You can’t be a fan of Shelby Cobra kit cars and not love the original Cobra! Nothing says “classic car” like a Shelby Cobra. First introduced in 1962, the Shelby Cobra set a new standard for muscle cars everywhere. Replica car enthusiasts everywhere will love these trivia tidbits about the original Cobras.
1. The Shelby Mustang GT 500 was a lot more powerful than advertised.
We’re all used to advertisements that stretch the truth. Normally it’s because advertisers want to emphasize(or over-emphasize) the best qualities of a product. In the case of the Shelby Mustang GT, manufactures tried to under-emphasize the car’s horsepower. Manufactures listed the car’s horsepower as 335, a low estimate sure to please insurance companies. Its actual horsepower was closer to 400.
2. The Original AC Cobras Were Marketed as “Corvette-Beaters”
The Chevrolet Corvette seems likes an odd competitor for the AC Cobra, considering the fact that it outweighs the latter car by about 500 pounds. The AC Cobra was lighter than other racing cars and roadsters, which could weigh up to 3,400 pounds. In 1964, an AC Cobra Coupe reached 186 mph (that’s 299 km/h) on a British motorway. The Coupe’s comparatively lightweight design no doubt played a role in this success.
3. The Cobra Got Even Lighter in the 90s.
In 1990, the lightweight version of the Cobra debuted at the Geneva Salon weighing only 2,360 pounds–down almost three hundred pounds from its predecessor. Not only that, power was up to 370 hp at 5,750 rpm.
4. Carroll Shelby Built a Tiny Amount of Cobras in the 60s
Thank goodness for Shelby Cobra kit cars! Otherwise, Cobra enthusiasts might have been disappointed about small output of the classic car. the From 1962 to 1968, Carroll Shelby built 654 small-block Cobras in addition to 350 big-block versions. As of 1968, less than a thousand Cobras had been built. These numbers include all manner of vehicles, from street cars to competition cars and semi-competition roadsters. Of course, with replica car kits, today’s Cobra fans need not despair.
Fans of muscle cars and roadsters alike can appreciate the simultaneously timeless and innovative designs of the original AC Cobra models.