2004 AK Cobra Replica 427

Built in 2002 and registered in 2004 with a late-1970s plate, our plum-purple and silver AK Cobra Replica 427 was clearly built with the show circuit in mind. The exterior is eye-popping, and the cabin is about as luxurious as a Cobra cabin can get, a lush environment of leather, instrumentation and high-quality carpeting topped off by a period ‘hook-lift’ gearshifter and Moto-Lita steering wheel.

Given the car’s cosmetic allure, don't make the mistake of thinking that the Willans competition harnesses are a bit over the top. Your first prod of the throttle will quickly convince you of their worth.

Running on the commonly-chosen and strong Jaguar XJ6 rear axle, this Cobra 427 rep is powered by a 351 Ford, the mid-stroke 5.8-litre version of the Cleveland V8, fed here by the legendary (and also extremely reliable) Holley 600cfm four-barrel carburettor with manual choke. The transmission is a time-honoured Tremec/Borg-Warner T5 WC five-speed manual gearbox that’s been giving robust service in a huge range of vehicles – mainstream production cars as well as kits – since the early 1980s.

Current custodian Gareth has owned the car for around two years, during which he thinks he has done less than a thousand miles. Prior to that the car was run by the chairman of the Cobra Owners’ Club - that must say something.

The word ‘stunning’ is somewhat overused these days, but it really is hard to come up with a more appropriate one in this case. Barring four or five tiny stone chips that Gareth says you need a magnifying glass to spot, the paint finish remains super-fresh.

The Lucas P700 headlamps (also used on original Minis!) are Cobra-correct, as are the Halibrand-replica alloy wheels and the thin-tube duplex bumpers with overriders. That tubular motif is continued by the classic twin rollover hoops, plated to the same quality as the rest of the chrome on this car. The Halibrand-replica alloys appear to be unmarked and the Toyo Proxes tyres have plenty of life left in them yet.

There are no records of any awards ever having been made to AC for instrument panel design. In all honesty the centralised layout doesn’t make a lot of ergonomic sense, but it’s all part of the Cobra character, and if you know where to look you’ll never be short of information on the state of health of the engine.

The piped leather bucket seats and the chromed interior doorlocks are things of beauty. This particular Cobra is more than vaguely practical thanks to its superbly carpeted boot, its sidescreen wind-deflectors, perspex sunvisors, door card pockets and of course its iconic Cobra glovebox. If you want to find your gloves still in that box after a spirited drive, however, you might want to investigate ways of fastening them in there. A tonneau cover gives you some level of security if you’re popping to the shops.

Just before the vendor bought the car, the speedo cable failed and was removed. In his ownership, it has always been on the 'to do' list, but as his kicks come from racing a Caterham, has never quite reached the top. Rest assured, it has been used, Gareth estimates he has travelkled about 1,000 miles in the last two years.

There’s no heater, but nor is there a soft top, so any heat created would be wasted anyway. Nor is there any ‘in car entertainment’. The cliché says that’s all provided by the side exhausts...

No Cobra is complete or, in the eyes of many, correct without a grumbly old-school American V8. Lift the bonnet on its gas struts and this AK fulfils the brief big-time with a beautifully presented and detailed Ford Cleveland 351 sporting the evocative ridged valve covers.

The head is Australian Ford-spec, a version of the 351 that went on to be used by De Tomaso in its Pantera. During Gareth’s two-year, sub-1000-mile ownership, the head has been refreshed with a valve regrind and some other sensible preventative work. It runs on straight unleaded with no need for additives.

Between the big chrome Edelbrock air cleaner and the firewall is the module for the MSD electronic ignition, a big name in American go-faster parts. There’s a Blaster coil, a Mallory distributor with high-temperature cabling and plenty of braided steel breather, header tank and exhaust pipework to impress folk with. In the gaping maw of the front air intake, the oil cooler appears to be undamaged by stones, although it has become a final resting place for the odd insect that didn't manage to get out of the way quickly enough.

The bit between your backside and the road is almost as clean as the engine bay and cabin. Beyond a smattering of what appear to be surface spots on the painted sump there is no apparent corrosion anywhere. Even the various unprotected Jubilee clips and fasteners seem to have escaped salt attack.

There’s a big wodge of paperwork in the Gallery outlining most of the costs of first buying this AK and then keeping it in the condition you see it in today. Unfortunately the invoices for the initial build are not part of it’s history today, but our hunch is that, given the quality of what is on show inside and out, this car was not made up of knackered parts crowbar’d out of some sad scrapper in ol’ Frank’s wrecker’s yard. This looks much better than that.

The MOT history is (almost) exemplary, please check for yourself to see 11 straight passes since records began. Only the most recent test produced any advisories, and not massive too: slight play in the nearside track rod end ball joint and the offside steering rack inner joint. The car’s 1970s registration means that it’s exempt from both road tax and MOT testing now should you so wish. Gareth is happy to put the AK through another test if the purchaser requires it.  

As with all our auctions, if there is anything specific you wish the vendor to photograph for you, please use same Contact Seller button you can use to organise a viewing.

Let’s be honest: few of us haven’t dreamt of owning a Cobra at some point in our lives. Some dreamers take the idea all the way up to buying a kit, but as more than one sad ad in the classifieds will confirm, that’s often as far as it goes. Many kit-buyers give up the task in the assembly stage, either as a result of disappointment with the speed of their own progress, or as a consequence of fundular exhaustion (running out of money).

This smashing AK saves you all the heartache of all those long cold weekends in a draughty garage. It allows you to cut out the middle man, ie yourself, and move your Monopoly piece straight to Go.

Some may say that metallic purple is not a traditional Cobra colour, but that hue does very much tie in with the AK’s late 1970s S-registration plate, and in terms of the quality of the work you’ll struggle to find anything worthy of criticism. Additionally, we may not be Cobra-kit aficionado's but we can't see anything wrong with the spec, feels like the builder ticked all the right boxes. It’s hard to imagine how you could upgrade the fit or finish of the cabin, and if your motoring companion gets a bit hot under the collar, there’s a gorgeous chrome-plated fire extinguisher hiding in the footwell.

Again at the risk of causing offence, this is not a car that drives itself. There is no power assistance for the steering, and your grandma might have trouble operating the manual gearbox for extended periods. If you know Cobras you’ll know that this is not only normal but a positively desirable part of the experience.

We always encourage viewings. This Cobra 427 Replica is located at the vendor’s home in Yorkshire. Just click the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to arrange an appointment. Ahead of that, or at any time during the process, you’re more than welcome to ask any questions or jot down observations in the comments section below. You won’t be shocked to hear that our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section will answer general questions that are frequently asked about how The Market works.

Also please note that we have a network of trusted suppliers with whom we work regularly and successfully: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.