1963 AC Cobra - Thunder Road

Legendary, iconic, brute and monster are all words that can be used to describe the world’s ultimate performance muscle car—the AC Cobra. Born out of an AC Ace back in 1962, the AC Cobra, under the direction of Carroll Shelby, quite literally blew the motorsport world apart. The car’s superb performance stunned opposition and onlookers alike, and its superb Ford V8 sound echoed around the racetracks of the world to thrill hundreds of thousands of spectators. Famous on-track, and equally successful off-track, the AC Cobra remains at the forefront of competition to this day. This example of the mighty machine is a car that raced at Le Mans in 1963—the first year the Cobra visited La Sarthe—and this car is not only a race car, but is also eligible to take to the public highways as a road car! It showed that side of itself well in France’s famous Tour Auto competition,organized by Patrick Peter and his Peter Auto company, just short of 12 months ago, when in the hands of Carlos Monteverde and Gary Pearson it won the 2013 event.

HISTORY OF THE MARQUE

In 1904, John Portwine and John Weller formed Autocarriers Limited in order to produce the “Autocarrier” business tricar. This vehicle proved very successful, and many were sold to the London-based stores who used them in and around town. A larger “Sociable” version was manufactured in 1907, and designed to take passengers. It was the start of the AC marque.

During the 1920s, under the control of S.F. Edge, AC cars were powered by the four-cylinder Anzani engine or the Weller-designed six-cylinder, alloy, OHC engine that, with constant development, enjoyed a mammoth production life from 1919 to 1963! In 1922, an AC became the first light car to cover 100 miles in the hour at the Brooklands track in Surrey, not far from London, and in the 1926 Monte Carlo Rally a six-cylinder AC was triumphant in the hands of the Honorable Victor Bruce. The following year, his then wife, The Honorable Mrs. Victor Bruce, at the wheel of an AC, finished 6th in the Monte and won the event’s Coupe des Dames.

Changing hands to the Hurlock family, during the 1930s, AC produced a succession of lean, low-line tourers, drophead coupes and sedans. A competition two-seater was created just before the outbreak of WWII, and after hostilities had ceased two-liter sedans, dropheads and tourers were once again produced.

In 1952, John Tojeiro’s sports racing car formed the basis of the alloy-bodied AC Ace, which, with gently revised lines and a Weller engine fitted, was introduced to the motoring public in 1953. This car was later joined in the fleet by the Aceca and Greyhound. The AC Ace, with the options of Bristol and Ford engines, became a very popular competition car and proved successful in many classes of racing. Then, in 1962, the AC Cobra broke cover. This car changed the face of the AC marque forever.

This profile charts the story of the Cobra, but briefly after the Cobra, AC looked for new projects to capture the magic of the famed V8 machine, and at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1973, the marque launched the 3000ME. Using a Ford V6 engine, the 3000ME utilized fiberglass bodywork and it went into production in 1978 with a production run lasting until 1985. During 1986, after having control of the company for 56 years, the Hurlock family sold AC and the marque eventually passed to a partnership of Autokraft Limited and Ford. In 1988, AC Cars moved to a purpose-built factory at their old stomping ground of Brooklands, and in 1992 Brian Angliss of Autokraft assumed full control.

The company changed hands again in 1997, when it was purchased by Alan Lubinsky. The AC factory was sold and in 2001 production of AC products moved to Frimley, where repairs, restorations and the production of the MkII and MkIII 289 and 427 FIA Roadster took place. In October 2004, the Frimley factory closed down and AC moved to Guildford, although that was a short stop as in 2005 another move took the famous name to Malta, where in 2008 the Maltese factory closed its doors.

SNAKE CHARMER—THE MAN BEHIND THE LEGEND THAT IS COBRA

Carroll Shelby lived a fast and furious life and his passion and vision helped to transform the automobile industry radically. His dream for the Cobra eventually turned into reality!

Born in 1923, in East Texas, Shelby was regarded as one of the great American automotive success stories of the 20th century. He was a racer, WWII “Flying Sergeant,” philanthropist, automotive entrepreneur and racing team owner. His grit and determination to win during his long career was clear to see, and his popularity remained unchallenged until he passed away at the age of 89 nearly two years ago.

Shelby was the son of a postal worker in Leesburg, Texas. He attended high school in Dallas, before joining the army for World War II. He served as an aviator and after the war ended, he returned home to Texas where he ran a dump truck business, a chicken farm and a sports car dealership!

In the context of his much written about racing career, Shelby quickly became a dominant figure on American road racing circuits, performances that soon led to overtures from manufacturers to drive for them—including Ferrari. Capturing three national sports car championship titles in the United States, he set speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats, drove in a number of Grands Prix and was handed a prime position in the David Brown Racing Department Aston Martin squad that famously won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959.

