2015 AK COBRA

This AK Cobra was built up from kit form by its first and only owner - an engineer, who registered it with the DVLA in April 2015.

Since completing the car, he’s barely driven it - only covering around 1,800 miles in 8 years - most of those miles being to run the engine in. The next owner will be the one who gets the benefit of his diligence though, with the full ferocity of the 6.2-litre V8 on tap.

We often handle cars that have been built or restored over many years and then put up for sale without having been driven a great deal. Typically - as in this case - it is an owner who thoroughly enjoys a project but doesn’t get the same thrill from driving. Our world should celebrate such folk as without them, there’d be fewer well-fettled classic and performance cars out there for the rest of us to enjoy.

Meanwhile, the owner has moved on to rebuilding a Jensen Interceptor and has apparently just acquired a Jaguar XKR for his next project.

The classic long-bonnet Cobra lines have been followed faithfully by AK and the car is presented in a bumperless style with only overriders at the rear. Looking through the exterior gallery - there really isn’t a bad angle to view this sporty homage.

The Cobra is painted in Ferrari Blu Tour de France, with broad racing stripes in white from its low nose to the rounded tail. The finish is immaculate, with barely a mark or blemish. And even the registration number has been applied as a sticker so as not to spoil the sleek lines.

The other stand out exterior features include the curved, raked windscreen with side wind deflectors, the chromed roll-over hoops and not least the twin 4 into 1 fat pipe side-mounted exhausts.

The AK sits on replica 17-inch Halibrand centre-lock alloy wheels with knock off spinners - all of which look immaculate and are fitted with Continental PremiumContact tyres on the fronts and Continental SportContacts on the wider rear wheels.

The look of the interior of a roadster is equally as important as the outside, as it is often on show. This Cobra doesn’t disappoint - it has a full tan leather upholstery and blue carpeting to match the outside.

The leather right across the dashboard is perforated to give it some texture and the central area is punctuated by the Smiths dials - two principal instruments and five auxiliary gauges, as well as a handful each of buttons and tell-tale lamps.

Of particular note are the steering wheel and pedals - which are original AC parts.

The tan leather bucket seats are piped in black and look in excellent condition with little or no wear and no damage that we could see. They are both fitted with Willans 4-point harnesses in a contrasting red webbing. The leather also extends to the door cards which have pleated pockets.

The blue carpeting is clean and in good order and is edged in the tan leather. The same colour lining is also used in the surprisingly spacious boot at the rear.

Under the front-hinged bonnet, the engine bay - much like the rest of the car - is spotlessly clean. Although the Corvette LS3 engine itself is obscured by covers over each bank of cylinders, it looks very neatly done and the air intake and twin radiators are finished in highly polished chrome.

The crate engine was supplied by Roadcraft of Shoreham by Sea and was configured and tuned by Northampton Motorsport - who measured an output of 424.5 bhp on their rolling road.

The engine is controlled by an Omex 710 series ECU, which allows for tuning to be optimised more easily through programming or remapping.

The AK has a current MOT valid until May 2024, which it passed with no advisories - just as it did on every test since its first in 2018. The online MOT record tracks and validates the slow advance of the Cobra’s mileage from just 776 in April 2018 to 1,816 miles a couple of months ago.

The car has been incredibly well cared for by its owner - who has carried out an oil change having completed the running in period. It has yet to have been driven sufficient miles for its first full service but a new owner may wish to do this.

It comes with a thick history file documenting the build. It includes all the invoices and inventories of the parts supplied - fastidiously checked and ticked off by the diligent owner. There are also the appropriate certificates of completion, registration documents and invoices from suppliers such as Roadcraft and Northampton Motorsport.

Also included with the car is a blue leather tonneau cover and a number of spare parts.

With fewer than 1,000 genuine AC Cobras ever built, and price tags of those that survive being similarly exclusive, it is no wonder that the replica market for this gorgeous Anglo-American sports muscle car has boomed over the years.

There are many different options when it comes to recreation Cobras - indeed we have handled a few different varieties ourselves - and each has its strengths, but what really counts is how well it has been put together and how it looks.

This AK Sports Cars Cobra has been tastefully specified from the palette of Ferrari and extremely well executed in terms of build. Added to that it has been used so little - only around 1,800 miles - that it still looks fresh out of the wrapper.

We think it will sell for between £45,000 and £55,000 - and would challenge anyone to find another Cobra looking as good as this one, with such low mileage.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor, not far from the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.