Cobra and Cobra Replicas, 1962 - 1989, Gold Portfolio
Original Cobras
AC Cobra - Let's get it straight
Press Cuttings
Press Release
Car and Driver, Road Research Report
SHELBY COBRA, an AC with a sting
Racing Cobras
COBRA WINS Le Championnat des Constructeurs
Cobra Replicas
Sporting Cars, Cobra Spirit (BRA 289)
The Cobra comes home (Aurora GRX)
AC Cobra
Let's get it straight
Let's get it straight: the Cobra was not an American car designed by Carroll Shelby; it was a British car designed by AC and fitted with an American engine. It did not
win the 1965 World Sports Car Championship, but one of three capacity classes (the original championship ended in 1961). Its most successful form was not the much-lauded
427 (7-litre) Mark III, but the Mark II with 289 (4.7-litre) engine.
When, in 1953, AC Cars of Thames Ditton took over the Tojeiro design with its twin-tube chassis and all-independent suspension by transverse leaf springs, the resultant AC Ace
two-seater was a great success and was thought very up-to-date, except for AC's six-cylinder engine (which dated back to 1919!). Fitted with Bristol's 2-litre six, however, it won
countless races on both sides of the Atlantic. With that engine soon to be discontinued, one of the alternatives was Ford's 2.6-litre Zephyr unit, which was more flexible and could be
tuned to give even more than the 150bhp of a full-race Bristol.
To make full use of it, AC beefed up the Ace chassis and revamped the body, but only 37 examples of this AC Ace 2.6 were built and they were never sold in the USA. This forgotten
model is the missing link in the Cobra story. When Shelby wrote to AC in September 1961 asking them to supply cars suitable for a Ford V8 engine, they took the Ace 2.6, fitted
appropriate engine mounts, a Salisbury diff with Jaguar inboard discs (not used on later cars), and flared the wings to clear offset AC Greyhound wheels. The following February,
Shelby received the complete car in ample time for it to be fitted with an engine and painted bright yellow for the New York Auto Show in April 1962.
Ford Fairlane 260 (4.3-litre) engines went into the first 75 Cobras that AC shipped out, and the 289 engine in the remaining 51 Mark I Cobras. Later in 1962 Alan Turner of AC
redesigned the front suspension for rack-and-pinion steering, and this Mark II version was built for the USA from early 1963 to the end of 1964, overlapping the first Mark III cars.
Ford of America initiated the design of the Mark III, a heavier car with enlarged chassis frame, coil springs, and a more aggressive-looking body, well flared for wide-rim Halibrand
wheels. The Mark III was meant for the powerful (390 to 425bhp) 427 engine, but many were fitted with the much softer (345bhp) 428. This was also installed in the longer-chassis car
that AC built with Frua bodywork as the 'AC 428'. AC had also sold some Mark II Cobras in Europe during 1965, following up with Mark III models fitted with the 289 engine - but
these had to be called 'AC 289' because Shelby had already sold the Cobra name to Ford for use on the Mustang.
The best-handling Cobras were the superb-looking Mark IIs with Daytona coupe bodies by Pete Brock of California, raced in 1964-5 in a successful attack on the GT Division III title
masterminded by Alan Mann. On these, the 'body frame' was actually designed to stiffen the willowy chassis. A similar coupe was built in England for Willment Racing. Yet another
was the different and very beautiful AC coupe designed by Alan Turner for the 1964 Le Mans 24-hour race.
Excluding the Frua-bodied 428, total Cobra build was under 1000 cars: 126 Mark I, probably 528 Mark II and 344 Mark III.
| Engine: |
Ford V8 ohv |
| Capacity: |
4736 cc |
| Max power: |
271 bhp at 6000 rpm |
| Max torque: |
312 lb ft at 3400 rpm |
| Transmission: |
Four-speed manual |
| Suspension: |
Independent front and rear transverse leaf springs, lower wishbones, anti-roll bars |
| Brakes: |
Discs front and rear |
| Weight: |
2315 lb |
| Max speed: |
138 mph |
| 0-60 mph: |
5.5 sec |
Return to Index
Press Cuttings
New Models - A.C. Cobra
Power from Ford V-8 4261 cc. engine
Cobras can be easily identified by the swaged lips to the wheel arches. Girling disc brakes are fitted all round
FOR export to America only, the new A.C. Cobra will bring strong pangs of jealousy to many British sports car enthusiasts. Truly exhilarating performance has been obtained by
installing a Ford vee-8 engine, developing 260 b.h.p., in a much modified A.C. Ace chassis. A top speed of 153 m.p.h. has been obtained, allied to a 0 to 100 acceleration time of
only 10.8sec. The standing quarter-mile has been timed at 13.8sec, the speed then being 112 m.p.h. From 0-50 m.p.h. takes 3.3sec.
Externally the only bodywork changes are swaged lips around the wheel arches to accommodate larger section tyres and a repositioned petrol filler in the centre of the tonneau panel.
Otherwise the styling follows the lines of the Ace 2.6.
Anatomically the chassis has been strengthened fundamentally, with thicker gauge tubes, an extra cross-member and additional fillets. The petrol tank has been moved to directly
above the rear axle, which has a Salisbury limited-slip differential with the casing mounted in rubber bushes.
Girling disc brakes are fitted to all wheels, which are now 72-spoke 15in. centre-lock type. With a swept area of 580sq.in. for the brakes, the stopping powers of the car should be
the equal of the phenomenal acceleration available.
Ford vee-8 engines of 4,261 c.c. are normally installed in the cars after shipping to the U.S.A. where two depots have been set up.
The transmission tunnel has been widened to accommodate the larger Ford gearbox which has this handy remote control.
THE MOTOR - August 29 1962
175 m.p.h. from A.C. Cobra
Carroll Shelby, man behind the A.C. Cobra project
A NEW sports roadster intended to compete in touring and road racing in 'A' production class competition was unveiled this month by the Ford Motor Co. Called the Shelby Cobra and
based on the A.C. Ace it was designed by Carroll Shelby, Pacific coast driver, uses a Ford 260-cu.-in. V-8 engine, and is built by the A.C. Car Co., Thames Ditton, Surrey.
The Cobra, which was designed both as a sports car and for fast touring, weighs 2.100 lb. and is said to be capable of an estimated 175 m.p.h. in its most highly tuned form, and
0-100 m.p.h. in 10.8 sec.
Its equipment includes 12-in. Girling disc brakes on all four wheels, independent four-wheel suspension, four-speed all-synchromesh close-ratio Ford gearbox, individual bucket
seats, wire wheels with 6.40-15 front and 6.70-15 rear tyres, full instrumentation including tachometer, adjustable steering wheel, a choice of gear ratios, and a wide selection
of optional equipment. Suggested list price is $5,995.
The 4 1/4-litre lightweight Ford Challenger V-8 powerplant has been modified slightly to improve performance, with compression ratio lifted to 10:1. Final drive ratio is
normally 3.54 to 1, but there is a choice from 2.72 to 4.56. As it stands, the brake horsepower is 260 at 5,800 r.p.m., but other modifications including multiple carburation,
special camshaft and high compression can lift this to 335 b.h.p. The engine is claimed to weigh less than the 2-litre, 121-cu.-in. Bristol which has been used in other A.C. cars,
although it is not easy to reconcile this claim with a weight increase of 250 lb. and a front/rear weight distribution which has changed from the 49/51 of the Bristol Ace to 50/50
for the A.C. Cobra.