While in his racing prime, Shelby developed a heart condition that ended his on-track activities in 1960. Instead of retreating from the sport he loved, Shelby jumped into the industry with aplomb to concentrate on the design of racing cars and the manufacturing of automotive parts.

During his later dealership days with fellow Texans Jim and Dick Hall, Shelby tasted car manufacturing for the first time when he became part of fellow Texan Gary Laughlin’s program to build Scaglietti-bodied Corvettes (see Vintage Roadcar, Sept. 2013).

Long had been his desire to see engines producing large horsepower mated to a chassis of inspired engineering. Perhaps as a result of his experience with the Scaglietti-bodied Corvettes, Shelby approached Chevrolet with the idea of installing their 283-cu.in. V8 engine into the AC Ace chassis, as at that time the British manufacturer had lost an engine contract. GM turned down Shelby’s proposal as it feared the car would essentially be a competitor to its existing range. As a result, Shelby switched his attention to Ford. He approached Lee Iacocca at the Ford Motor Company with the idea of creating a two-seat sports car using Ford’s new small-block V8 engine. This deal was agreed and started a lifelong friendship between the two.

Ford stepped in with cash to start the collaboration, and “Shelby American” was formed. The Ford engine was squeezed into the AC Ace chassis, and the Cobra was born! Shelby stated often that the name for the car came to him in a dream, and at the New York Auto Show in 1962 the first car was rolled out for the public to look at in awe.

A competition version of the Cobra was developed, and Shelby fielded a team of cars in Europe to compete in leading events. While running the Cobra in coupe and roadster specification, Shelby American was also handed the development of the iconic Ford GT when the Ford Motor Company asked them to take over its development.

In 1965, under Shelby’s direction, Ford won the World Sports Car Manufacturers Championship, and the following year took victory at Le Mans with the GT while a Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe secured a class win. In fact, Shelby tasted victory champagne at La Sarthe as a driver, team owner and manufacturer.

Shortly after Shelby’s death, Dan Gurney said of Shelby, “Carroll Shelby was an automotive visionary and leader. When he launched his now legendary Ford-powered Cobra team I found myself a very willing volunteer to lend my driving ability to his quest to take on the established European teams on their home turf.”

Gurney added, “As part of Shelby American, we managed to win some tremendous races: the very first FIA-sanctioned points race for the Cobra at Bridgehampton in 1963 in a Cobra Roadster, the GT classes at the Targa Florio, at Le Mans and at Goodwood with the Daytona Cobra Coupe in 1964. Then we won the crown jewel—the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours with the Ford Mk IV. Carroll’s leadership was unconventional and more powerful than either his friends or competitors ever imagined.”

COBRA APPEARS AND HEADS TO LE MANS

In September 1961, Carroll Shelby contacted AC to enquire if the marque would be prepared to build him a chassis that would take a V8 engine. AC agreed, providing a suitable engine could be found. As already mentioned, management at Chevrolet declined Shelby’s approach, but the Ford Motor Company saw the light and wanted to stretch the legs of its new lightweight small-block V8,an engine that was tuned for performance and one that would suit this project perfectly!

In early 1962, mechanics at AC Cars fitted the prototype chassis, numbered CSX0001, with a V8 borrowed from Ford in the UK. Early development work was carried out in Britain, before the car was sent via air freight across the pond on February 2. Work began stateside and a new engine and transmission was fitted to prepare the car for road testing on the American highways.

The roadster was developed as a competition car, but in European events the car was found to lack speed on the straights due to its shape. So, a hardtop coupe version was created, and it was hoped that this version of the car would be able to challenge the Ferraris in leading international sportscar events.

For 1963, two AC Cobra Coupes were entered for the Le Mans 24 Hours—one of them being the car featured in this profile. The #3 Cobra, driven by Ninian Sanderson and Peter Bolton, finished the race in 7th position. Our car, entered by Ed Hugus, and driven by him and Peter Jopp, retired after 127 laps of the Circuit de la Sarthe.

The chassis CSX2142, was the first to be fitted with a hardtop in preparation for Shelby’s attack in France. This addition boosted the car’s top line performance, and to aid endurance, oversize 30.8-gallon fuel tanks were fitted, as well as hood scoops, side cooling vents and Jaguar E-Type styled Dunlop racing wheels. All of these modifications were made with winning Le Mans in mind.

Qualifying in 24th position, with a lap time of 4 minutes, 13.4 seconds, the car (even with its hardtop attached to aid its performance along the Mulsanne Straight) still struggled to reach 160 mph, and as a result the Ford V8 had to be pushed hard at all times. Such was the force of the air rushing at the car along the straights, the #3 Cobra actually had its rear window sucked out during qualifying!

The #4 machine was an eventual casualty, disqualified from the race by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, when it was forced to take on oil before the minimum specified distance. Cobra had, however, made it to Le Mans and was ready for a fight!

