AC Cars Cobra Price Guide

The AC Cobra is one of the most famous and valuable sports cars in history. Born when Texan racing driver Carroll Shelby persuaded AC to install Ford V8 engines in the Ace chassis, the Cobra became the car that beat Ferrari in international GT racing and created a legend that has endured for over sixty years.

The Evolution

The first Cobras used a 260 cubic-inch Ford V8, quickly upgraded to the 289 (4.7-litre) producing between 271 and 355bhp depending on tune. The Mk II 289 Cobra featured wider arches, rack-and-pinion steering replacing the Ace’s worm-and-sector system, and improved brakes. Around 654 289 Cobras were built from 1962 to 1965, most at AC’s Thames Ditton factory in Surrey. The Mk III 427 Cobra of 1965 was a radically different car: a completely new tubular chassis with coil-spring independent suspension replaced the leaf-spring Ace-derived setup, and the 427 cubic-inch (7.0-litre) Ford V8 produced up to 485bhp. Just 348 427 Cobras were built. The AC 289 Sports, built from 1966 without Shelby’s involvement, continued the 289 formula for the European market.

Buying

Genuine Cobras operate in the six-figure to seven-figure range. The 427 is the most valuable, followed by the competition 289s. Provenance and documentation are critical at this level. The Cobra is the most replicated car in history — thousands of replicas exist, many of excellent quality — and expert authentication is essential for any car presented as genuine. The Cobra Mk IV, produced by AC from 1982, is a legitimate continuation car but is not a 1960s original. The Greyhound four-seater tourer was AC’s attempt to create a more practical car from the Ace platform during the same period.