1964' AC Cobra

Initially the AC factory only made chassis for Shelby, all with CSX numbers, but an agreement was soon reached to produce cars for the European market. Engines and gearboxes were sent by Shelby to Europe to be assembled with the British-built cars and given a 'COB' (CObra Britain, right-hand drive) or 'COX' (CObra eXport, left-hand drive for Europe) chassis number. The total production represents 62 examples of which 45 COB, and 17 COX, for Europe of which our car is part. This car was delivered on 26 November 1963 to the Chardonnet factory in Pantin, the official importer of the brand at the time. It was one of the first three produced for the European market, all three delivered to Chardonnet. COX6003 was painted in "Vineyard Green" and its interior was covered in beige leather. The car was sold new in France and repainted in 1974 in white. At that time, it was registered 3588 QA 37, and photos were given to us by the then owner alongside his Ferrari 275. Lucky man!
The successive owners prove that the car never left France: Vincent leaving avenue des Ternes Paris 17eme (682 JY 14), Landé, Collombo, De Mortemart well known to have raced Le Mans 24H with a Cobra, Mercier (7273 UD 75) en 1967, Landreau, Petit, Van den Doorn (71), Mouveau (74), then Bertrand Duthoo who bought the car from his friend and collector Antoine Mouveau of the Château de Bridoré in southern Touraine. The car was then grey, whereas Antoine Mouveau had bought it in green with a yellow stripe from a Parisian garage in the Pigalle district. The latter resold it through the famous British Motors, rue Gros in Paris, to the second last owner who bought the car in December 1977, as the invoice in the file attests. This AC Cobra remained in the hands of this owner for 40 years, restored in the 1980s and repainted in red (note that the colours available for the first Cobras were red or white), and its upholstery tinted in black.
It has since been very well maintained, receiving in 2006 an engine and gearbox restoration, the car having only covered 1500 kilometres since then. It finally changed hands in July 2018 through Historic Cars; to enter again in the collection of a French amateur, who undertook a beautiful restoration to put it back in its original colours; and asked Equipe Europe and GGA to revise the mechanical part. Since then it has been used sporadically on sunny days in the French countryside. This is a rare Cobra 289 MKII that has only known a few owners and has remained very original, not to be missed!