1986 AC Cobra MKIV 'Short Nose'

The MKIV Cobra was manufactured by AC / Autokraft at Brooklands Motor Circuit, sharing many similarities to the period motorcars. The MKIV wore strikingly similar hand wheeled aluminium bodywork, wrapped to a coil sprung ladder chassis. This particular left hand drive example, was supplied new to Mr Fayer Bayzid during 1986 to the following specification taken from the AC Factory Build Ledger that we hold.

‘ Left Hand Drive, Black with Red Stripe body colour, Black Trim and Tonneau, Hood Scoop, Shortened Nose, Auto Transmission and oil cooler’. Following delivery of the vehicle it was exported to Portugal later that year. After a short term overseas it was repatriated by its second owner Mr Leslie Kitson in August of 1988. Under Mr Kitson’s care the motorcar was dispatched to Autokraft for a manual gearbox conversion.

Date of First Registration: 10/04/1986
Chassis Number: AK1147
Mileage: 37400


The paperwork indicates that the following mechanical upgrades had been installed over a 6 year period:

- Detachable roll over bar ( included in sale, not mounted)
- Harvey Bailey front/rear anti roll bars
- Uprated front and rear coil springs
- All round Koni adjustable shock absorbers front and rear
- Aeroquip stainless steel brake lines
- At this time Mr Kitson had a 302cu SVO lightweight engine built by Performance Unlimited of Dunnington, apparently to this specification
- Ford Motorsport 302 Block (Four Bolt Mains)
- Crower Rods
- Custom made alloy pistons
- Crower '3/4 Race’ Camshaft
- Baffled Alloy Sump
- Uprated Oil Pump
- Bosch Fuel Pump
- Mallory Dual Point Distributor
- Gas flowed Ford Motorsport GT40- type cylinder heads
- Roller Rockers
- 4 to 1 Balanced exhaust manifold
- Full dual stainless steel rear exit exhaust system
- Quad 44 IDF Weber Downdraught Carburettors
- Kenlowe Fan
- Doug Nash (Richmond) 5 Speed Gearbox with Hurst Shifter
- Lakewood Shatterproof Bell Housing
- Full Dual Stainless Steel Exhaust

Most of these works were carried out at 20,000 miles are documented in the comprehensive history file. The result of these works left the vehicle with 380 bhp and 370 ft/lbs of torque at the time of the build, and is suitable for use of lead free fuels. The motorcar is lent a more period feel by its Moto-Lita woodrim steering wheel and 15 inch alloy wheels with three eared knock offs and Le Mans fuel filler cap. It left Mr Kitson’s ownership in 2001 with 32,000 miles seeing only light use and servicing from RW Racing Services, it changed hands once more in 2011 to the most recent owner, who had the car refinished in a straight black similar to the original specification.

The appealing enhanced motorcar has just been through a AC heritage service and inspection and possesses a MOT certificate.

- SOLD -