AC

Cobra Mk IV

Brian Angliss—the founder of AutoKraft—ran a small restoration shop in the 1970s and specialized in the legendary Shelby Cobra. In 1982, he acquired the naming rights from AC Cars Ltd. and the right to build Cobra-style vehicles.

Type of offer

Sales

Brand

Model

Cobra Mk IV

Year of manufacture

1990

Price in CHF

255'000

Mileage

4900

Cylinder

Displacement

4942

Power

228

Transmission type

Manual transmission

Ford took notice of these beautiful roadsters, and so in 1987 a partnership was formed with AutoKraft, and the company was granted permission to use the name “Cobra” and the corresponding logo from that point on. It is therefore only natural that the Cobra Mk IV, produced in Surrey, England, is regarded in the scene as the legitimate successor or continuation of the original Shelby Cobras from the 1960s. Like those models, the Mk IV features a tubular-frame chassis, a wide aluminum body, and a Ford powertrain—approximately 480 vehicles were produced between 1986 and 1996.

Our vehicle—AK1238—was built in January 1989 and delivered to the Swiss importer Exclusive Cars in Versoix. Since Cobras were hard to sell at the time, the car remained with the importer and was displayed at its booth at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1990. In June of that year, the Mk IV was registered for the first time and used as a demonstration vehicle. In August 1995, with 1,150 kilometers on the odometer, the beautiful roadster was finally purchased by its first—and so far only—private owner.

Because he emigrated in August 2000, he deregistered the Cobra and parked it in his dry garage for nearly 24 years. Since he didn’t want to part with his beloved roadster and to avoid storage damage as much as possible, he treated himself to a drive at least once a year during each visit to his old home, using the U-plates of a garage owner friend. In May 2024, the AC was retrieved from its storage and subsequently and carefully brought back into service. With approximately 4,900 kilometers on the odometer, the Cobra is in remarkably original condition. The Ford 5-liter V8 with fuel injection and a catalytic converter produces 228 PS and runs flawlessly, and the 5-speed transmission shifts perfectly and crisply. The most recent vehicle inspection (MFK) as a classic car took place in June 2024.