2006 Pilgrim Sumo

This is, quite simply, an absolute stunner, there are no other words to describe it! The car came supplied as a kit car from Pilgrim-motorsports, who, as you probably know, designed and sold this stunning AC Cobra recreation, known as the Sumo Cobra. Another keeper completed the build in 2006 when the car was registered for the road.

The donor car for the engine and running gear was the popular 1989 Ford Granada Scorpio, fitted with a 2.9 litre V6 fuel-injected engine and a 5-speed manual gearbox, making it the perfect choice for the Sumo.

The registration is A15 UMO, or spaced for show use only could be A1 5UMO, and this registration is also included with the sale of the car. Usually, on a recreation vehicle, you will see a ‘Q’ plate; unless it has passed the relevant SVA approval allowing it to wear a standard registration plate, which, as you can see, this does.

The car has been built and enjoyed by four previous keepers who don’t appear to have given the car much use, which can be seen in the MoT history. Our vendor purchased the car in 2016 with approximately 2,300 miles on. He has thoroughly enjoyed it over the past six years and covered in the region of 9,000 miles in it, which has been slowing down since 2019 to just 12 miles last year which is the reason for the sale of this splendid AC Cobra recreation.

Finished in bright red, the Sumo certainly stands out from the crowd! Racing inspired gold stripes sit flawlessly on the red paintwork, and a white circle placed at the rear of the wings is itching for that unique racing number.

The prominent sizeable open mouth grille is surrounded by a chrome nudge bar with overiders for that period look. The headlights and indicators are in good condition on either side with no chips to mention. The bonnet fits like a glove, held tightly in place with two turn handles. Just above, the windscreen is free from any scratches, and the frame is in good order with a bright finish.

From the side profile, the Sumo looks every bit like the great Cobra. The vented wings are designed to allow the engine bay to keep that touch cooler, and the doors, just like the bonnet, align as they should. Quite apparent items are the side-exit exhausts which sound fantastic when the V6 is on the move. The curvy rear arches flow around to the smooth back end which is finished off like the front with a chrome bumper. The boot lid fits well, with the gold stripes fitted perfectly in place. A centre fuel cap is fitted just between the chrome roll-over bars. Should you get caught in a shower, there is full wet weather gear with new and improved zips fitted to the side windows.

The GTD Halibrand replica wheels are in excellent condition, and the matching Nankank tyres have a good amount of tread remaining, approximately 7.5mm.

Tan leather was the choice for the Sumo, which we must say compliments the gold exterior stripes really well. The leather seats are in excellent condition, with just a few light scuffs caused by getting in and out of the low seated sports car. The door cards have been finished in the same leather, as has the dashboard, which is in excellent condition. The instruments are centre mounted, showing revs, speed, oil pressure, volts, fuel and water temperature, and all these are working as they should.

The carpets are a slightly darker brown. These are nice and clean and have been well fitted, and are all edged in leather to finish them off. The boot is finished in the same material and is as clean as expected.

The Ford 2.9 litre V6 sits proudly in the engine bay, not looking out of place and fills the bay quite well. The rocker covers have been coated in red to match the exterior body. The 2.9 litre fuel-injected V6 has been well maintained, having received many new parts in 2017. Since then, from looking at the paperwork, it has been trouble-free motoring for the Sumo, and the last full service was carried out approximately 3,000 miles ago.

The car starts and drives just as you would expect. The manual gearchange is smooth, and the car pulls well through all of the gears, sounding fantastic as it does with the V6 singing from the side-exit exhausts. There are no untoward noises reported to be coming from the engine or the transmission.

The car's underside is well presented, and it is clear that it hasn’t spent much time in the wet British weather! Also, there is some very, very minor surface rust on the coil springs and suspension arms, all of which are in keeping with the mileage on the vehicle.

An excellent history file comes with the Sumo, which includes various invoices for parts purchased and work carried out over the years. A lot was carried out in 2017, just after our vendor purchased the car, which shows he wanted everything just right.

The most recent was a service, as mentioned earlier, carried out approximately 3,000 miles ago, where it did receive a new set of spark plugs, a sump gasket and some other gaskets around the plenum chamber.

There is a valid MoT on the car, which expires on the 1st February 2023. It’s also worth pointing out that the car has passed every MoT since 2013, with just two advisories which were a damaged sump in 2017 (which was replaced and a sump guard was fitted) and a minor oil leak in 2019.

For most of us, a Cobra will have been, or still is, a dream car, but unfortunately for most, that ship has sailed due to the high price tag.

You’ll be glad to know this is where the Sumo steps up to the mark. First, you get the running gear and engine from a Ford Granada 2.9 litre fuel-injected V6, which means it’s easy to maintain and very reasonable for parts and service items. Top this off with the stunning looks of the Sumo, and hey presto! You are in something that resembles a Cobra at a fraction of the cost, and let's face it, the Sumo won’t fail to turn heads, just look at it!

We estimate this take on the famous AC Cobra to fetch in the region of £18,000 - £26,000.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 9am-5pm, 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’.