The 289 AC Cobra: A Legendary Sports Car Born from a Transatlantic Partnership

Carroll Shelby, an American racing driver best known for his work on the AC Cobra and Mustang for Ford Motor Company, designed the 289 AC Cobra, a legendary sports car. The 289 AC Cobra was created by Shelby by installing a Ford V8 engine into a British AC Ace roadster. The 4.7-liter (289 cubic inch) engine that took the place of the outgoing 4.2-liter (260 cubic inch) engine after a year of manufacturing is referred to as the "289".

The maximum power and torque numbers for the 289 AC Cobra were 275 PS (271 bhp - 202 kW) at 5750 rpm and 423.0 Nm (311 lb.ft) at 4800 rpm, respectively. Its curb weight was 2315 lbs., and its highest speed was 138 mph (222 km/h) (1050 kgs). According to some early road tests, the 0-to-60 time was roughly 5.8 seconds.

The history of the 289 AC Cobra is extensive and fascinating. Carroll Shelby's idea to build a sports car that could compete with the Corvette and Ferrari gave birth to it. He went to the British manufacturer of the AC Ace roadster, AC Cars, and requested that they alter their chassis so that a Ford V8 engine would fit inside. Ford provided Shelby with two engines, a 4.3-liter (260 cubic inches) and a 4.7-liter, when AC agreed (289 cu in). In January 1962, the first prototype, CSX2000, was finished.

Once the first 75 cars were constructed, the 260 engine was replaced by the 289 engine. Throughout the 1960s, the 289 AC Cobra enjoyed great success in racing, taking home numerous titles in both America and Europe. In 1964, when Ferrari called off the last race at Monza, it also came close to taking home the FIA World Manufacturers Championship for Grand Touring Cars. The first title in America was won in 1965 by Shelby's team.

Due to financial problems, Ford and Shelby stopped importing vehicles from England in 1967, putting an end to the manufacturing of the 289 AC Cobra. 655 vehicles in total, including street cars, race cars, and semi-competition roadsters, were produced. Only 27 of a comparable vehicle known as the AC 289, manufactured by AC Cars, were constructed before the end of 1969.