THE OPEN ROAD

To this day the AC Cobra remains a versatile car that enjoys nothing more than being unleashed on a racetrack, but its 1960s appeal sometimes draws it to the road and this allows the Cobra to also enjoy such events as the Tour Auto, a classic French event that takes place annually.

Now a retrospective rally, Tour Auto is the current embodiment of the classic Tour de France—an event that started back in 1899, but enjoyed fantastic support and boom years in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. By 1986, when the event came to an end as a round of the European Rally Championship, it was believed that the roads of France would no longer have the chance to echo to the sounds of superb competition cars—but that all changed in 1992.

Patrick Peter returned Tour Auto to the international historic calendar and once again allowed the mighty V8 of the AC Cobra to be unleashed alongside GT cars of the period. The rally route now follows scenic French roads with a handpicked itinerary. Special Stages take place along the route, made up of timed sessions on closed roads or circuits, which determine the final classification. Starting from Paris each year, more than 2,000 kilometers are covered by competitors on a course that is split into five competitive legs.

Hugely popular, cars competing in Tour Auto are required to be of a type manufactured between 1951 and 1973, and the event offers many different classes that add greatly to the obviously competitive nature of the event.

The 2013 Tour Auto was the 22nd edition in its current form, and more than 250 cars lined up at the start in Paris to compete. After five days, the Cobra pictured here emerged triumphant, with Carlos Monteverde and Gary Pearson ragging the car around France to win with some style. On the open roads of France, 50 years after the car made its Le Mans debut, CSX2142 showed its class and its love of victory champagne!

SNAKES ALIVE!

Just a couple of days after the 2013 Tour Auto ended, AC Cobra CSX2142 was back in Britain and in the hands of Vintage Roadcar! Carrying its fresh battle scars from five days of French competition, the AC Cobra was presented to me in “as it finished” state—right down to the victory champagne bottle still wedged behind the seats!

Driving an AC Cobra is something that had been pretty high on my Christmas list for many years, and now this wish was going to become a reality. Opening the door, I slid myself through its narrow opening and settled myself in the cockpit. I was told by Gary Pearson, who was overseeing my run in the car, to go and “Give it a good run.” I enquired what I should and shouldn’t do, and Gary’s response was, “We have been blasting the car round France for a week—there isn’t anything you can do to the car that hasn’t already been done!”

Safe in my mind that everything was now possible, I pressed the starter button and the mighty Ford V8 roared into life. Wow, what a sound! The whole cockpit echoed, and despite the car carrying large silencers as required for its Tour Auto participation, the exhaust note was loud and instantly likeable.

I was surprised that despite the hardtop giving an appearance of a small cockpit area, I found the interior of the car quite comfortable and, dare I say, roomy. Adjusting the mirrors to suit, and with a blip of the throttle, I released the clutch and the car rolled forward.

Heading away, I realized it wouldn’t be long until I was sampling the mighty beast on the open roads—and I smiled to myself in the knowledge that this venomous snake was as happy being a roadcar as it was a racecar! I gently pushed the accelerator and momentum increased before taking second gear and more.

Sitting low in the left-hand seat and with the gear lever high on my right, I found I was perfectly placed for rapid shifts and, despite the car’s monstrous appearance, the driving characteristics really proved rewarding. The car wanted to be pushed, and as speeds increased its chassis delivered what I thought was a confidence-boosting feel. It really did feel like a front-engined V8-powered kart! The rear of the car sat down through the corners and the front lifted slightly as I gave the throttle more pressure. It would have been very easy indeed to start to wind on the opposite lock with a large boot of the loud pedal!

I have noted before in these pages that I like driving cars with large steering wheels, and the Cobra’s steering wheel felt perfectly in keeping with a car of its age and type. The large steering wheel gives the driver something to wrestle with, and on maximum attack the Cobra is a car that likes to bite—just as its name suggests!

From my time in the car I must say that this Cobra seemed a very well-sorted example, and despite obviously being slightly tired from its jaunt around France, it felt to me as if it could have gone for another five-day blast and survived to tell the tale! The car’s Ford engine was delightful, the bark of the exhaust will forever ring in my ears. I am happy to write that my first Cobra drive was in a very special Cobra, one that 50 years before had headed to La Sarthe with hopes of an AC victory resting on its shoulders.

The AC Cobra has a fantastic history, and is loved throughout the world. This historic example has led a fascinating life, it helped start the Le Mans legend for the car and subsequent Le Mans attempts for the Carroll Shelby-led team. It is a racer through and through, but I established during this road test that the car can be tamed and, although it is not a car you would necessarily pop to the shops in, it makes a superb road car for European-based touring events.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/RESOURCES

The author would like to thank Gary Pearson of Pearsons Engineering for his help in arranging the availability of the AC Cobra for this Vintage Roadcar feature. Thanks also go to James Emmett for assisting with the detailing of this car’s history and of the AC Cobra in general. Thanks also go to Shelby American, Dan Gurney and the Ford Motor Company for their kind help toward the production of this profile.