After a slight pause in posting (2025 is off to a busy start) and to inaugurate yet another week of CC finds in Tokyo, this one dedicated to the glory years of US muscle cars, i.e. the mid-to-late ‘60s, we’ll go straight to the top of the pile – though the rest of said pile will hopefully also be worth looking at. That’s not to say that the car we’re going to be examining today is a true “Muscle Car,” as it’s at the same time a lot less and much more than that.
We’ve had a couple of Cobras slither their way onto CC before, but with this species, the default position is always one of circumspection. What constitutes a “real” Cobra? How can you tell? Venomous territory, for sure. But I’ll go out on a limb (and possibly get bitten) and venture that this is the genuine article.
Conclusive proof could only be offered with photos of the chassis/manufacturer’s plate, engine serial number and other underpinnings, which I have not had access to. All I have is the word of the owner. But if there’s any place where a real 1965 Cobra might be encountered curbside…
We’ve had a good look at AC before, so let’s not dwell on the marque’s history too much. Suffice to say that when the tiny English maker launched the Ace roadster in 1953, the car’s all-new chassis was a bit let down by its engine. Yes, the AC 2-litre straight-6 was an OHC design, but it also dated back to 1919. Soon the Ace was also available with Bristol’s slightly more powerful mill, but that was not a long-term solution.
Bristol quit producing their own engines in 1961, leaving AC in a pickle. The only practical way forward was for AC to imitate their partner’s idea and import an American engine. Bristol shopped at Chrysler, while AC called on Ford, who duly obliged. The first attempt used the British-made Zephyr’s 2.6 litre 6-cyl., but soon a couple of 260ci (4.3 litre) V8s were received at Thames Ditton and shoehorned into the little roadster. In January 1962, a magnificent monster was born.
Part of the idea behind using Ford power was to enable AC to sell more cars in the US. The marque was already very present there (unlike the very British Bristol), so having an American V8 under the hood would probably help performance and all-important sales. This was all arranged by Caroll Shelby, who saw in the AC Ace a great opportunity to assist Ford (and Shelby himself) in their goal to gain as much racing cred as possible.
By early 1962, AC were shipping finished cars (without engines) to the US directly to Shelby American in Venice, California (though a few were “engined” in Pennsylvania by Ed Hugus, the East Coast Cobra dealer). The first 75 cars got the 260ci V8, but as soon as the 289 (4.7-litre) was available, the bigger small block became the default option.
More power – the 289 was rated at 280hp (gross) according to the brochure, well over twice the power output of the Bristol engine – necessarily demanded a few chassis adaptations, leading to the 1963 Mk II Cobra.
The AC underpinnings were still very competent, with all-independent suspension and, since 1961, disc brakes both front and rear, but AC engineers still reinforced the front suspension by way of a beefed up transverse leaf spring. Rack and pinion steering was also adopted for the Mk II chassis, as well as a relocated fuel tank.
As far as I understand it (which admittedly is not very far at all), our feature car would be a late model Mk II. Shelby production was halted in the last weeks of 1964 and the last sales took place in the first half of 1965, though European sales, handled by AC, lasted a bit longer.
This one’s dials are in MPH, so I assume it was sold somewhere in North America sixty years ago by Shelby, hence why I elected to dub it “Shelby AC Cobra” (if it had been a European car, “AC Shelby Cobra” would have been more appropriate, but both are acceptable as far as I can tell). It seems to have gotten a five-speed gearbox, when it would have had a four-speed Borg-Warner unit originally – not an uncommon modification, it seems.
For 1965, Shelby and AC were preparing a thoroughly revised version with a huge 427ci (7-litre) V8, substantial chassis modifications (including coils springs) and much wider fenders to accommodate massive tyres. The Mk III Cobra 427 lived on until 1967, though AC apparently used the revamped chassis to sell a few Mk III 289s in Europe until 1969.
Shelby and Ford did not make money on the AC deal, but it served its main purpose, i.e. helping put Ford on the sports/racing car map and launching Shelby American as a viable entity. The big bucks were in the Mustang, as we can see in this late 1965 photo…
Thereafter, and right up until the present day, Cobra production has continued here and there, so much so that there are now many Cobra copies for every original ever made.
All told, just 998 Cobras were put together between 1961 and 1968, including 655 Mk I/Mk IIs. To Ford (and perhaps Shelby), this was chicken feed. But AC sold under 700 of their 6-cyl. Ace in the previous decade, so for AC, it was all gravy.
There were many Euro-American hybrids in the ‘60s. Facel-Vega, Jensen, Iso, Monteverdi – they were all styled to impress and geared towards luxury. The Cobra was a different breed of that transatlatic aristocracy, one that was born to race with a voracious appetite, eating Corvettes for breakfast and Ferraris for dinner. And it did this while keeping its dated, yet sensuous early ‘50s looks pretty much intact. That’s why it became such a legend.
