quote:
Originally posted by BBK
Thank you for the responses regarding tail lights. Very interesting. Love the pictures posted.
Another question from a newbie....the two cars shown posted (silver and gray) do not seem to have the "Autokraft" script below the "AC" emblem on the trunk lid (boot). The cars I have seen for sale here in the U.S. have the "Autokraft" script on the trunk lid. Were the cars posted modified to eliminate the script, or is this how they were produced for the English market? Also, the U.S. cars I have seen (except for the Dingman car) have a different dash area. Most Autokraft cars I have seen have a center stack area that runs from the dash down to the drive tunnel, which area includes knobs for the ventilation controls. Have the posted cars had the dashes modified to eliminate the portion running down to the drive tunnel?
Any idea how much Redline wants for their red, left hand drive car?
Thank you!
Photos of the early MkIVs in England I've seen had the 'Autokraft' badge on the boot (trunk). Up until 1986, Brian Angliss's Autokraft was a separate company from AC and used the AC trademark under licence for the Mk IV. In 1986, Ford took up a 51% share in AC Cars and Brian Angliss also became Managing Director of AC Cars who were gearing up to produce their new Ace. The relationship soured in the early '90s and in 1992 Angliss bought out Ford's share in AC.
The grey car is one of a handful of Mk IV lightweights (26?) produced from 1990 onwards with the original dash from the '60s cars. The photos I've seen of the Lightweights either have the Cobra badge or the AC badge but not the Autokraft one. These cars are generally considered to be the pick of the Mk IVs - this one is on sale I believe for £150,000 ($237,000).
http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/find/4100_results.asp?&dealerid=670&lCarID=1832353 The silver car is a late UK market Mk IV from 1994 and others of that time period also do not have the Autokraft badge.
I'm not clear when the Mk IV officially became an AC rather than an Autokraft manufactured car but 1992, when Angliss took a majority stakeholding in AC, might have been the time.
In Europe, unlike the States, AC/Autokraft were allowed to use the 'Cobra' moniker until June 2002.
If you don't already have a copy, it's well worth getting hold of a copy of Trevor Legate's 'Cobra: The First 40 Years' which covers the Autokraft cars and history of the Company:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cobra-The-First-40-Years/dp/0955102006 Redline's contact details are at:
http://www.redlinepe.co.uk/contact-us