Return to Index
Carroll Shelby
l0820 South Norwalk Blvd.
Santa Fe Springs, California
OXbow 8-9733
General Story
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOS ANGELES, Apr. 10 -- A new, 150-m.p.h. sports roadster -- the Shelby AC Cobra -- designed for fast touring and world-wide road racing competition was shown for the first time
in Los Angeles today.
Designer of the Cobra is Carroll Shelby, former national sports car driving champion and winner of the famous Le Mans 24-hour race in 1959.
The bright yellow Cobra prototype will be sent to New York this week to be exhibited at the International Automobile Show which starts April 21.
Powered by Ford Motor Company's recently announced 260-cubic-inch V-8 engine, the Shelby AC Cobra is a unique and effective combination of a modern American production powerplant
and a renowned English sports car body and chassis. The handformed, all-aluminum roadster body is made by the AC Car Company, one of England's oldest coach building firms.
Shelby says the Cobra is intended as a dual purpose sports car, for fast touring as well as road course competition. Although only limited production is contemplated, additional
units are now being built.
The chassis, running gear, body, upholstery, appointments and trim to the finish color coat of paint are completed by the AC Car Company in Thames Ditton, Surrey, England. The
Ford engines will be installed when the cars reach Los Angeles, and Shelby will test drive each Cobra before delivery.
Features of the 2,100-pound Cobra include 12-inch Girling disc brakes on all four wheels, independent four wheel suspension, four-speed Ford transmission, fully synchronized with
close ratio gears, individual bucket seats with genuine leather upholstery, all weather top, wire wheels, optional radio and heater, full instrumentation including tachometer,
adjustable steering wheel, a choice of gear ratios and a selection of optional equipment.
The car has a suggested list price of $5,995.
The basic powerplant, the Ford 260-cubic-inch V-8 offered as an optional engine in the 1962 Fairlane and Fairlane 500, has been modified slightly with solid valve lifters, larger
valves and other components that alter the compression ratio for higher performance. With a 3.54 to 1 final drive ratio, the top speed of the car is rated at 150 m.p.h. Other
engine modifications -- multiple carburetion, special camshaft and higher compression -- increase the output to 335 bhp. for competition in 'A' Production class.
'The Cobra is designed as a threat to the cars that now dominate the world's sports car races,' Shelby said. 'I believe this is the right type of sports car for the American driver
who wants performance with no sacrifice in normal driving reliability. The Cobra is made to be driven on the street and enjoyed, but it also will be highly competitive in all types
of events, including Le Mans and other demanding races.'
'I knew the reputation of the AC sports cars for their handling and clean design. When Ford Motor Company announced its new lightweight V-8s this year, I knew the powerplant I
needed was available.'
The new V-8 engine achieves its light weight with a thin-wall casting technique which Ford pioneered in the auto industry. The engine weighs less than the two litre (121-cubic-inch)
Bristol which was used in previous AC cars, but the Ford V-8 develops almost twice as much horsepower. It has a bore and stroke of 3.8 in. by 2.875 in. and a compression ratio of 10
to 1.
A single four-barrel carburetor tops the basic engine (for Class 'B' production sports car racing), but engine options up to 335 bhp. will be offered. Optional equipment includes
racing camshaft, higher compression ratio, Weber carburetors and supercharger.
The Ford four-speed transmission has close ratio gears, floor shift and a short, positive throw, reverse inhibitor.
Shelby designed the body with a streamlined nose and flared wheel cutouts. The aluminum body is hand crafted and finished with 12 coats of acrylic lacquer. Coachwork and trim are of
the same high quality which characterised the AC Bristol and Aceca cars. A folding soft top and side curtains, with movable lucite panel, provide all-weather protection.
Although the chassis has been redesigned to accept the greater power output of the 260-cubic-inch Ford V-8, the car has the same large-tube
frame and independent suspension that gave other AC cars a notable reputation
for handling. The rear end features a husky Salisbury center section and
heavy axle halves. Dual master brake cylinders and 12-inch Girling disc
brakes on all four wheels provide ample stopping ability.
The Shelby AC Cobra will be distributed by Carroll Shelby Enterprises, 10820 South Norwalk Blvd., Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
Cobra Performance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tests of the Shelby AC Cobra prototype, equipped with the modified 260-cubic-inch Ford V-8, single 4V carburetor, and a 3.54 to 1 axle ratio, produced the following results:
| 0 to 30 m.p.h. |
1.8 secs. |
| 0 to 40 m.p.h. |
2.5 secs. |
| 0 to 50 m.p.h. |
3.3 secs. |
| 0 to 60 m.p.h. |
4.2 secs. |
| 0 to 70 m.p.h. |
5.4 secs. |
| 0 to 80 m.p.h. |
6.8 secs. |
| 0 to 100 m.p.h. |
10.5 secs. |
| 1/4 mile from standing start |
13.8 secs. |
| Speed at end of 1/4 mile |
112 m.p.h. |
| Estimated top speed |
153 m.p.h. |
04-09-1962
Return to Index
CAR and DRIVER, ROAD RESEARCH REPORT
AC Cobra
The AC chassis gets a 4261-cc dose of just exactly what it's always needed
Very simply stated, the AC Cobra attained higher performance figures than any other production automobile we have tested. And it did it with the 'street' engine.
When Carroll Shelby builds a hot-rod, he doesn't settle for any old chassis. In this case he has chosen one that has figured largely in hybrid projects for some time, and with
great success. Coupling the stout AC chassis and lightweight AC body with a souped-up Ford engine, Shelby has come up with an extremely track-worthy sports car of very high
performance indeed.
AC introduced the Tojeiro design as the AC Ace in 1954, powered by the ancient long-stroke six-cylinder overhead-valve two-liter. In 1956 AC made a deal with Bristol to use the
famous BMW-derived Bristol power plant, and the AC-Bristol became a respected competitor in sports-car racing. The next engine option was the 2.6-liter Ford Zephyr engine,
introduced in 1961, and now we have the Cobra.
As a fourth-generation hybrid, the car must be considered in light of its true purpose - SCCA class warfare. For such usage, it is accurately aimed, and viewed in that light
the secondary considerations such as street use must necessarily come off second best.
Traffic, for instance, presents some uncomfortable problems. With the Cobra's very powerful engine developing maximum torque at 4,800 rpm, its high gearing, and its fierce
clutch, every stop and start presents an interesting challenge in turning noise into motion. Its poor steering lock makes parking and maneuvering highly complicated. And
finally, the battery does not get enough input current to cope with low-rpm running under normal conditions, let alone when using the heater, headlights, wipers, and the
inadequate electrical fan mounted in front of the tilted radiator.
Tasca Ford of Providence, Rhode Island, which supplied the test car, suggested a smaller generator pulley to cure the constant discharge problem. A better solution might be the
alternator, since it is already optional for the 260-cubic-inch Ford V-8 that is used in both Fairlanes and Galaxies.
