quote:
Originally posted by Chafford
Makes an interesting comparison with Hexagon's genuine LHD 289 Sports on sale at £399,000
http://www.hexagonclassics.com/car_sales/AC-Cobra-289-MK111/3286.htm
Use of the 'Cobra' model name and Mk Numbers has become confused over the years, non more so than for Thames Ditton made coil-spring cars.
In their 1960s publicity, AC Cars made a very clear differentiation between coil-spring cars they manufactured for Shelby, and those for AC Cars.
For the record, to my best understanding the facts from the 1960s can be summarised as follows:
a. The coil-spring chassis was the Mk II chassis;
b. There was no known formal MkIII designation by the factory;
c. 315 coil spring cars were made by AC Cars under contract for Shelby, who marketed the cars as the 'Shelby Cobra ...';
d. 27 coil spring cars were made by AC Cars for their own purposes. These cars were marketed as the 'AC 289 Sports'.
e. In period, there was no coil-spring car marketed as an 'AC Cobra 289 MkIII'.
John