Estimate: €17,000 - €25,000
Registration Number: EU Registered
Chassis Number: CN73ER22754
For many people the AC Cobra will always be the car which symbolises the 1960s. The Cobra’s ancestry went back to 1954, with the advent of the AC Ace. First powered by AC’s 6 cylinder, 1991cc engine, AC soon introduced the Bristol 2 litre engine, with a healthy 125bhp and a top speed of 115mph. The AC Ace Bristol made an excellent road sports car as well as a successful club racer. By 1961 the supply of Bristol engines had ceased and AC adopted the Ford 2.6 litre, 6 cylinder engine. Despite this engine’s Raymond Mays’ improved cylinder head and induction system, which claimed to produce 170bhp, the extra weight cancelled out any real improvement in performance.
It was at this time that Carroll Hall Shelby, notable Texan race driver, race car constructor and winner of the 1950 Le Mans 24 Hours, approached AC with his suggestion for a new engine and chassis combination. Shelby was familiar with the