chasing my dreams .... AC COBRA
And this is my dream, I hope that I can catch them ....
This car with the soul, takes us into the climate of these 60 years.
bit of history:
Carroll Shelby is not a typical Yankee. First of all, know where France is, he knows that the racetrack can be corners in both parties, as opposed to the American NASCAR tracks. Able to drive a car with manual transmission, and most importantly - really knows how to build a sports car! In the last century, '50 Shelby raced the British Austin-Healeyami and Aston-marinas so successful that in 1959 won the Le Mans, which probably did not matter to his countrymen. Shelby so he took up the construction of cars. In the early '60s, the British company AC Cars unsuccessfully attempted to build a sports car. Like many contemporary manufacturers, AC has focused on the chassis and body no worries about such detail as the engine. There came, however, is to insert BIG engines, so beautiful bodywork were driven units with a capacity of 2.6 liters, which did not guarantee specific performance.
And here's the fate of AC Cars and Carroll Shelby converge. Shelby proposes work (save the British from bankruptcy), and they in turn build the bodywork, into which you can insert a V8 engine. The first body it fly to Los Angeles in 1962, where Shelby is screwed to it Small engine small-block V8 with a capacity of 4.2 liters, the bridge from the Jaguar E-type, and so created the first Cobra Mark After a year of Shelby bolted the steering gear from VW Beetle and the new badge - Mark II. The year is 1965, the Rolling Stones singing "I Can not Get No Satisfaction," and Shelby knows he does not sing about him.
Carroll already has a Cobra Mark III and Cobra gives a lot of satisfaction: the main elements supporting frame are constructed of 4 inch pipe, all-wheel-mounted coil springs, wide fenders, a great mouth of the inlet air and light, aluminum body - silvery luster aluminum paint was redundant. For this siedmiolitrowy V8 engine developed for NASCAR - Ford 427, rated at 425 horses. This explosive mix of twisted together accelerates to 262 km / h version of the "road". Racing version has a 485 horse power and accelerates to 290 km / h. I remember the world does not know yet what low-profile tires.
Shelbyego dream to kick ass shapely Chevrolet Corvette is fulfilled. Cobras win. But there are absolute, do not forgive mistakes, they often become the last car in the lives of their drivers. Despite the success racing AC Cars company gets into financial trouble. In 1967, Shelby is forced to terminate the relationship with the British manufacturer.
One could think of it, so ends the story of this amazing roadster, so it did not happen. Cobra survive until the number of replicas, which have been well sold around the world. Some of them are so faithfully reconstructed and Carroll Shelby that he is surprised that they are better than the Cobras. And the best of bodywork Kirkham Motorsport's are built not in Britain, but w. .. Poland, namely the Mielec.
And so the legend alive for over 45 years.
Man hopes to maintain its continuation ......
