Stephen, Robin et all,
I am sure we are all a bit jaded with this various Marks discussion. However, as we seem to be making complicated something which is simple, this is how it was in the years when Cobra production was in full swing at Thames Ditton:
1) As Robin says and as is ever the case with Motor Manufacturers the term Mk. I (or Series I, or Phase One) is never used. It is for obvious sales reasons only applied retrospectively when a Mk. II appears.
2) When Alan Turner completed the design of the front half of the Cobra chassis, still with leaf springs, but a revised suspension and rack and pinion steering every department bar one, at Thames Ditton, referred to that version as the Mk.II. The exception to this was the Sales Department. In fact a letter from Fred Larimore, the then Service Manager, has been reproduced on The Forum stating just that. Speculating on reasons for this stance by Jock Wright and Keith Judd in Sales is pointless, but might be to do with unsold stock of Mk.I cars ?
3) In exactly the same way everyone except Sales moved on to describe the coil spring chassis as the Mk.III.
4) Subsequent Mk. designations have continued this sequence - Mk.IV and so on.
So from every stand point - design, production, service, users and management there were three chassis versions. These might have been called A,B and C or Series 1,2 and 3 but in fact it was Mark I,II and III. However the marketing situation, for whatever reason, became very messy between The Works engineering nomenclature and Thames Ditton Sales along with Shelby marketing. The use of engine capacity to designate models is confusing - all (but one?) 260 engined cars have cam and peg steering, some 289 engined cars have rack and pinion steering, but early 289s have cam and peg. In any event it seems clear that the cars were marketed as 260s, 289s or 427s in The U.S. and and Robin is entitled to claim that no Sales description Mk. III was used. Equally Stephen is correct in pointing out that the drawing office regarded the coil spring chassis as the Mk. III.
As an aside and just to shew how it is best not to get too intense on this topic I have here the original submission to The Board at Thames Ditton from 'studio p. frua' for a car design which became the A.C. 428: It is titled 'Cobra Mark II'......