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With original Cobras competing for honours on the track over the weekend, AC Cars wowed the crowd in the Le Mans Classic Village with a pole-position display of the cutting-edge new sports car running day and night.
To mark the occasion AC Cars displayed Edition 63, an exclusive model available only to the first clients ordering a GT Roadster.
Limited to just 63 examples, which are now allocated, Edition 63 retains a unique bodywork and trim configuration along with an exhaustive specification to mark the AC Cobra’s class win at The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1963.
With the AC Cars stand also featuring a pristine example of one of the company’s previous cars, the display of the AC Cobra GT Roadster Edition 63 allowed the manufacturer team to discuss the new car with customers and fans alike and allow buyers the chance to experience the unique design and construction first-hand.
“To be here with our new model, and share in the celebrations at the Le Mans Classic has been amazing.
“The original AC Cobra is a car of legend, and it has been a delight to show its rightful heir to such amazing reception.
Once again, the feedback from everyone seeing the car has been overwhelmingly positive and, with the first run of cars now allocated, we will be moving forward with our expansion throughout 2023 as we gear up for the first deliveries next year.”
AC Cobra GT Roadster
The sensational new AC Cobra GT Roadster is a modern sports car, produced using the latest technology and engineering processes, yet it remains faithful to the spirit of the AC Cobra of the 1960s.
Significantly larger than the original AC Cobra, the new GT Roadster’s thoroughly modern ergonomics means the car’s cabin accommodates drivers well over six-feet tall, while the car utilises modern drivetrain and control technologies to validate its grand tourer credentials.
Available in both left and right-hand drive and powered by a thunderous 5.0-litre V8, delivering up to 663PS, the unique car features a novel extruded aluminum spaceframe chassis and carbon-composite bodywork to deliver a remarkable driving experience in a highly limited-production vehicle.
The new roadster is the result of a multi-million Euro investment sustained over nearly four years. Intended to be both beautiful and usable as a sports car, it remains in a class of its own.
Once underway, just 250 examples of the GT Roadster are expected to be built for worldwide markets every full year.
Sponsored by The Sunday Times and managed by Stirling Moss, AC built two bespoke AC Cobra Mk2s for the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was the first time the car would compete in the famous French endurance race.
One was entered by AC Cars itself, with drivers Ninian Sanderson and Peter Bolton behind the wheel, while the other came from Ed Hugus, who had run the car’s race development in America, sharing the drive with Brit Peter Jopp.
Despite strong competition, from far more experienced race teams, AC Cars triumphed and the AC Cobra of British duo of Sanderson and Bolton finished first in class and seventh overall.
For its first race the AC Cobra proved a tough customer, covering 2592 miles at an average speed of 108mph and touching 160mph on the Mulsanne Straight. It also managed to finish some 27 laps ahead of its nearest rival in its class, and legend has it was driven home to the UK after the race was run.
The Weller Brothers established what is now Britain’s oldest vehicle manufacturer in 1901, producing cars and motorbikes from their workshop in West Norwood, London.
The nascent company produced its first vehicle in 1903, but the Autocarrier was introduced a year later (from which the name AC was later derived). This was the first three-wheel commercial delivery vehicle, it proved an instant success.
However, the AC Ace cemented the company’s status following its launch in 1953. With an aluminium body designed and built by Eric George Gray, it gained the respect of racing enthusiasts for its everyday practicality and racing pace.
This was the car which would evolve to incorporate the Ford V8 and become the AC Cobra of legend.
Over the years, the AC Cobra has endured, with its unmistakable shape and unique design. With production limited and every car built to an exacting standard, it remains reserved for an exclusive clientele.
With its own facilities in the UK and Germany, AC Cars is working with leading industry suppliers for the AC Cobra GT Roadster’s design and development, and construction of the new car heralds the return of European production for the company’s vehicles.
In addition to its new Donington HQ, AC Cars will continue to expand its development and production capabilities in the UK.
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