In a bid to build a car that could beat Ferrari, Carroll Shelby rammed a brutish V8 into the beautiful British built AC Ace. The very first of these Aces housed a 4260cc (260ci) V8, however, as the 427 suggests, later models squeezed a huge 427ci (7 litre) Ford V8.
![AC Cobra 427 - [1966] image](/editionimages/649.jpg "AC Cobra 427 - [1966] image")
AC Cobra 427 - [1966]
With 480 lb/ft of torque coarsing through it's veins the AC Cobra beefed up its chassis to cope. The combination of a huge V8 in the front of a relatively lightweight Brit even with a stronger chassis was still an animal around the race track. Coil Springs were also introduced to try to tame the power further, and with 410 bhp at 6000 rpm, 0 to 60mph in 4.2 seconds the suspension most definitely required an overhaul.
Over the years the timeless looks and format of the AC Cobra have been copied, with a plethora of Kit Car replicas now available. This is testament to the simplicity of the Cobra thinking of a huge engine in a lightweight open top car. The real charm of the car is the mix of muscle-bound, aggressive yet classic looks and V8 rawness that few marques have matched over the decades.
Huge 7 litre V8 grunt, Open top V8 experience, Classic looks
Taming the huge rear wheel power. Keeping warm in the winter.
Fiat 124 Abarth Rallye
Engine: Naturally Aspirated Petrol | 1756cc 8v St4
Top Speed: 118 mph
0-60mph: 7.50 seconds
Volkswagen-VW Touareg 4.2 V8 FSI
Engine: Naturally Aspirated Petrol | 4163cc 32v V8
Top Speed: 233.3 kph
0-100kph: 7.4 seconds
