AC Owners Club Forum
AC Owners Club Forum => Mk IV, Superblower, CRS and other Continuation Cars Forum => Topic started by: Tony3603 on May 05, 2009, 20:16:15
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have a friend that purchased a 1993 AC Mk IV US car with chassis
number AKS1439.
It has an unique color scheme – white with two thin gold stripes on
each side of a single red stripe. We have seen several AC Cobra Mk IV
brochures that show a similar color scheme but on a right hand drive
car. The interior is black with red piping with the shifter and hand
brake boots in red leather. The car appears to have some of the ‘AKL’
light weight body components including the short nose, engine scoop,
front air intake vents, single roll bar, and the dash board does not
run down to the transmission tunnel. It is a US car with side impact
tubing and a standard 5.0L motor, including all US emissions.
We would like to determine the origin and reason for the AKS chassis
number. We have speculated the AKS either designates a special
construction or US car during the build of the lightweight Cobra which
would have not come to the US. We have also heard rumors that the RHD
car was built for Drambuie Liqueur in Scotland.
We also think that this may have been one of the last AC Mk IV built
and would like information on the final list of chassis numbers.
Any information on the car would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
for your help.
Tony - AK1202
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according to AC records on this site, it was sold to Woltz and Wind a Ford dealer in PA. Color was white, no AK"S" designation noted or mods noted. I'll check the SAAC registry when I get home. I'd call home and ask SWMBO to look it up for mr now, but she thinks I'm working. Jim
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Jim - Thank you for the reply. Yes - my friend did buy it from a Ford Dealer in Pennsylvania in January, 2006.
Tony - AK1202
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Tony,
SAAC bible ( as they call it)lists the car as AK1439 no "S" designation, calls it a white 302 . Does the mfgrs plate have an AK"S" designation on it? It evedently did not leave factory that way.
Jim
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by the way, the color scheme is not unusual....the interior guys were incedible, even in 2000 when I was at plant watching seats being done for SB's, Aces and one Aceca. Bespoke is an art in the UK
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Jim - Talked to my friend and the mfgrs plate shows AKS1439. The stamp on the chassis shows AK1439. I agree these cars are incredible and the craftsmanship was superb. Tony - AK1202
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How about some photos?
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So the frame stamps are AK1439 and the build plate is AK"S"1439 eh? the build plates were obtainable, stamp is hard to alter...AC cars calls it AK1439....love to see pictures
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Tony
When I read the description, I thought it sounded very like the 'Drambuie' car. It was for sale with a dealer in Scotland for quite some time (he was asking well over the curretn market price at the time) I have the advert in my files and I'll dig it out and check the date.
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Here is a photo of the chassis tag with the AKS. It appears to be original to the car:
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/tony3603/1d_4.jpg?t=1242078162)
and a photo of the car:
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/tony3603/91_4.jpg?t=1242078097)
I should add that the red and gold stripes are painted on and original to the car.
We believe the car in Scotland is a RHD. My friend's car, in the USA, is a LHD. It is our belief that 2 RHD cars were built for Drambuie and a little later 2 LHD cars were built and shipped to the US.
We would like to determine the origin and reason for the AKS chassis Tag number.
Can anyone confirm and/or provide history? Thanks - Tony
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guess might be Autokraft special or AKS....again no mention of it in offical records
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The chassis 'plate' is probably non original. At the time this car was built I believe it would have had an Autokraft chassis plate, not an AC chassis plate.
On occasion, chassis numbers stamped on cars were in fact ground off and new numbers then stamped.
Peter
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I missed the ac vs lisenced by ac item...sorry...so this is a bit of 'identity inflation'?
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quote:
Originally posted by henryst: The chassis 'plate' is probably non original. At the time this car was built I believe it would have had an Autokraft chassis plate, not an AC chassis plate...Peter
quote:
Originally posted by Jim Bottini: I missed the ac vs lisenced by ac item...sorry...so this is a bit of 'identity inflation'?
Not really inflation...but why the 'S' appears, Gawd only knows!
From Peter`s comment, it should look something a bit like this:
(http://images.pistonheads.com/aimg/880/880208-4.jpg) (http://"http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/880208.htm")
Currently for sale at Bill Shepherd Mustang. (http://"http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/880208.htm")
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Yes, it should like the one on my car...i'll have to relook at the post picture when home...I don't have access to pictures at work.
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You are correct, the AC Chassis build plate was not done at factory...it should have an "autokraft built under lisence of AC...." as in above photo. somewhere down the road someone wanted an "inflation" done on AK# and perhaps some other type of inflation. The properthing to do might be to consider obtain a premade correct s
chassis plate from Brooklands to fix the issue.
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The conspiracy theories are flying high. To state that the chassis plate is non original is pure speculation and not based in any known facts. The fact of the matter is that the car in question has all of the Autokraft chassis plates. The real question is why would Autokraft have stamped the chassis plate AKS1439. To further stir the pot – I’m sure you are all familiar by now with the book “Cobra: The First 40 Years” by Trevor Legate. In that book, in the Autokraft section, is a black and white picture of Brian Angliss next to a RHD AC MkIV which looks very much like my friends car. If two RHD cars were in fact made, then it is a good possible that this car is my friends AC MkIV.
Conspiracy theorist please provide use with your wisdom!
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Trevor, I believe thatBA did NOT make use of AC Chassis plates with Autokraft numbers...is that correct?
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quote:
Originally posted by Tony3603...To state that the chassis plate is non original is pure speculation and not based in any known facts. The fact of the matter is that the car in question has all of the Autokraft chassis plates. The real question is why would Autokraft have stamped the chassis plate AKS1439.
The known facts are that Autokraft didn`t use that type of plate, and didn`t use the 'AKS' prefix.
It is a known fact that chassis plates like this one are widely available, and frequently used to add authenticity to replicas and it would appear some genuine owner(s) prefered a plate that closer resembles ones used in the 60`s.
If it has all the Autokraft chassis plates as you mention above, what does it have as the chassis number on the left-hand plate below (with the 'AC Logo' statement)?
I don`t think anyone is calling the car`s authenticity into question, simply that a later addition isn`t original. [:)]
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OK - I stand corrected.
Here is the only other pic I have on ID Tags.
(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww144/tony3603/ec_4.jpg?t=1242415590)
Thanks you all for your help.
Tony AK1202
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Tony, Nik is correct, I; anyone else was questioning the existance and AK number of the car. the only item in question was the AK"S" designation which research indicated didn't exist. I take it by your response the plate on the car replaced the original one by Autokraft as the above posts show you.The real item is the use of the AC Cars build plate. Your friend can obtain a new pre numbered build plate from Brooklands if he wishes to in order to properly designate the vehicle