AC Cobra
A dainty Surrey sports car with a Texan's V8 dropped in.
The story
American racer Carroll Shelby wrote to AC Cars suggesting a Ford V8 in their pretty Ace roadster. AC built the cars in Surrey and shipped most to California for their engines. The result was one of the fastest-accelerating cars of the decade.
Inside
A leather bench split in two, a wood-rimmed wheel and a row of Smiths dials. There is no roof worth the name.
In period colours
Tap a colour to respray the drawing.
In 1964 a racing Cobra coupé was tested at 185 mph on the M1 at dawn. It is often blamed for the 70 mph limit that followed.
Meanwhile, in 1962
The Beatles released Love Me Do, and the first James Bond film, Dr No, reached cinemas.
Best-selling single of 1962: I Remember You by Frank Ifield
Before you buy a 1960s car
- Check the sills, floorpans, wheel arches and the bottom of the doors for rust.
- Ask for any old MOT certificates, service records and bills.
- Parts for popular cars are often available from specialists, but trim and body panels can be hard to find.
General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.
Rivals of its day
Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.
See the real thing
These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.
Today's money: the launch price adjusted for inflation to 2026, using the Office for National Statistics price index.