Great story I agree that sometimes driving the real thing can be a little bit of a let down. I have a MKII (tribute) and a 427 MKIII and also lucky enough to have original MKIV. All give the exact experience of the 60’s but are in essence newer. Sounds are way better than anything else for sure. Have air cooled Porsche too but as cool as they are AC cars hard time best for smells, feel, power and open air experience. Awesome!
Of course it can. All depends on how much you want to spend. Carroll didn't have millions of dollars and an assembly line. He talked Ford out of some engines, talked AC Cars company out of some frames and bodies and added stuff. Technology has improved immensely in the last few decades. But It's just money.
AC actually did all the V8 installation and development for Shelby in the UK. AC had already considered a V8 as an alternative when the Bristol 2 Litre production ceased (but went with the lighter Ford Zephyr 2.6L instead). Production Cobras were shipped from the UK without engines, which is where Shelby's claim of '..fitting V8 engines to AC..' came from, but in reality AC did all the work using a couple of 260 units shipped to the UK. Carol was a great marketing man though and his story telling is legendary.
@@jameseastwood4984 All true - but to be fair it was Shelby American who developed the starting point that AC provided to turn the Cobra into a reliable race winner.
Shelby kept the 2 tubes for the frame and most of the body on the MKII's. Redesigned the grille. Replaced everything else. On the MKIV's he also redesigned the body as well as all the chassis components and suspension and brakes. This car reviewed here has the AC front end and frankly its no where near as attractive as the Cobra slabside front grille.
@@gmonsen Its attractiveness is strictly a subjective matter. Since 1963 I've been enthralled with what is nowadays called the "slabside" (we never referred to them that way back then), just a beautiful muscular but elegant shape. But I also love and admire the AC Ace/Bristol body style - so clean without the flared wheel wells and the original front end. It really takes you back to that era of masculine but refined British sportscardom, ready to pounce with feeling of powerful lightness. I love them both.
@@gmonsen Not so. All the original work to re-engineer the Ace to take the V8 was done by AC, including chassis upgrades and the sharper front end, which was originally introduced on the Ford powered Ace 2.6. The original Cobra, CSX2000, was built entirely by AC in England, and after a small amount of testing had the engine and gearbox removed before being shipped to the US. Subsequent Cobras were also built as rolling shells by AC and shipped to US to be completed by Shelby American. The oft made claim that Shelby fitted the V8 and turned an Ace into a Cobra is nonsense. It was however Shelby American who developed the Cobra due to their racing programme and turned it into a race winner. And yes, the chassis for the MkIII 427 Cobra was redesigned using Ford's computer.
Great story
I agree that sometimes driving the real thing can be a little bit of a let down.
I have a MKII (tribute) and a 427 MKIII and also lucky enough to have original MKIV.
All give the exact experience of the 60’s but are in essence newer.
Sounds are way better than anything else for sure. Have air cooled Porsche too but as cool as they are AC cars hard time best for smells, feel, power and open air experience.
Awesome!
That is a great story. I completely get; I might have been tempted my Webers 😎
Depends on what you want, cars have come a long ways since then
Of course it can. All depends on how much you want to spend. Carroll didn't have millions of dollars and an assembly line. He talked Ford out of some engines, talked AC Cars company out of some frames and bodies and added stuff. Technology has improved immensely in the last few decades. But It's just money.
AC actually did all the V8 installation and development for Shelby in the UK. AC had already considered a V8 as an alternative when the Bristol 2 Litre production ceased (but went with the lighter Ford Zephyr 2.6L instead). Production Cobras were shipped from the UK without engines, which is where Shelby's claim of '..fitting V8 engines to AC..' came from, but in reality AC did all the work using a couple of 260 units shipped to the UK. Carol was a great marketing man though and his story telling is legendary.
@@jameseastwood4984 All true - but to be fair it was Shelby American who developed the starting point that AC provided to turn the Cobra into a reliable race winner.
Very nice.
You talked the whole time ........... & we never once got to listen to the car
"American sportscar" Hmmmm. No mention of it being an English AC Ace with an American engine?
Shelby kept the 2 tubes for the frame and most of the body on the MKII's. Redesigned the grille. Replaced everything else. On the MKIV's he also redesigned the body as well as all the chassis components and suspension and brakes. This car reviewed here has the AC front end and frankly its no where near as attractive as the Cobra slabside front grille.
@@gmonsen Its attractiveness is strictly a subjective matter. Since 1963 I've been enthralled with what is nowadays called the "slabside" (we never referred to them that way back then), just a beautiful muscular but elegant shape. But I also love and admire the AC Ace/Bristol body style - so clean without the flared wheel wells and the original front end. It really takes you back to that era of masculine but refined British sportscardom, ready to pounce with feeling of powerful lightness. I love them both.
@@gmonsen Not so. All the original work to re-engineer the Ace to take the V8 was done by AC, including chassis upgrades and the sharper front end, which was originally introduced on the Ford powered Ace 2.6. The original Cobra, CSX2000, was built entirely by AC in England, and after a small amount of testing had the engine and gearbox removed before being shipped to the US. Subsequent Cobras were also built as rolling shells by AC and shipped to US to be completed by Shelby American.
The oft made claim that Shelby fitted the V8 and turned an Ace into a Cobra is nonsense. It was however Shelby American who developed the Cobra due to their racing programme and turned it into a race winner. And yes, the chassis for the MkIII 427 Cobra was redesigned using Ford's computer.
😍 👍