If the car presents problems in traffic, one would assume that they would be dissolved by the open road - the opener and the more like a race course the better. In fact, the
effortless sort of cruising that the car's performance would seem to promise is considerably handicapped by the encroachment on passenger space that the big V-8 makes. The
engine is set back in the chassis enough so that the driver's accelerator foot gets cramped after a while in the only possible position (with the right leg bent inwards, toward
the other, at the knee). Some relief is afforded by the long pedal travel of the throttle control, but it only comes with variations in speed.
On the credit side, in regard to the driver's creature comforts, is an interesting refinement in the clutch and brake pedals. These are hinged below floor level, and also at the
pedal faces. As a result, the pedal faces maintain a constant total contact with the sole of the driver's shoe regardless of the depression angle. The pedals are set closely
enough together to allow room for the left foot beside the clutch.
Classic simplicity is the term that first comes to mind for describing the AC chassis (designed by John Tojeiro for his own sports-racing car in 1952 and subsequently taken over
by AC). The frame consists of two large-diameter steel tubes with heavy cross-members front, center, and rear. Narrow-diameter tubes are used to support the all-aluminium body.
All wheels are independently suspended by means of lower wishbones and upper transverse leaf springs. The result is a chassis that has given away nothing, as far as handling
goes, in production-class racing since its introduction.
John Tojeiro also designed the body, a sleek shape reminiscent of the Ferrari 166 Mille Miglia.
Design work on Ford's Challenger V-8 engine began in 1958 under the leadership of Robert F. Stirrat. Weight reduction became a main objective during this period, and Ford aimed
at producing a cast-iron engine that could compare in weight with an aluminum power unit of similar displacement. The decision to use cast iron was based on such advantages as
the graphite content in its matrix, which serves as a lubricant in itself and also attracts and holds minute particles of engine lubricant, thus further reducing engine wear.
Cast iron also has excellent sound-damping qualities, and tends to damp vibrations. Thermal expansion characteristics are nearly ideal, assuring proper clearances at all
operating temperatures.
With four Weber carburetors (optional) and full race tuning the Ford Challenger 260-cubic-inch V8 will develop 335 bhp.
Aided by Ford Foundry's latest techniques in thin-wall casting, with extensive use of resin-bonded cores, Stirrat came up with an engine that weighed only 450 pounds complete.
Its dimensions are very compact - 8.93 inches high, 16.36 inches wide, and 20.84 inches long. A study of the short and stiff five-bearing crankshaft indicated that about 70% of
the total unbalanced couple could be balanced by means of normal crankshaft counterweights. Two external counterweights provide the other 30%, one mounted in front of the timing
sprocket and the other as an element of the flywheel. No vibration damper was needed. Crankshaft stiffness is such that the fourth harmonic occurs beyond the normal engine
operating range.
Precision-cast alloy iron crankshaft of V-8 engine is counterbalanced at ends.
Shelby modifications include higher compression, a hotter camshaft and a four-barrel carburetor (Ford or Holley). As a power option, four Weber carburetors will be available,
and in racing tune the engine puts out 355 bhp.
The cars are shipped complete, except for engine and transmission, from AC, and engines and transmissions are shipped from Ford to its dealers whom Shelby has authorized to carry
out the installation. Our test car had the lesser state of tune (and had not been test-driven by Carroll Shelby). Even with the mild engine, the torque characteristics were
incompatible with most street driving, with a flat spot below 2,000 rpm and a really devastating noise at maximum torque. We suspect that the valve clearances were off on the test
car, not only because of the terrific clatter but also because the engine seemed to peak out before the 7,000-7,200 rpm that Shelby claims to get with ease.
During our acceleration tests, upshifts were made below 6,000 rpm, as no improvement could be seen by staying longer in the lower gears. The gearbox was not fully run in on the
test car, and its movements were inclined to be stiff. The short lever and its precise gate should be just perfect, though, after another 5,000 miles or so.
As has every other American high-performance car of recent times, Ford uses a Warner all-synchromesh transmission. The gear ratios are very well chosen, and close enough for
racing, but it is a question whether a five-speed unit would not give better results. With the 3.5-to-one final drive, a starting gear is needed, and with a higher ratio, the car
would be undergeared for many circuits. Perhaps next year will see further experiments in this direction.
Warner four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox has ratios close enough for racing.
Placed in a chassis with less of a racing tradition, the power of the V-8 Ford would have been an embarrassment rather than an advantage. The center of gravity is located slightly
towards the rear, and the rear wheels have a negative camber of about 3" in their neutral position, with just a trace of toe-in. This setup is obviously made to reduce or
annihilate oversteer - but it is still the tail that begins to swing wide when the limit is approached. Correction of such slippage is easy enough, with judicious use of power.
The existence of an actual limit of adhesion on a dry smooth surface seems to be a purely hypothetical question with the wide-section flat-profile Goodyear Blue Streak tires.
Michelin X tires have always been an inherent part of the AC Ace design and if the Blue Streaks fitted to the Cobra are superior on a dry track, they certainly are not in the wet,
on ice and snow, or on a rough or irregular surface.
Among the many advantages of independent rear suspension, the one that stands out on the Cobra is the unloading of the rear drive shafts and the resultant lack of wheelspin, in
spite of the lack of a limited-slip differential.
As for comfort, the independent rear suspension makes absolutely no contribution, since the springing is so stiff and wheel travel so restricted. The whole car feels like so much
unsprung weight at low speeds, and it does not begin to soften up until about 50 mph. At racing speeds it is highly satisfactory, each wheel staying on the ground and no more than
one deflection per bump being permitted by the hard springs and the efficient shock absorbers.
This ride gives the driver great confidence and helps improve his feel of the forces acting on the car, with the result that after a few hours at the wheel at high speeds he begins
to feel like an integral part of the machine. Few modern sports cars can really give this impression - but then the AC Cobra is not so much a modern sports car as a traditional
sports car brought up to the minute.
And this feeling is obtained more in spite of than because of the driving position. We were a little disappointed in the seats, which do not have enough backrest rake (and only
fore-and-aft adjustment of the whole seat). The upright seating position is all right on a twisty circuit with plenty of arm- and footwork, but far from ideal on a fast course with
sweeping top-gear bends. Since the steering is quite heavy at low speeds, turning the wheel is easier when it is located at less than arm's length. At speed, however, the steering
becomes lighter, and as wheel movements are ultra-small, with 1 2/3 turns lock to lock, most drivers would certainly prefer a more reclining position with almost straight arms.
Road shocks are felt in the wheel, but with such direct and ultra-sensitive steering, wheel movements are kept small and bumps could never alter the course of the car to any extent.
Road feel is excellent, and corrections can be made almost before they become necessary.
Directional stability at speed is unusually good, regardless of crosswinds and road surfaces. The car can be controlled with a fingertip on a good road, and gentle curves call for
no extra force. Under racing conditions, a reduction of steering-wheel work can be achieved by throttle steering, but even on a normal road it pays to look ahead, and with
intelligent driving, it is possible to reduce the physical effort considerably.
