Mikelshoen, R'n'B,
J.delanoy, Lchrzan, 72Dino, Jeepday, Roadsters, Plasticup, Syr74, Aweiser, Thomas.W, FergusM1970, Barneca, Philip Trueman, Vanadium101, Jstefano, Raymondwinn, STL30, Heat fan1, GTHO, Sarc37, Typ932, Nibios, AlleborgoBot, SieBot, MuzikJunky, Matthew
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and peas, Eric Corbett, Bill8001, Cossie55, Gotech8, Richard Nosehard, CraigyDavi, Geofry101, Jackieboy2716 and Anonymous: 284
12.2
Images
• File:1965_Willment_Cobra.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/1965_Willment_Cobra.jpg License:
CC BY 2.0 Contributors: originally posted to Flickr as 1965 Willment Cobra Original artist: Brian Snelson
• File:AC_Cobra_-_50th_Annyversary_Cobra_Limited_Edition_CSX8000_(02).jpg
Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/
wikipedia/commons/c/cc/AC_Cobra_-_50th_Annyversary_Cobra_Limited_Edition_CSX8000_%2802%29.jpg License:
GFDL
1.2 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Steindy (<a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Steindy' title='User
talk:Steindy'>talk</a>) 21:19, 29 September 2014 (UTC)
• File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
• File:Dragonsnake.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Dragonsnake.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: 72Dino
• File:Shelby_AC_Cobra_427,_Ollie_the_Dragon.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Shelby_AC_
Cobra_427%2C_Ollie_the_Dragon.JPG License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work (Original text: I created this work entirely by
myself.) Original artist: User:Jaydec
• File:Shelby_Daytona,_1964.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Shelby_Daytona%2C_1964.JPG License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Roland Rattfink using
CommonsHelper.
Original artist: User:Jaydec. Original uploader was Jaydec at en.wikipedia
12.3
Content license
• Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
