AC production ends in UK . . .

[Louise]

This is in the News section of Autocar 14 Oct 2003 on Page 13.

Nightynight,

Louise :Y

[Mike]

See http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/t...60751&f=57&h=0
for more details.
Mike
Ahhh...I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again...

[Paul B]

Last weekend in Sunday Mirror there was an article by Quentin Willson whcih stated that AC could produce a composite body Cobra in Malta then ship the body's to the USA where Shelby would "shoehorn in his legendary lumps".

The finished articles would be sold for around £24,000.

A. Is this correct ?
B. Does this mean that Shelby is actually working with AC?
C. Does this mean that Shelby is trying to takeover AC ?
D. At £24k, this would / could seriously undermine the upper echelon of the replica market such as GD, Crendon etc as well as reduce secondhand values of all replica's.

Will Shelby win in the end ????


Am I paranoid ?

[Mike]

Looks like a similar company called AC has been set up in Malta to sell AC Cobras. The UK company appears to have had a verbal agreement which has been 'terminated'
Mike
Ahhh...I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again...

[kdavies3]

I read the same article, it's rather sketchy on info to say the least.
I would have thought if it was true it would have been all over the motoring press.
It doesn't state what engine they would use either.

At £24000 in Quentin's own words "they would sell like the elixir of youth"

http://animatedgif.net/flags/-flags-uncat/Wales.gif

Kev Davies
Dax, 383ci Chevy Stroker, Tremec TKO
South Wales

[Grease Monkey]

The prices sound like fantasy to me.

I remember various cars through recent history, like the Subaru Impretza 22B (Road legal McCrae rally car) which was allegedly on the market in Japan for 25k or thereabouts. By the time it made it over here it was nearer £40k, and now you can't get one for under £100k.

As my old pappy said to me, if it sounds too good to be true, it always is, just walk away.


There ain't no replacement for displacement.. GD427 on order
Why the hell and i doing this?!!

[Robin427]

A new AC may be cheaper... but it won't be better...


Robin

Drive it like you stole it...
http://www.creffield.com/cobra/index.html

[dave]

Robin.
You're begining to sound like a GD owner!!!}( }(

£24K......................I'm shaking in my boots - NOT!

AC were charging over £500 for a pair of stone guards................................So it won't be coming with any of those on then!
:-; :-; :-;

[cobra_dude]

I dont think the south african Shelby car, which is built at the CAV factory yes CAV GT40 fame, will be £24k. It will most likey be around the £40k mark(as a engine/trans minus package roller) as we all know what something costs in $$$dollars we over here pay in ££££pounds reguardless of the 1.65$/£ exchange rate! So figure £50k+ for a finished car!!!!
But from what i have learnt from the New York/Long Island Shelby dealer HRE Motorsports there is little or no difference between the two types of cars Shelby offers. In fact it has improvements over the original suspension design.
For those who are under the impression that a genuine cobra (pre Dax DiDion and GD) is a total dinosaur in the handling department, i went out in a Winston Cup small block engined, well 7 litre 700hp Cleavor (half windsor short block with cleveland canted heads) CSX4000 series car and it handled unexpectedly maybe as good as any modern replica using doner suspension parts with no added handling aids!
Yeah i think Shelby is out to steal the sales from some of the companies offering renditions to his and AC original product, but i dont think that it will harm the uk cobra scene that much. Just bare in mind its a complete car not a kit.
Here its all 350 chevy and cream leather with twin roll bars, in the states its Ford and relatively nothing but Ford. I doubt very much that who ever is the appointed Shelby dealer for the uk will be offering chevy engine mounts as an option if he wants to keep his dealership contract.
Again on a old subject content we all know the history stories about chevy being his first choice, in real terms that never came about.
In all it will be an exclusive expensive alternative to the cars we have already on offer here. Maybe looking for previous buyers of AC Mk4 cars or the TVR Rover engined cars Marcos and alike.
So as i see it no UK based cobra manufacturer will loose any sales or sleepless nights worrying about these cars, but stateside it could be a different story!

Adrian

[Kevin W]

I think the CAV GT40 is nearer £68k, so will not be a cut-price item.

Kev