Caution when using the brakes on a slippery surface is imperative. The 12-inch discs have no power booster, but so little pedal effort is required that under extreme conditions
most drivers are likely to apply too much force on the pedal rather than not enough. The ultimate stopping power on a dry surface is limited by locking of the rear wheels. The
handbrake is well placed and comfortable in use, but it is not of the fly-off type as on Ace-Bristols.
Inboard disc brakes were used on the prototype, but when the production models were coming off the line they were outboard.
Without going the whole hog, HRG-fashion, the AC Cobra has a well-equipped instrument panel, with gauges to tell you the temperature of the oil as well as the water, large dials
for MPH and RPM, and an oil pressure gauge - but why the clock? It is obscured by the driver's right fist most of the time, and when a clock is needed, it would hardly be
considered reliable enough anyhow.
There is a roomy (relatively) glove box, but we were surprised to find there's no map-reading light.
English soft tops usually sacrifice a lot on the altar of lightness, and that of the AC Cobra is no exception. It is not flimsy, and the fastening is clever, but there is continual
buffeting, rattles from the side windows, drafts and leaks everywhere. In addition to the side clips at the windshield edges, there is a slide at the center of the top of the
windshield frame, with nailheads on the top securely fastened. The frame for the top is removable and may be stored separately in the trunk.
Soft top allows plenty of headroom but somewhat spoils the beautifully clean lines of the car in its open roadster form.
Every time we test a genuine 150 mph road car, the question crops up whether there is really adequate justification for their existence. In every case we have been convinced that
there is. For people who enjoy traveling fast, the tremendous importance as a safety factor of a generous power reserve at all times cannot be overestimated. High-speed highway
merges become routine and overtaking distances become amazingly short, so if not abused, the 150 mph sports car can be the safest yet simultaneously the fastest (it goes without
saying) car on the road.
Strictly a two-seater, the Cobra has both a large fuel tank for covering long distances in the day and a trunk capacity of adequate size for weekend trips.
Good-sized doors swing open wide enough to give surprisingly easy entry and exit.
The AC Cobra is not as sophisticated or as well-integrated as the cars it is competing with both in price and in racing classification. It will be interesting to see if the
phenomenal performance bias will 'bring the car off' as a commercial success. Commercial or not, the haircurling level of performance the Cobra provides will certainly give the
ranks of big production-car racers pensive moments.
| Importer: |
Shelby American, Inc.,
1042 Princeton Drive
Venice, California |
| Number of U.S. dealers: |
16 |
| Planned annual production: |
1,000 |
| Value of spare parts in U.S.: |
Not available due to origin of components. |
| PRICES: |
| Price as tested |
$5,995 |
| OPERATING SCHEDULE: |
| Fuel recommended |
Premium |
| Mileage |
12-18 mpg |
| Range on 19-gallon tank |
230-340 miles |
| Oil recommended |
SAE 10W-30 HD |
| Crankcase capacity |
5 quarts |
| Change at intervals of |
5,000 miles |
| Number of grease fittings |
8 |
| Lubrication interval |
1,000 miles |
| Most frequent maintenance |
Grease steering-swivel pins every 200 miles for the first 2,000 miles. |
| ENGINE: |
| Displacement |
260 cu in, 4,261 cc |
| Dimensions |
8 cyl, 3.80-in bore, 2.875-in stroke |
| Valve gear |
Pushrod-operated overhead valves |
| Compression ratio |
10.0 to one |
| Power (SAE) |
260 bhp @ 5,800 rpm |
| Torque |
269 lb-ft @ 4,800 rpm |
| Usable range of engine speeds |
2,000-7,000 rpm |
| Carburetion |
Single four-barrel Holley carburetor |
| CHASSIS: |
| Wheelbase |
90 in |
| Tread |
F 51 in, R 52 in |
| Length |
154 in |
| Ground clearance |
7.0 in |
| Suspension |
F: Ind., lower wishbones and transverse leaf spring, anti-roll bar
R: Ind., lower wishbones and upper transverse leaf spring. |
| Steering |
worm and sector |
| Turns, lock to lock |
1 2/3 |
| Turning circle diameter between curbs |
40 1/2 ft |
| Tire size |
6.50 / 6.70 x 15 |
| Pressures recommended |
Normal F 26, R 28 psi
Racing F 42, R 42 psi |
| Brakes |
Girling 12-in discs front, 11-in rear, 512 sq in swept area |
| Curb Weight (full tank) |
2,120 lbs |
| Percentage on the driving wheels |
51.5 |
| DRIVE TRAIN: |
| Clutch |
Single dry plate |
| Gear |
Synchro |
Ratio |
Step |
Over-all |
Mph per 1000 rpm |
| Rev |
No |
2.42 |
----- |
8.54 |
-9.65 |
| 1st |
Yes |
2.36 |
33% |
8.36 |
9.9 |
| 2nd |
Yes |
1.78 |
26% |
6.30 |
13.1 |
| 3rd |
Yes |
1.41 |
41% |
4.99 |
16.6 |
| 4th |
Yes |
1.00 |
----- |
3.54 |
23.4 |
| Final drive ratio |
----- |
----- |
----- |
----- |
3.54 to one |
(1) Tachometer; (2) Turn-signal warning light; (3) Speedometer; (4) Water temperature gauge; (5) Oil temperature gauge; (6) Ammeter;
(7) Oil-pressure gauge; (8) Fuel gauge; (9) Ignition key and starter; (10) Clock; (11) Light switch; (12) Wiper switch; (13) Heater
switch; (14) Glove compartment; (15) Turn-signal switch; (16) Radiator fan switch
Spare wheel is housed below trunk floor, thus providing good luggage storage space.
Return to Index
SHELBY COBRA
an AC with a sting
A report from John Cristy
IT seems as though John Tojeiro's competition sports car, which has been marketed as the AC Ace since 1954, is due for an exciting new lease of life as the Shelby Cobra. For
several years, Carroll Shelby has nursed an ambition to market a car for production racing, which would break the monopoly of the Corvettes on the West Coast of America, and of
the Ferrari Berlinettas in the East. His Cobra - an AC Ace, suitably modified to take one of the new Ford 260 cubic inch (4,262 cc) lightweight V8 engines - is the result; and
judging by the initial trials of the prototype at Riverside it stands a good chance of succeeding.
Carroll, since retiring from grand prix racing, has been pursuing a variety of interests. He runs the Carroll Shelby Driving School for budding world champions, he is a
contributing editor for the monthly magazine Sports Car Graphic, and he has a very close liaison with Fords, who are collaborating with him on the Cobra project by
supplying a special series 260 engine, with a 'hotter' cam, solid tappets, larger ports and high-compression (9.2 to 1) pistons, giving 260 horsepower - one for each cubic
inch - and 269 pounds feet of torque.
FILLING THE GAP
The cessation of production of the Bristol engine has happened at a convenient time for Shelby, for AC's - faced with the prospect of having a car without an engine - have been
more than happy to oblige with a prototype installation of the first V8 - a 'hack' engine shipped over from the States.
A number of hybrid AC's, with large capacity American engines, have failed in the past, mainly due to the car's rear end, which was designed for about 130 pounds feet of torque
instead of upwards of 300 pounds feet. Shelby wanted no such trouble, and considerable changes have been made to prevent it.
