The AC marque is most famous for its Cobra; a 7 litre monster that had a blatant disregard for social status. But the company began with a far less ambitious machine with its first commercial vehicle- the 1904 AutoCarrier.
The firm was founded by John Weller in 1901, and the Autocarrier was produced under the brand Autocar & Accessories Limited. It soon became a fashionable delivery van for businesses and sold well.
The company made steady progress until World War One, when it contributed to the war effort by producing shells and fuses. Soon after, a change in the company hierarchy saw Selwyn Francis Edge become the outright owner. AC Cars Limited was born.
Fast forward 40 years and AC had gone through several dramatic changes in fortune. In September 1961 Carroll Shelby airmailed them a proposal for an AC bodied two-seater V8 sports car.
“Ray Brock with Peterson Publication came to me and said Ford has a new small block V8 and you might put something together with them. I also knew that AC had lost their deal with Bristol engines.” – Carroll Shelby
AC accepted the proposal and the first vehicles were shipped to California. Carroll Shelby’s confidence ensured the project raced ahead as he secured $25,000 from Ford by claiming he would “build a couple of prototypes that would blow the Corvettes off into the weeds.”
He also secured manpower and a factory. The stage was set for the idea to become reality. The name Cobra came to Shelby in a dream. He woke up and noted it down on a pad he kept on his bedside table. The next morning he rose, saw the note and instantly knew it was right.
The Cobra was based on the existing AC Ace and early models showed little difference. Despite early problems with the chassis, the FIA approved the Cobra for their Manufacturers’ Championship just six months later. In January 1963 Dave MacDonald and Ken Miles raced Cobras at Riverside International Raceway. They placed first and second, with Miles pitting for a glass of water before returning to re-lap the Corvette Stingrays.
Despite dominating American competition, the Cobra could not break the international racing dominance of Ferrari. It had captured the hearts of the American market, with famous names like Bill Cosby and Steve McQueen on the order list. But Carroll Shelby’s frustration grew as his creation finished behind Ferrari in every single international race that season.
The big breakthrough came at Sebring in March 1964 when the Ferrari was finally beaten. Although it didn’t represent the quality of the vehicles at the time, it was a sign of potential, and the catalyst for the Cobra to become one of the most notorious racing cars of all time.
Carroll Shelby had developed a deep resentment for Ferrari while racing for Aston Martin at Le Mans in the 1950’s. He watched many Ferrari drivers die on track, and blamed Enzo Ferrari for the loss of his racing colleagues. Shelby turned down a contract to race for Ferrari on more than one occasion, despite the superiority of the machines.
In 1963 Henry Ford made a move to buy Ferrari, who were struggling financially. Enzo Ferrari snubbed Ford in dismissive fashion, and instead struck a deal with Fiat. This was no longer just a battle between Carroll Shelby and Enzo Ferrari, it was a war of speed between two of the world’s biggest car manufacturers
Plans for a big block V8 version of the car soon became reality, and in 1965, Shelby’s machines rolled out in force. 6 of the 8 races in the 1965 season were won by Cobras. The machines smashed the imperious hold of Ferrari and swept to the World Sportscar Championship.
South Wales Classic Car 