Carroll Shelby’s simple plan of fitting a Ford V-8 engine into the chassis of an AC Ace proved to be a brilliant idea, with the Shelby Cobra quickly becoming one of the most iconic sports cars of its era. Initially housing a 260-cubic inch V-8 engine, then a 289-cubic inch powerplant, a new, stronger coil-suspended chassis was introduced in 1965 to fit the big-block 427-cubic inch V-8—which in race trim could produce in excess of 450 horsepower. Wider…
Carroll Shelby’s simple plan of fitting a Ford V-8 engine into the chassis of an AC Ace proved to be a brilliant idea, with the Shelby Cobra quickly becoming one of the most iconic sports cars of its era. Initially housing a 260-cubic inch V-8 engine, then a 289-cubic inch powerplant, a new, stronger coil-suspended chassis was introduced in 1965 to fit the big-block 427-cubic inch V-8—which in race trim could produce in excess of 450 horsepower. Wider bodywork, extended wheel-arch flares, and a bigger radiator intake combined to create the legendarily aggressive 427 Cobra.