Shelby spent several weeks in Britain, supervising the building of the prototype, and the original intention was that he should track-test the car before it was flown out to
California. But the job was delayed, so Carroll returned home while the first Cobra was completed, taken to MIRA for a preliminary test, then - still unpainted - flown straight
out to California for testing at Riverside.
Even with the 'hack' engine the performance was spectacular, and Carroll has offered to take the entire Ace production, without engines, but with suitably modified chassis,
which he will sell in the United States with a Ford XHP 260 motor for about 6,000 dollars, or the same price as the Bristol version!
Most of the changes in the car, aside from the much stiffer transverse-leaf suspension and provision for the V8 engine with its four-speed Borg Warner gearbox, are at the rear
end. This has been beefed up considerably, with heavier hubs and halfshafts. The lower A-frames have heavier tubing and have been fish-plated for extra fore-and-aft stiffness.
The long tailshaft of the transmission ends up only inches from the front of the fixed axle case, with the result that the propeller shaft is little more than a pair of
universal joints coupled by a 1O-inct length of heavy-wall tubing. The final drive incorporates a big Salisbury unit similar to that used in the 'E' type Jaguar. On the
prototype it carries a pair of inboard-mounted brakes, with the calipers in the trailing position. However, since Shelby does not want to bother with complaints about heat
and/or oil leakage on the discs, these will be moved outboard on the production versions.
One of the shortest propshafts in the business
I spent a day playing with the car and can safely say that it is one of the most impressive production sports cars I've ever driven. Its acceleration, even with the
much-maltreated and dynamometer-thrashed single carburettor engine, XHP 26O-1, can only be described as explosive and at least equal to that of the better running 'hot' Corvettes
and Berlinettas I've driven; yet it is docile enough for normal street use. At one point I entered a clear freeway in second gear, giving about three-quarter throttle, and by the
time I had moved across to the fast lane the tachometer was nudging 6,000 rpm and I was madly grabbing for third, looking out for the law, and pulling my right foot off the loud
pedal all at the same time!
Despite this explosive performance, there is no power-wasting wheelspin, unless the throttle is really brutalised, and no fish-tailing even under the most enthusiastic throttle
pounding. Handling is, as might be expected by those familiar with the Ace-Bristol, superb and rendered even more so by the Shelby modifications carried out by the AC people.
The rubbery tendency to lean excessively, and the slight snaking feel at speed that was exhibited by the Bristol version, are gone. While there is some leaning, it is unapparent
to the driver, and the steer characteristic is dead neutral for the most part, with a mild final oversteer. Unlike the Ace, however, one cannot punch the throttle in the middle of
a turn; wheelspin and a certain amount of false or induced understeer is the immediate effect of too exuberant and too early use of the throttle, particularly in a tight bend. If
driven properly through a bend at a steady rate of knots, the cornering speed is quite high, and when the car is lined up for the exit, a poke at the pedal sends the car straight
forward with neck-straining velocity. The use of a second gear is necessary only for the tightest turns, third being sufficient, at least with the 3.54 to 1 rear end, for almost
any accelerative need.
150 MPH ON TAP
As it stands, with the so-called 'standard' engine, similar to the one in the first car, the Cobra will pull between 6,500 and 7,000 rpm in top with the 3.54 to 1 axle, which
represents close to 150 mph. I didn't squeeze it that hard for several reasons, one being that the tachometer only went to 6,000, another being that one doesn't dare nudge the
law that hard, and a third being that it isn't a good idea to thrash a brand new prototype, especially on short acquaintance.
As a car goes, so should it stop, and with 12-inch disc brakes all round, giving 550 square inches of swept area, the Cobra stops very well indeed. With a car that weighs only
1,900 pounds ready to go, one might think the car is overbraked, but it isn't. The brakes are competition Dunlops, with a rock-hard pedal, and it is almost impossible to lock
things up tight. It can be done, but it takes work. A good solid poke at the brake pedal produces a condition just short of lock, which hauls the car down far faster and smoother
than one would think possible. With its light weight and extreme stopping power, the Cobra should be able to be literally buried into a corner before any drastic stopping action
need take place; a great advantage over heavier equipment.
In the production versions, an optional engine will be offered for those who wish to do all-out battle against the 327 cubic inch Corvettes and the latest Berlinettas. While the
car in standard configuration will be a Class B contender in the States against the 283 Corvettes, long-wheelbase GT Ferraris, Mercedes, Porsche Carreras and the like, the
optional one can only be classified in Class A, wherein the short Ferrari, the Corvette 327 and the 'E' type Jaguar hold sway.
Again, the 260-inch block is used, giving away many cubic inches to all but the Ferrari, but this one uses an optional cam, 11 to 1 compression, reinforced main bearing caps, and
a quartet of dual-throat horizontal 45 DCOE9 Weber carburettors on a cross-over ram-type manifold. Pending final dynamometer tests, I can give only the estimate rendered by
Shelby's technical crew: 330 horsepower and a rev range as high as 9,000 rpm, although it is likely that peak power will be delivered somewhere around 7,500; this, of course, can
be tailored by changing ram tubes on the carbs and by exhaust pipe lengths, it being planned to offer several optional exhaust systems.
As this is being written homologation proceedings are being carried out to give the car an FIA classification in the Grand Touring category in standard form, and Improved Grand
Touring category in optional form, while Shelby is making similar arrangements with the SCCA for the two models to be classified in B and A Production, respectively.
First deliveries of the cars, according to Shelby, will start this month on a basis of first come, first served.
Return to Index
COBRA WINS
Le Championnat des Constructeurs
Shelby-American brings the U.S. an international championship
by James T. Crow
AS TIME PASSES, it becomes too easy to forget just how much the U.S. road racing enthusiast and U.S. prestige in international racing owes to Carroll Shelby. Before Shelby undertook
the mating of the AC chassis with the medium size Ford V-8 engine (just for the history book, the first Cobra was delivered to the U.S. in February 1962), America didn't have a road
racing machine that was enjoying any more than local success. The Corvette was dominating amateur production category racing, of course, but it was falling with a great hollow thump
whenever it was matched against the best of international competition. At Sebring, for example, the antics of the Corvettes were positively embarrassing.
The Cobra changed all that. Almost from the very first race, the Cobra put the Corvette to the mat. And since then, Cobra has become a name respected throughout the racing world.
Cobras suffered their humiliations, as do all cars that are being seriously campaigned, but Shelby-American stayed at it and in their third year of existence have succeeded in
capturing the most highly prized crown to which any manufacturer of Grand Touring cars can aspire, the International Manufacturers' Championship.
Just to keep the record straight, what Shelby-American has won is Division III of the Championnat des Constructeurs, to give it the official title assigned by the Federation
Internationale de L'Automobile. There are two other divisions in the championship for smaller displacement cars, but almost no one except the manufacturers themselves (and their
captive owner clubs) pay any attention to them. The championship was formerly limited to sports cars but since the FIA de-emphasis of sports cars in 1961, the crown has been
assigned to Grand Touring cars conforming to the FIA's Appendix J. Ferrari dominated the championship when it went to sports cars (with occasional interruptions by British builders)
and continued to win after it went to GT cars in 1962.
