For car lovers, movie buffs, and enthusiasts of the fast and dangerous, the AC cobra is likely not a stranger to their automobile replica. So what is the AC cobra and what makes it so special? The story begins in the 1960s with Carroll Shelby. Carroll Shelby was a professional racer with a dream to develop a lightweight performance driving vehicle that would beat a Corvette. With these hopes in mind, Carroll Shelby set to work. Ultimately, he achieved his lofty dreams and invented a muscle car that would surpass the expectations — and effectively beat — its European counterparts.
For the AC cobra, availability is a huge pat of the car’s mystique. Between 1962, and 1968, the company only made hundreds of each model. Specifically, Carroll Shelby created only 654 small block AC cobra and 350 big block versions. Additionally, he only built 538 Mark II models.
This year, the AC Cobra celebrated its 50th anniversary. To commemorate the birthday of America’s beloved road and track car, the company released a 50th anniversary limited edition model. The company only sold a few hundred of the models, each priced for hundreds of thousands of dollars. While these cars were beautiful and certainly desirable, they weren’t available for the average Joe or Julia. I mean, just check the price tag. To be able to afford one of these cars, one would have to sell their organs and their first-born child in order to afford such a vehicle.
But luckily, there are ways to get a car like the AC cobra without mortgaging your home: buying a cobra kit. Cobra car kits enable car lovers to have other cars undergo authentic replication, creating a unique vehicle with tricked out features. Cobra kit cars typically run between $20,000-30,000. While that may seem expensive, it’s a lot less than the Real McCoy.
