It's REAL, but what is it?

[Trevor Legate]

Ned - is this the chassis shown on page 105 of my 'Cobra' book? (Also page 96 of 'The Real Thing'). I produced those prints from a strip of 35mm film I found in Keith Judds cupboard in 1979. The chassis was made for display at the Earls Court Motor Show and lived in the Thames Ditton showroom

I guess if this is a genuine AC chassis, with the rest of the car constructed by Brian Angliss maybe a decade later, it falls between 'genuine' and 'replica' so maybe its value lies somewhere between. Or whatever someone wants to pay for it.......

[PurpleVenom]

Received this from the AC Owners Club in England:

The ACOC Cobra registrar's opinion is as follows:

"This car was not built by AC. It will have started life as an AC428 Frua, with a car number anywhere between 6 & 26, prefix CF (RHD) or CFX (LHD). A number of these have been turned into replica cobras, as listed in the Appendix to the ACOC Cobra register, including car numbers 19 & 23."

Regards

Bryan Moseley
ACOC Webmaster

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by PurpleVenom

Received this from the AC Owners Club in England:

The ACOC Cobra registrar's opinion is as follows:

"This car was not built by AC. It will have started life as an AC428 Frua, with a car number anywhere between 6 & 26, prefix CF (RHD) or CFX (LHD). A number of these have been turned into replica cobras, as listed in the Appendix to the ACOC Cobra register, including car numbers 19 & 23."

Regards

Bryan Moseley
ACOC Webmaster

Now the 96" wheel base makes sense.

Steve

[Nedsel]

Robin Stainer, the ACOC Registrar, is correct in saying that the car was not built by AC. The chassis itself was, but we both believe it started out as a 96" piece, and was cut down 6" for use as the basis of a Cobra-like vehicle. (I can't say for certain until I get back to CA and check the MX 1 file folder.) The finished car was constructed by Brian Angliss of AutoKraft, who later took over the remains of the former AC Cars, Ltd. To the extent that Angliss' shop was the successor entity to the Hurlock brothers company, one is technically correct in asserting that the car was "built by the AC Cars factory" but it is stretching the truth not to add the date and ownership caveats.

[PurpleVenom]

Great info Ned. Still, kind of a historical piece though, isn't it? Value, well, whatever the buyer is willing to pay for it I guess.

[Excaliber]

Interesting stuff. I was thinking for awhile it may have been one of the cars/chassis that was built for the movie industry. I think there were five of those with longer wheel base?

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Interesting stuff. I was thinking for awhile it may have been one of the cars/chassis that was built for the movie industry. I think there were five of those with longer wheel base?

The movie cars (err...chassis) had a 108" wheelbase and were assigned serial numbers by AC in the COB/COX sequence

[Trevor Legate]

The infamous 'Paramount chassis' are all present and accounted for. Funny how many un-numbered 428 chassis seemed to escape Thames Ditton - I know of others..... ;-)

Hell will freeze over before any Registrar accepts that as an AC Cobra!

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Interesting stuff. I was thinking for awhile it may have been one of the cars/chassis that was built for the movie industry. I think there were five of those with longer wheel base?

Good info here, surprisingly enough;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_Frua

Look at the specs and you'll see why I said the 428 Frua chassis makes the most sense.

I think it's actually quite a sharp car. They should've just done the Frua, rather than basterdising it into a Cobra wanabe. JMHO of course.

Steve

[Nedsel]

...and I believe global warming extends to the nethermost regions, yes?

[lovehamr]

Ned, maybe I'm just dense but, ??????

Steve

[Nedsel]

No density involved. I was merely speculating that Hell wouldn't be likely to freeze over any time soon.

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by Nedsel

No density involved. I was merely speculating that Hell wouldn't be likely to freeze over any time soon.

Oh, when you mentioned nethermost regions, I thought it had something to do with a Lower GI Series.

[1985 CCX]

Ned

Exactly!
Well said......

[REAL 1]

So....its a one off, one of a kind Cobra replica constructed from a shortened AC chassis by the successor Autokraft.

Boy, and guys here think Continuation series owners need to give the entire story every time they are asked "is it REAL". Man, I'd hate to have to repeat the MX1 story every time I was asked if it was REAL.

[nikbj68]

Originally Posted by Nedsel

...it is stretching the truth not to add the date and ownership caveats.

From the seller:
Hi Nik, The 96" was a typo, so 90" is correct. The sticker behind the Turkey Pan is from Cobra Restorers in Georgia. We'll have the suspension photos on our Fastlane Cars website on Monday. We will scan those letters and add those to the website too. Please look by Monday or Tuesday for the updates. Thanks, Joe

Just to muddy the waters a little more, I think the(MkIII) chassis in Trevor Legate`s book is a different one to the
Earl`s Court Motorshow 428 chassis, as seen here on the AC Heritage Website

[somedayaurora]

Evan nice to see you , been awhile .
SDR
________
LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE ADVICE

[1ntCobra]

Originally Posted by nikbj68

Just to muddy the waters a little more, I think the(MkIII) chassis in Trevor Legate`s book is a different one to the
Earl`s Court Motorshow 428 chassis, as seen here on the AC Heritage Website

Well that's certainly not an aluminum Cobra body!

And it appears to have some cooling holes cut into the cloth parts.

[Buzz]

Headlights are pointing in the wrong direction.

[nikbj68]

Originally Posted by 1ntCobra

Well that's certainly not an aluminum Cobra body!

And it appears to have some cooling holes cut into the cloth parts.

Cunningly designed to match the strengthening plates in the suspension?

"Mind the handbrake, love!"
"Not at all", she replied!

Originally Posted by Buzz

Headlights are pointing in the wrong direction.

I`ll bet you wouldn`t say that if you were sat at the wheel!
(oh, hang on, there isn`t one, LOL!)