THE FIRST RACE in which a Cobra participated came in October 1962, when Bill Krause drove number 0002 in a 3-hr preliminary race before the 1962 Times Grand Prix. The new car didn't
run very long, but it made a big impression as Krause overhauled the quickest of the Southern California Corvettes (driven by Dave MacDonald, who was later to become a Cobra star,
incidentally) and pulled away into an easy lead until sidelined with a broken rear hub. One of the first of the 1963 Sting Rays won that race, by the way, but it was almost the last
event of any importance in which the Corvette was able to score.
The next major effort came the following February at the Daytona Continental and this marked the real beginning of serious campaigning for the new car. The cars failed at Daytona,
then failed again at Sebring, both times after showing a turn of speed that made their mechanical failures all the more heartbreaking. But Shelby and his organization were going
after success in the only way that success is achieved by a competition car - racing.
Throughout the 1963 season, the Cobras were raced into shape. The cars broke, were stuck back together and raced again. And raced and raced and raced. By the time the season was
over the cars were almost monotonously dependable. They looked ratty, what with the dull paint and the crude metal work, but they were great crowd pleasers wherever they appeared
and their contribution toward making the Sports Car Club of America`s then-new U.S. Road Racing Championship series a success cannot be overestimated.
During that 1963 season there was no serious effort made toward winning the international manufacturers' championship. Shelby-American ran the cars at Daytona and Sebring
(unsuccessfully) and two roadsters with hardtops were entered at Le Mans through AC in England. One of these, driven by Bolton/Sanderson, finished seventh overall and was fourth in
the GT category behind three Ferrari GTOs.
THE ASSAULT on the international championship was undertaken seriously in 1964. The first step was to prepare a car that would offer the maximum opportunity to wrest the laurels
from Ferrari. A peculiarity in the FIA regulations permitted the construction of special bodies on the basic chassis and running gear of the already-approved model. It was therefore
decided that a coupe body would be built for the Cobra roadster, one that would be aerodynamically more efficient and thus better suited for the comparatively higher speeds attained
on the international circuits where the championship would be decided.
The coupe body was designed by a Shelby-American employee, Pete Brock. Brock's background includes Los Angeles Art Center school, work in the styling department at General Motors
and considerable racing experience in 1100-cc sports/racing cars. The design and construction of the coupe was an exercise in direct and practical body building. Pete worked directly
from the chassis and running gear components on which the body would have to fit, made up the wooden body buck and had the aluminum panels rolled to fit these contours at California
Metal Shapers. The panels were then fitted to the chassis and the first example completed in time for the Daytona Continental 1000-km race in February. After 200 laps of the 327-lap
race, the coupe was more than three laps ahead of its nearest challenger, only to be eliminated by an overheated rear end that led to a fire in the pits.
The message was clear, however, that Shelby-American had a winner in the Daytona coupe and this was demonstrated unmistakably the next month at Sebring. In the classic 12-hr race,
again driven by Bob Holbert and Dave MacDonald, the coupe led a 1-2-3 Cobra parade in the GT class and finished fourth overall behind three Ferrari prototypes and a full 40 miles
ahead of the first Ferrari GTO. It was after this race that Shelby said he believed that Shelby-American owed it to the sport to seriously attempt to wrest the manufacturers'
championship away from Ferrari.
The bright spot of the 1964 season, so far as the Cobra team was concerned in international racing, was the fourth overall at Le Mans scored by the Daytona coupe driven by Dan
Gurney and Bob Bondurant. This was the highest placing by a Grand Touring car at Le Mans and an achievement that had sometimes seemed impossibly far away.
The critical event in the 1964 international championship competition was the Tour de France rally which, because of another of the FIA's funny, funny regulations, counted as much
toward the championship as the Sebring 12-hr race. Four Cobras were entered in the rally, two coupes and two roadsters, but all four had mechanical troubles of one variety or another
and Ferrari clinched its fourth straight manufacturers' title. The final points totaled up to 84.6 for Ferrari and 78.3 for Cobra.
Also in 1964, Shelby-American gave its full support to the USRRC series and again won the manufacturers' division in the over-2-liter class.
FOR 1965, the handwriting was clearly on the wall for Ferrari. Everything seemed set against the Maranello firm from the beginning, even the rules. In past years, Ferrari had things
pretty much his own way with FIA and obtained homologation of models that met the regulations only through the most magical of loopholes. This year Ferrari couldn't obtain approval
of the models he wanted to have classified as GT machines and very possibly outsmarted himself, as this left the firm without an appropriate weapon with which to do battle with the
Cobras. The Ferrari GTO was out of production, the 250-LM wasn't homologated and the GTB in production form simply didn't have the beans to get the job done.
So the 1965 season opened with the Cobras in an almost unassailable position. The season opened at Daytona again and a coupe driven by Jo Schlesser and Hal Keek headed a 1-2-3 Cobra
sweep. Two years earlier, a pair of roadsters had suffered humiliating mechanical failures; last year the coupe had led only to fail two-thirds of the way home. So the victory this
year was extra sweet. And this was to establish the pattern for Cobra's season.
At the Sebring 12-hr race, Schlesser was teamed with Bob Bondurant and again Cobras swept to an almost unopposed victory. In the next race in the championship series, the coupes
carried the battle to Italy, where Bondurant teamed with another young American driver, Allan Grant, to win the 1000-km race at Monza. Sir John Whitmore followed that up with a first
in the Tourist Trophy at Oulton Park.
No Cobras were entered at the Targa Florio, but two weeks later Bondurant finished second in the GT class at Spa, Belgium, being led across the line by a Ferrari GTO driven by
Sutcliffe after suffering from an ignition fault that kept the Cobra on seven cylinders through most of the race. Bondurant then teamed with Jochen Neerpasch to win the GT class at
the Nuerburg Ring 1000-km race, one of the team's best victories during 1965, and followed that up with a victory at the Rossfeld Hillclimb. Then came Le Mans. If the Cobras had been
lucky anywhere else, they lost all touch with Dame Fortune in the 24-hr race. Of four coupes to start the race only one was still running at the finish. The battered and sick car
driven by Jack Sears and Dick Thompson limped into 11th overall, led to the finish by a Ferrari GTB that had been nowhere in sight when the full strength of the Cobras was in
evidence.
Two weeks after Le Mans, Cobras clinched the championship by winning the GT class at the Reims, France, 12-hr race. Unopposed by Ferrari GT cars, a coupe driven by Bob Bondurant and
Jo Schlesser finished fifth overall behind four Ferrari prototypes.
About the victory, Carroll Shelby said, 'I don't believe anything in my own racing career, even winning at Le Mans, has been more gratifying than winning this championship.'
THERE HAVE been a total of six of the Cobra Daytona coupes built, and all six are still in existence though they have been campaigned about as hard as it is possible to campaign a
racing car. They have proved themselves to be both fast and durable and were demonstrably superior to the GT cars that Ferrari has fielded the past two years.
