1963 Cooper Type 61 Monaco King Cobra Gallery

Having an American V8 in a mid-engine sports prototype wasn’t a new idea in 1963, however the King Cobra was one of the first to utilize this concept. Much like the Shelby Cobra, it used a British chassis with a American V8, specifically a modified Cooper Type 61 Monaco chassis and the Ford 289 V8.

John Cooper worked directly with Shelby to modify the Type 61 chassis in England before they were shipped overseas. Four chassis were received directly by Shelby while Jack Ensley and W.Mitchell each got copy.¹ All King Cobras were powered by the potent 289 Ford V8 with either a Huffaker or Colotti 4-Speed transaxle.

Read about the 1963 Cooper Type 61 Monaco King Cobra