As you can tell from the photos, this car is a regular visitor at the Meiji Jingu park, so if the owner does take the time to open up the hood, I hope I’ll be there to take a few additional pictures so we can ascertain if this is the real McCobra. It looks like it, but a bit of actual proof never hurt anyone.
Related posts:
eBay Find: 1963 AC Shelby Cobra 260 – Yes. Yes it is., by Geraldo Solis
Curbside Credibility: Is This a Real Cobra?, by Mike Butts
CC Capsule: Shelby Cobra 427 Replica – An Accessory To Mischief?, by Joseph Dennis
CC Capsule: Monday Morning Rarities – Cobra Daily Driver, by JohnH875
Such a gorgeous and timeless car, but whitewalls on a Cobra??!
Yup, just as many came with
FWIW, that may have been the case in 1962 or 1963, but I’d be willing to bet that was very unlikely by 1965. There was a real change in taste about white walls on genuine sports cars during those years.
I think it was later than that, white lines were available on most of the muscle cars through the 60s until the RWL took hold, though I’ll grant that they might have fallen out of favor on sports cars earlier, but then again I’ve seen movies of the period where they were seemingly pretty common on stuff like XK-Es, definitely Corvettes as well
I think the malaise era did whitewalls in in the cultural tastes, same with vinyl tops. Nobody wants to picture Cobras or Chargers from the golden age with those appendages, and when the time came for restoration they got black walls or RWLs, or in the case of many many muscle cars painted roofs
If you are going to put white walls on the car, for the love of all things holy, get out the Soft Scrub when you wash the car and make them WHITE!!!
Sorry, this was just always a pet peeve of mine back in the day when white walls were the norm.
White walls seem to have fallen out of favor when more cars started to come with lower profile tires and real wheels, rather than steelies with wheel covers and taller profile tires.
My last car to sport them was my ’83 T-Bird, and that was also the last car I owned with wheel covers.
Given that the tires are consistently ‘antiqued’, with the yellowing, I think it might be being intentionally done. To lend an additional vintage appearance. Just speculating.
Love the way you passionately craft, and present, your articles. Always wonderful to appreciate!
I only ever see tupperware replicas and one alloy bodied replica race clone that was built here, I doubt Ive ever seen an original Shelby Cobra, Nice.
It’s the same here in Englandland. Mostly late eighties early nineties replicas, if your lucky with a Rover V8, otherwise with a Ford Pinto maybe with twin carbs.
BTW another great article, I always enjoy the Curbside Classic posts…. the summer of 1968 I had a job transporting cars for a local dealership. While driving down Northern Blvd (Long Island) I spotted a red 427 Cobra and immediately pulled over. I guess I can only sum-up my impression by the classic ‘drooled over’… the owner said he didn’t enjoy it as much as his other cars because no one would race him…. I stood by when he fired it up and drove away, magic.
If it’s original, the front ride height is well off, sitting higher with a larger gap over the front wheels than the original had. That alone struck me instantly and made me suspicious. Who would allow that with a very rare original Cobra?
The 5-speed doesn’t exactly add to its odds of being original either.
If you spot the Cobra owner again, perhaps suggest the wheels and tires, might look more suitable on an Excalibur.
I really appreciate the 260/289 Cobras, so pure looking compared to the brutal big block racers. This one is lovely, 5 speed and Lucas tripod headlamps are good features. I’d prefer blackwalls on silver painted rims though.
That being said I’d just as soon have a nice Triumph TR3 or TR4, Healey, Sunbeam Alpine etc and a twisty autumn road.
The two V8s sent to Thames Ditton were 221 cid units which the English of course called “3.6”. When the “proof of concept” mule arrived in California it was fitted with a 260 (XHP-260-1) and became CSX 2000.
The first photo behind the Jaguar across the roadway looks similar to Morgan 3 wheeler, and further down the street looks like a few Lotus Sevens
*Very* pretty .
Few would ever drive an original AC Cobra now to use a fraction of the V8’s abilities .
The older I get the better they look, the current fad is 12″ fender flares with massive wide tires that don’t stick very well .
The white wall thing is pretty simple : in the 1960’s the better quality American made tires all had white walls .
A buddy of mine who never did sell the 1956 Porsche 356 he bought new, used to get serious ribbing from the guys during weekend track events for his large white walls .
As soon as the Michelin “X” became available no more white walls .
Japanese culture is *very* different from ours, many are lost in foolish details like bias – ply tires, I’d not run them on my truck yet many who love elderly Hot Rods only use them in spite of their poor ‘death grip’ under power .
Comet or Wesley’s Bleech White are the proper cleaners for white walls, most spray them with Armor – All or other rubber treatment and are dismayed when these products work as they’re supposed to and draw the carbon black tires are made of, directly into the white wall permanently staining them yellow .
Never forget : Caroll Shelby’s own personal Cobra had a 289 and C4 slush box, he was no fool ~ he built cars for fools .
-Nate
It might be one of the continuation small block Cobras still being made by Shelby American today in Las Vegas. They usually come with 5-speeds. My trip to Vegas in 2014 included a factory tour.