The coupes are slightly larger in bulk than the roadster version of the Cobra but weigh almost exactly the same, about 2400 lb. They are built on the same chassis as the roadsters,
as required by the regulations, but the chassis is slightly stiffer in the coupes through the addition of stiffening members (permitted by the rules) and the nature of the coupe
body. As a result of the more rigid chassis, the somewhat dated suspension (transverse leaf springs do seem a bit naive these days) was able to more nearly perform the function it
was designed to do and the coupe consequently handled somewhat better than the more flexible roadster. More important, perhaps, was the improved aerodynamics of the coupe, which
enabled it to attain top speed of about 170 mph compared with the flat-out maximum of 155 for the roadster.
The engine and running gear of the championship-winning coupe is the same as on the competition roadsters. As raced this year, the 289-cu-in. Ford engine was developing about
385 bhp. This engine has been specially breathed upon at the Cobra works and uses four double-throat Weber carburetors, a modified head that includes bigger valves for better
breathing, a revised combustion chamber shape and higher compression. The tolerances of the engine are also opened up throughout, the oil capacity is larger and the oil pressure
increased by setting the pump for greater output.
The interior of the coupe is stark, there is no sound deadening or padding, the seats are comfortably contoured but sparingly padded and the noise level is high.
The future of the championship-winning coupes is not clear. The FIA's rules for 1966 have not yet appeared in their final version, but it seems likely that the coupes would be
eligible to participate in the new Category A, Group 4 because they were previously homologated in the comparable class. However, the Ford GT-40 is being aimed at that same class
for 1966 and the Daytona coupes would hardly be competitive in that company. Nor is it known just now how they would fit into SCCA racing in this country. They could be run in the
manufacturers' championship section of the U.S. Road Racing Championship, but on the typical U.S. road racing circuit, the 1966 Cobra II with a 427-cu-in. engine would probably be
quicker.
The coupes are for sale, however, and though the price hasn't been fixed, it is expected to be about $10,000 the copy - or perhaps a bit less if you don't mind the somewhat ratty
as-raced condition. That isn't a bad price, considering the competition roadster costs almost that much, and you would be getting a car of rare distinction.
You might not win any races with it, but, man, wouldn't it turn them on down at the drive-in?
Return to Index
SPORTING CARS, Cobra Spirit (BRA 289)
There are many A.C. imitations but the B.R.A. with a Rover V8 engine takes some beating. Mike Taylor investigates.
Few cars evoke the degree of emotion and enthusiasm as does the AC Cobra. Its brutish good looks - particularly in 427 form - allied to its performance capabilities put it well in
the 'super' car class and have made it a legend among present-day classics. Good examples (there don't seem to be any rough ones about, since most Cobras were either kept in mint
condition from new or have by now been rebuilt) demand prices of at least £35,000 - which put them well out of the reach of the average enthusiast.
So, what is the alternative? Today, the replica car business is really getting into high gear with MG, Jaguar and even Mercedes look-alikes being built on both sides of the
Atlantic. (Most are horrid engineering - a few are an exception.) They provide the opportunity for people to have a car which at least looks a little like their dream car,
even if it is made from fibre glass. In the case of the AC Cobra (for a detailed account of the Cobra's background, see Sporting Cars, Vol.One No.6) Beribo Replica
Automobiles Limited of Doncaster have developed the BRA which sells at £2,400 + VAT.
Any car with a name like BRA just has to be good. And so it is, as Sporting Cars found out when we went along to see Gerry Hawkridge's pristine example. The BRA Directors
(John Berry and Peter Ibbotson) had amassed between them many years of experience of MGBs before spending about four years developing the BRA - which uses the MGB for its
components - prior to launching the car. Fundamental to their development programme was the building of a car which had the classic lines of the Tojiero shaped AC Ace, but with
none of the high running costs of maintaining a car like the Cobra. The BRA's chassis is jig-built and MIG welded and includes all the MG's suspension pick-up points already in
position so that the car can be quickly and easily built by transferring the components from the donor vehicle. Only the prop shaft, steering column and pedal box assembly have to
be modified (these being offered already altered by the factory on an exchange basis) before being fitted.
Most GRP bodies today are developed as a one-piece moulding and BRA have used the same technique to produce a strong structure: floors, wheel arches, rear boot and bulkhead are
bonded in while the bodyshell is still in its mould. Additional strength is provided by a sub-frame assembly which fits behind the bulkhead and provides support for the windscreen,
door hinges, dashboard and steering column, as well as giving torsional rigidity to reduce scuttle vibration.
It may well be a sweeping statement to say that the only component cars one sees on the road are those made up from good quality kits, since the bad ones never get finished. And
if the car belonging to Gerry Hawkridge is any yardstick, the BRA is certainly one of the better kits.
As Gerry said, 'I have had several exotic cars, such as a Ferrari Dino, but they all cost too much money. It is not so much the purchase price but the cost of keeping them on the
road. Apart from the Dino, the only other car I ever really wanted was the AC Cobra as I have always like open cars.'
'When I got married, I had to start buying 'sensible' cars. Then I happened to see an advert for the BRA in a motoring magazine. I thought it looked a nice car and in 1981 I went
up to Doncaster and was one of their first customers, putting down the deposit there and then. In the meantime I bought an MGB for running around in, which could subsequently be
taken for building the BRA.'
'The conversion was easy enough to do and took about three to four hundred hours of work, although I had to take time out to build a garage. The car was running by Christmas that
year. I then began thinking about modifying it to a V8. I had always wanted a V8, so about four or five months ago I made a start. I bought a Rover SDI engine and had it rebuilt
by a local company. They lead-blasted the block, fitted a special camshaft, and added an Offenhouser manifold and a Holley 390 carburettor so the power output is up to about
two-hundred-and-twenty horsepower. The only difficulty in fitting the bigger engine was that the steering had to be altered by the introduction of two universal joints because of
the bigger engine. Also, a special exhaust system had to be fabricated by Freeway Exhaust, of Tunbridge Wells.'
Both mechanically and body-wise, Gerry has made an excellent job of his car. Under the bonnet no one would believe that this was a kit-built car. Some additional chroming has been
done on the engine, as well as the addition of polished alloy rocker covers. The quality of workmanship is first class. Inside, the trim, too, is excellent and the MGB seats look
perfectly at home in the BRA bodyshell. A look underneath the car reveals the high standard of finish of the BRA chassis and the effort Gerry has put into building the car. All
open ends of the chassis rails have been blanked off and the whole frame finished in rust-resistant paint. Gerry explained that he had very little preparation of the GRP body to
do before spraying the car, which he did himself. The finish is good by any standards.
On the road, Gerry demonstrated the performance of the BRA with its Rover power unit. Such is the torque from the V8 engine, the car will accelerate from below 1,000 rpm in
overdrive top gear. Not surprisingly, with 220 bhp on tap, the car will accelerate strongly, although we have severe reservations about the ability of the MGB gearbox and
overdrive unit to stand up to the torque of the Rover engine for long. Also, the combined length of the MGB gearbox and overdrive unit means that the Rover engine has to be
mounted fairly far forward in the chassis when compared with the original Cobra layout. Perhaps the answer here would be to use the appropriate Rover five-speed gearbox. Weight
for weight, the alloy V8 is very similar to the iron-block 'B' unit, so balance is not upset.
