- 5,284
- Sick_Cylinder
29 of these beautiful convertibles were built by AC Cars of Thames Ditton - Englands oldest established car manufacturer between 1965 and 1973. The chassis was based on the one used in the AC / Shelby Cobra 427, but lengthened by 6 inches (152mm). Suspension was modified Cobra i.e. race derived coil springs all round which was a more advanced system than competitors from De Tomaso, Iso, Maserati etc.
The engine was the 428 cubic inch Ford V8 producing 345 bhp at 4,600rpm and 474 ft lbs torque at 2,800 rpm. Performance 152mph, 0-62mph 5.4 seconds with 4 speed manual or 136mph, with 0-62mph 5.7 seconds with 3 speed automatic.
I very much enjoy driving the open topped cars in GT6 and this would be a great car for the game.
Difficult though it is for us to believe now, the AC Cobra's and Shelby Cobra's were difficult cars to sell - people wanted slightly less performance (i.e. less frightening) and greater comfort, with the ability to munch miles and be a true grand tourer. This car almost fitted the bill perfectly - the only fly's in the ointment were problems with heat soak from the large engine into the cabin area (this was worse on the Coupe model and can be cured now with modern materials) and the models tremendous cost. The chassis were built in AC's factory in England then shipped to Frua in Italy for coachbuilding, then back to AC for fitment of the powertrain and trim. This contributed to a cost more than twice as high as an E Type Jaguar.
Above AC brochure - note the misprint - the engine is listed as 7,066cc. Wikipedia lists it as 7,014cc, but I believe it is actually 7,016cc.
Last edited:
