Overview
1965 AC Cobra
1989 AC Mark IV
Great ideas never go out of style! In the 1980s, Brian Angliss in England saw a hole in the sports car market and acted to rectify it. Angliss had launched a business in the 1970s that specialized in Shelby Cobra repair and parts. He was able to scale up to producing cars after he acquired the rights to the AC trademark, along with original tooling used by AC for their European sports cars and the cars sent to Shelby American that became Shelby Cobras.
By the mid-1980s production of the Autokraft AC Mk IV was in full swing in England. Angliss leveraged the same jigs and dies used to build the original AC cars, combined with modern updates required to meet the safety and emissions regulations of the time. The car was exported to several markets, including the USA where select Ford dealers sold them. It was rumored to be a favorite among Ford and Roush executives, who bought several of the very limited-edition sports car.
Bob Bonduarnt was said to have favored a small block Shelby Cobra roadster using the big block's advanced coil spring suspension, but was overruled when Shelby began focusing on the Ford GT40 program. The Mark IV is the realization of Bondurant's vision.
The MK IVs utilized aluminum bodies, as did the original AC sports cars, but had added features such as 5-mph bumpers. Engine options varied over the production run, but the later cars, like the one offered here, were powered by Ford's 5.0-liter HO EFI V8 teamed with a Borg-Warner T5 5-speed manual transmission.
The Mk IV has a larger interior than the original with modern instruments and switchgear, headrests, and a collapsible steering column. The cars had a 4-inch tubular frame, independent suspension front and rear, rack-and-pinion steering, and a limited slip differential.
AK-1334 is an amazing example of those Mk IV sports cars. With its Rosso Corso Glasurit BASF paint, tan Connolly leather interior, and wood-rim steering wheel, it is every bit the classic European sports car with an American V8 twist. Interior options include a Pioneer radio with speakers and electric antenna, and a wooden gearshift knob. The car has an oil cooler and oil temperature/pressure gauge in place of the clock.
The Mk IV is fitted with Halibrand-style knock-off wheels and has a full-size spare tire, Thor wheel hammer, and a frame jack and crank. AK-1334 comes with a tonneau cover and roof with plastic rear window.
This AC Mark IV is 50 state legal; it is titled and registered in (insert info) with 452 miles and is available for $189,950.