One particular aspect of the BRA which impressed us was its tautness and lack of vibration. Despite being a car built from a kit, there was no scuttle shake and the doors and
bonnet were refreshingly free from rattles. Clearly, the chassis strength is easily able to take the power from the V8 engine and does not impose any stresses on the body. In fact,
it seems that BRA have now rationalised their chassis, so that the stronger V8 version is incorporated into kits for both MGB and Rover power units. Engine noise, using twin
Triumph TR-type silencer boxes, was reasonably subdued. Although Gerry has yet to fit telescopic dampers (the car still has the original MGB lever dampers) road holding was
impressive. The Cobra-type chrome wire wheels were brought from Motor Wheel Repair Service of South London and, with Dunlop ER70 Sport tyres, the grip was firm even on a wet,
greasy road. Gerry has kept the brakes as standard MGB and, without actually demonstrating the fact, convinced us that they were well up to coping with the car's performance.
One question we did put to Gerry was his feelings about the safety aspect of the BRA with its performance capability when fitted with the Rover engine. Couldn't someone with much
less than his engineering talent bolt a similar car together only to make a very lethal tool? 'Well,' he said, 'there's no real answer to that one, but possibly the price of a BRA
would tend to limit it to those who felt they had sufficient expertise to finish it.'
Despite its MGB background, the BRA offers a worthwhile alternative to the real thing at a reasonable cost. The final result
will inevitably rely on the compentence of the individual builder, but the potential is there for the average enthusiast to
assemble a Cobra replica which would satisfy many an ardent critic. Finally, Gerry's close association with the BRA company
has been further strengthened by the company's request that he should assist them in the development and production of a 427
version, which should be ready soon. For those who want the ultimate replica, this may be the answer.
With MGB power, the BRA provides fun motoring at a moderate outlay. With V8 power, performance puts the car well into the
'Super Car' league.
The choice is yours.
Return to Index
Aurora GRX
The Cobra comes home
by Tony Swan
It's hardly surprising that the shape displayed here resists extinction so well. Automobile designs capable of generating instant pulse increase and palm moisture have always been
rare. And whether your memories of this particular shape date to the Carroll Shelby AC Cobra, the AC Ace-Zephyr, the AC Ace Bristol roadster, or even to the Type 166 Ferrari Mille
Miglia, a sleek roadster that may have inspired British designer John Tojeiro, it's plain that as long as we can put something under the shape (other than a VW) to keep it moving we
aren't going to let it go to that big parking lot in the sky.
Which accounts for the current wave of Cobra replicars. And of these, the Aurora GRX has added an intriguing footnote to the survival of the shape.
A Canadian-built entry from Richmond Hill, near Toronto, the Aurora has been around for almost two years. However, our first opportunity to drive one came late last summer when
Aurora announced its entry into the British market. We were delighted with the full-circle irony of this development. But what made it truly memorable was the chance to spend a day
with the car at the Brands Hatch GP course, plus assorted excursions in and around London.
The Aurora GRX is based on the original AC roadster as Americanized by Carroll Shelby with small block Ford V-8 engines. Aurora chose to preserve the more classical lines of the
260/289 series Cobras, eschewing the bulges and brawn of the later 427s. The car is replete with a no-nonsense tube steel chassis, racing-style double A-arm suspension, and
4-wheel disc brakes, and is absolutely top quality throughout. It is far from cheap at $35,000-plus, but may very well be a bargain nevertheless.
Aurora chose the Ford 302 as its powerplant, an engine that compares very favorably against the old small blocks from the first Shelby cars. Before the 302s are bolted in, they're sent
to the Holman and Moody shops to have a little extra grunt breathed on 'em. When they emerge - with new cams, solid lifters, heavier valve springs, Holley high rise intake manifold,
4-barrel Holley carb and Mallory ignition - they're good for 260 hp. (Fuel-injected U.S. versions produce only 169.) In a car that weighs only 2100 lbs., 260hp is enough to allow the
driver to do a good bit of the steering with his right foot. We were given ample documentation of this endearing trait at Brands Hatch by Mr. David Purley, who accompanied his
demonstration drive with breezy tales of his several crashes at this circuit.
Purley, a thoroughly competent driver and pleasant human being, holds the unofficial world's record for racing crash survival. A rising young star who appeared to be headed for
significant achievements in Formula One, he had his throttle stick open one day in 1975 at Silverstone and augured into a bank at about 120 mph. The guys with the calculators
figured out that Purley got to zero mph in 26 in. They also needed the calculators to total up the fractures in Purley's legs and pelvis. We're talking many multiples here. But through
the inspired skills of some radical Belgian sports surgeons, Purley is walking normally today.
When Purley had finished his Aurora demo drive, he handed the car over and fearlessly strapped himself into the passenger's seat - the car was equipped with a 4-point safety
harness, which tells you somrthing about Aurora's understanding of its market.
The car's driving position - elbows out, steering wheel hub close to the driver's chest - is left over from someplace just this side of the Twenties, but it is nevertheless a real
pleasure to drive. Horsepower is plentiful, enough to get the tail wagging on almost any kind of turn. In fact, the tendency to oversteer was really more than Aurora wanted, and
Purley spent a part of the session doing some consulting on anti-roll bars. Aurora may go to a somewhat thicker rear bar, to dial in a bit of understeer.
Nevertheless, with its 50/50 weight distribution, the car seems generally predictable although it does begin to feel a bit light at high speed. And high speed is something the Aurora
can generate. With its overdrive 4th gear, the car is capable of 130, a speed to which we can personally attest. And it gets up there in a hurry. There's a subdued but pleasant V-8
growl to the exhaust, which enhances the pleasure of open air motoring.
The Aurora's exterior is fiberglass, and was finished off very impressively. Even though we sampled a right-hand-drive edition of the car, it nevertheless met U.S. safety standards.
Aurora has done a tasteful job of adapting 5-mph bumpers, and the chromed roll bar announces to the world that here comes a guy who is willing to go sideways every once in awhile.
Interior furnishings are clad in superb Connolly leather and the quality of fit and assembly - currently conducted at a brisk 100 cars per year pace - is excellent. The car was
rattle-free, and provided a ride that was much more civilized than the original Cobras without being limp.
Aurora has to go through some interesting maneuvers to sell these cars in Britain. Certain convoluted U.K. regulations make it uneconomical for Aurora to sell the GRX in Britain as a
new car, but it can be imported by the buyer. And that explains Aurora's U.K. price of some $35,000. The total includes air fare, three nights in Toronto, shipping fees and U.K.
taxes on the car. Just how well this scheme will work out remains to be seen, but there's no question that the shape still works its magic on the hearts of Britons, as well as Yanks.
Purley confirmed this at the conclusion of our day at Brands when he made a deal for the test car. This was particularly intriguing in light of the fact that he'd taken delivery of a
new Porsche turbo only a few days earlier.
But that, of course, is illustrative of why the AC roadster shape survives. It goes a bit beyond reason and well beyond mere transportation. And we'd have to say that insofar as
Aurora's involvement in this on-going conspiracy is concerned, the shape is in good hands.
Return to Index
Back
- Since 16.06.2000, you are visitor number
to the 'Cobra and Cobra Replicas, 1962 - 1989' page -
View Counter Stats
|
|
|
Page created on:
September 2000
|
Free JavaScripts provided
by The JavaScript Source