Legacy of the FFR Roadster

In the aftermath of World War II, many car manufacturers, especially European ones, experimented with the relatively less expensive roadster or spyder configuration: a topless two-seater sports car. A British company, Auto Carriers, Ltd. that marketed under the AC brand, introduced the Ace Bristol Roadster in 1954 that is generally considered to be the “grandfather” of the FFR Roadster.

1956 Ace Bristol, the grandfather of the FFR Mk3

The Ace was initially powered by a 2.0 litre six-cylinder engine, but this power plant became outmoded by 1960, so AC turned to major American manufacturers for an upgrade. General Motors, already successful in the two-seater sport car niche with its Corvette, had no commercial interest in the Ace, but Ford, without an entry in this segment, entered into a joint development agreement. See also 24 Hours Le Mans section.

Ford had already developed a 4.2 litre (260 cubic inch) lightweight, thin-wall, high performance V8 engine. In 1962, a modified Ford 4.2 V8 was fitted into a new prototype chassis, the CSX, and in short order the AC Cobra was born as the Mark I model. At the end of the Mark I production run, 51 Cobras were fitted with a larger version of the Windsor Ford engine, the 289ci (4.7 L) V8, and became known as 289 AC Cobras.

1956 Ace Bristol logo (courtesy of Cartype)

The AC design team, led by chief engineer Alan Turner, completed a redesign of the Cobra front end primarily to fit a then state-of-the-art rack and pinion steering system comprised of MGB and VW Beetle parts. The new prototype, introduced as the Mark II in 1963, still used an older spring leaf suspension suspension, but was fitted with a higher powered 4.7L Ford V8.

A Mark II AC Cobra (289 Cobra) won the Le Mans race on June 21, 1964, but as the last Mark II Cobras were assembled at the end of 1964, it became clear that the spring leaf suspension would no longer remain competitive on the racing circuit. A new prototype, now jointly designed with Ford in Detroit, merged a four-inch tubular chassis and coil spring suspension with the 427 Ford V8. To accommodate the engine, the radiator opening was enlarged and the body contour modified slightly. Launched in 1965, the Mark III model, despite its classic appearance and exciting high performance, financially flopped even at the relative bargain price of around $8,000 (the 1967 Ford Shelby Mustang GT 500, for comparison, had an original base price of $4,200); only 340 complete roadsters were sold.

Passage of the 1970 Clear Air Act effectively eliminated the AC Cobra from the U.S. market since it would have mandated expensive safety and emission modifications in post-1969 models. The AC Cobra roadster was last advertised for sale in August 1968 (production ended in March 1967).

Dick Smith's CSX 3035, the 1965 model used by FFR for its Roadster body shell (courtesy of Factory Five Racing), but originally painted silver, was part of the first batch of 427s exported to the U.S. from the AC factory, Thames Ditton, Surrey, England. The FFR Mk4 body refinements better mirror the original.

The history of, and the credit for, the Cobra legacy has been a matter of controversy. To save costs and time in the short production runs of the Cobra, AC and Ford initially arranged to ship “raw” unpainted Mark IIIs to Carroll Shelby's workshop for finishing (the first 63 Mark III 427 Cobras, CSX 3001 through CSX 3063, were not painted by the AC factory and shipped between October 1964 and April 1965; most of the remaining production was painted in England using Ford colors). See Shelby and Cobra Development section.

Shelby, an American automotive design and former race car driver, helped the Cobra, especially the Mark III model, achieve iconic status among high performance, esoteric sports cars. While many people contributed to the Cobra design concept and prototypes, Shelby is the name most identified with the brand. Ironically, the Cobra was never a financial success as a production car in the 1960s. Only decades later, driven by escalating auction prices, did the Cobra achieve the remarkable recognition it enjoys today.

The so-called Cobra replica industry, born out of the rarity of the original car, has generally preserved the exterior design. Each replica manufacturer has based their products on slightly different versions of the Cobra, some of which were themselves customized from small original production runs, so while Cobra replicas generally appear very similar from a distance, small idiosyncrasies can be identified. For example, the FFR Mk3 Roadster boasts a “perky butt” rear trunk that is both criticized and praised.

Due to the complex evolution of the AC Ace Bristol to the iconic AC Shelby Cobra Mark III, it is difficult to precisely define what the FFR Mk3.1 Roadster is actually a replica of. It is perhaps more accurate to say that the FFR 3.1 is a “re-interpretation” of the classic 1960-era Roadster with modern components. Specifically, the FFR 3.1 is best described as a replica of the 1965 AC Cobra Mark III regardless of the engine type or size installed (see also Body Badges and period-correct colors).

The FFR Mk4 refines the body shell so that it is a more period-correct representation of the AC Cobra Mark III.

Original AC Cobra brochure, circa 1964, for the CSX2000 "B" series street roadster

This production history was gathered from several sources, including Shelby American Automobile Club Registry, Wikipedia, the Cobra Club forum, and England's Total Kit Car. Record keeping, by today's business standards, was informal back in the 1960s and a precise production history cannot be recreated with confidence. See also AC Cobra Timeline.

NOTES
¹ includes 9 partial vehicles, five of which had special long wheelbases for Paramount Pictures; the AC Cobra finished production, therefore, totals 994 vehicles
² the Ford 428ci V8 was substituted late in the Mark III production run, beginning with CSX3101, but records are incomplete and some roadsters with 428 engines were later retrofitted back with 427s
³ COB (Cobras for the domestic market in Great Britain) and COX (Cobras for export to countries other than USA and England) represented about 9% of total production marketed as the AC Cobra with AC trunk badge without the Ford side louver emblem; some right-hand drive, and 289 engines were apparently installed in some COB/COX roadsters after 1964. The five 289 FIA racers customized for European competition were CSX2259, CSX2260, CSX2323, CSX2345, and CSX2301, all painted Viking Blue.

Very few AC Cobras of any model have survived in pristine condition without modification or customization by a succession of owners. In this sense, there is no “true” Cobra standard, especially since small changes were often made in the course of the short production runs. From the very beginning, the AC Cobra was a handmade vehicle, and unlike its assembly line cousins, consequently departed from rigid manufacturing guidelines. Of course, this is part of the charm of these classic automobiles.

The following photographs feature an unrestored 1964 AC Cobra 289 street roadster (courtesy of Motortrend), initially painted red at the factory, but repainted yellow by the original owner.

The street roadster were built with undercarriage exhaust (no side pipes), locking twistoff gas cap, no roll bars, and over-rider chrome bumpers with hoop surrounds instead of quick jacks (contrast to the 427 Competition photos that follow).

After the launch of the Mark III model in 1965, Ford built 21 race versions, including 2 prototypes, with heavy duty stub axles, 3.54 rear end, heavy duty springs, Koni shocks, modified A-arms, sway bars, steel flex brake lines and a low-cut competition windshield. A handful of these Competition AC Cobras featured a dry-sump lubrication system, a $550 option at the time.

The following photographs feature a restored 1966 Mark III 427 Competition AC Cobra with the dry-sump system. This car was raced by Tom Payne of Thomas Payne European Cars, Inc. in 1967 using number 13. The new Rangoon Red paint reflects the original color, but blue and white racing strips have been removed.

This race version should not to be confused with the 31 iconic Semi-Competition, or S/C, Cobras that were also assembled in 1966.