1964 Shelby/AC 289 Cobra Series II

1964 Shelby/AC 289 Cobra Series II in Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue Stripes.

AC Cars are Britain's oldest car manufacturer and have the unique distinction of having been in production since 1901. The AC name carries much prestige, international recognition and ranks alongside other major worldwide historic marques. In 1961 AC was approached by Carroll Shelby to use a small block Ford V8 engine in the Ace chassis, producing the AC Cobra. Shelby needed a car that could compete with the Chevrolet Corvette in US sports car racing. The resulting Cobra was a very powerful roadster, and it is commonly blamed for the introduction of the 70 mph (113 km/h) limit on British motorways. This was in fact a major factor in the decision, after a coupe version was caught doing 196 mph (315 km/h) during a test run.

The rest they say is history!

In late 1962 Alan Turner, AC's chief engineer completed a major design change of the car's front end and was able to fit it with rack and pinion steering while still using transverse leaf spring suspension. The new car entered production in early 1963 and was designated the Mark II.

Our car was directly purchased from the previous owner; a world famous ex racing driver/team owner who has owned and raced many of the most desirable Ferrari's, Ford GT40's and Cobra's, recently became one of the best known Cobra owners in the world, when in 2007 he sold his 427 'Super Snake' which at the time made a world record of over $5.5M USD.

CSX 2281 was also his personal car, fully restored to near-concours originality, slightly modified for spirited driving, while retaining its important original features for historical posterity. Finished in the original exterior colour of Wimbledon White, with twin Guardsman Blue stripes and although sold new in 1964 as a standard alloy bodied street car, it was upgraded in the 1970s with an era-correct Paxton Supercharger, a chrome roll bar and wider racing wire wheels.

In 1990, during a frame off restoration, for enhanced driveability, the car's original 289 engine (#3983) was replaced with a new balanced and blue-printed Ford Motorsports SVO 302 cubic-inch engine including many high performance internal parts, plus a fabricated exhaust manifold and a larger aluminium radiator. The transmission was also replaced with a rebuilt T-10 unit featuring taller third and fourth gears. Meanwhile, the original C4OE high-performance engine, C4OE cast-iron manifold and alloy-case T-10 L transmission have been retained separately, and accompany the car as part of the spares package.

The 289 offers a fantastic driving experience, demonstrating that the combination of a Paxton supercharger, mated to an SVO 302 engine, produces extraordinarily linear power, making this Cobra a joy to drive, delivering modern-day performance in a totally correct and iconic 289 Cobra. Without doubt, this is a unique car in the extent to which the care in the hands of prior owners is reflected in the voluminous documentation and records, even down to the original keys which still remain with it to this day! Finally accompanying the extensive documentation is an independent report from one of the world's leading expert on AC Cobra's confirming # CSX2281 "near-concours originality and historical importance".