1967 Shelby 427 Cobra
Carroll Shelby’s concept was direct: fit an American V-8 into a proven British sports car chassis. Starting with a 260 CI Ford prototype in January 1962 (installed in an AC Ace body), the design iterated quickly.
The Mk III, introduced in 1965, brought a new coil-spring chassis capable of handling Ford’s 427 CI big-block V-8. Wider bodywork, pronounced wheel-arch flares, and a larger radiator intake defined the look of the 427-equipped cars.
In race-prepared form, the 427 produced well in excess of 400 bhp (competition versions were commonly rated at 425 bhp), and the car’s power-to-weight ratio allowed 0-60 mph sprints of around four seconds.
Three specification levels were available for the big-block coil-spring Cobras: full Competition, S/C (semi-competition), and Street. Competition examples were equipped with an oil cooler, side exhaust, external fuel filler, front and rear jacking points, a roll bar, and a 42-gallon fuel tank.
Around 1,000 Cobras of all types (260/289 and 427/428 combined) were produced between 1962 and 1967, with AC Cars supplying bodies and chassis from England to Shelby American’s California facility for final assembly.
Of those, 348 were coil-spring big-block Cobras (1965-1967 427 and 428 cars combined), including approximately 260 Street cars, 19 production Competition roadsters plus 2 Competition prototypes, and 31 S/C models.
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