AC is building a Cobra Le Mans tribute and it’s electric
Sacre bleu! as they say in France. AC Cars has decided that a fitting way to celebrate its 1963 Le Mans entry is to recreate the 289 Ford V-8-powered Cobra with an electric motor.
To be fair, the limited run of 12 AC Cobra Le Mans electrics will offer race-worthy performance, with drive coming from a 625-hp, 738-lb-ft motor developed alongside Falcon Electric.
The cars will feature hand-beaten aluminum bodywork by AC Heritage, based at the famous Brooklands Motor Circuit, and will include removable hardtops which aided aerodynamics on the Mulsanne Straight.
In 1963 AC entered two cars, 39 PH and 645 CGT, into the 24-hour race, with Stirling Moss as team manager. In 2021 AC will recreate six of each chassis, right down to the race car’s original livery. We’d suggest opting for the no. 3 car, 39 PH, which finished in seventh place, rather than the no. 4, 645 CGT, which failed to reach the checkered flag.
“This the start of not just a new chapter but of a whole new era in AC’s illustrious history. We will be following up the launch of these new models with other additions to our already expanding range,” says AC’s owner Alan Lubinsky.
At $775,000 plus taxes the price is pretty shocking, but after the company’s introduced a four-cylinder turbo and electric drive to its regular production models, we’ll be watching closely to see whether the AC Cobra can indeed be future-proofed.
