This is the only British-made Cobra Coupé A98 Le Mans

ONE-OFF We are back to talking about a classic sports car made by AC Cars, a British car manufacturer who is recorded as having tried its luck in the world famous race event, the 24-Hours of Le Mans in the 1960s. As we know in 1964, the British automaker had built a Cobra Coupé later known as the AC Cobra Coupé A98 Le Mans to compete in the Le Mans race at that time.

This AC Cobra A98 Le Mans created by AC Chief Engineer Alan Turner as a marvellous, handsome, cohesive, masculine sports car featured with demonstrable aerodynamic properties, unfortunately only one was built. (Picture from: GTPlanet.net)

If we take a closer look at its appearance, this one-of-a-kind racing car made by AC Cars designed by AC Chief Engineer Alan Turner looks lower than the Pete Brock-designed Daytona Coupé, but both positioned the driver lower in the cabin. Furthermore, the Turner had also raked the windscreen, created a lower nose section and a longer flowing roof as well as designing the 'eyebrows' over the tops of the wheel arches he claimed to help clean up airflow.

The AC Cobra A98 Le Mans looks lower than the Pete Brock-designed Daytona Coupé, but both positioned the driver lower in the cabin. (Picture from: GTPlanet.net)

The British classic racing car of 1960s features lightweight aluminum bodywork that was built by hand over a steel-tubular framework at AC Cars' production facility in Thames Ditton. Furthermore, this car is powered by a small block of Ford V8 engine with a capacity of 4.7 liters was fed by the Weber 48IDA carburetor so that it can blow power around 355 bhp. 

The AC Cobra A98 Le Mans features lightweight aluminum bodywork that was built by hand over a steel-tubular framework at AC Cars' production facility in Thames Ditton. (Picture from: Primotipo)

In the early hours of June 11, 1964, AC Cars took its Cobra Coupé GT car on to the M1 motorway to do a high-speed test run before the race. This was possible because this car was registered 'BPH 4B,' besides that previously at that time in the country there were no speed restrictions on the highway. 

The AC Cobra A98 Le Mans is powered by a small block of Ford V8 engine with a capacity of 4.7 liters was fed by the Weber 48IDA carburetor so that it can blow power around 355 bhp. (Picture from: Primotipo)

The team's driver, Jack Sears, recorded 185 mph, and unfortunately the national media heard about it, and made the story front-page news. Possibly because of this then the British road authorities sets a speed limit of 70 mph on the highway.

AC Cars took its Cobra Coupé GT car on to the M1 motorway to do a high-speed test run before the race on June 11, 1964. (Picture from: Autocar)

This one-of-a-kind sports car had raced at the 24-Hours of Le Mans 1964, driven by talented British racer Jack Sears with co-driver Peter Bolton. The car’s top-end prowess would help the Thames Ditton crew outgun the rival American Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupés. Meanwhile in the racing, the car was involved in a tragic accident at Circuit de la Sarthe when its tire burst and killed three spectators who were viewing the race from an unauthorized area.

Jack Sears alighting the AC Cobra Coupé A98 after that M1 Motorway morning run. (Picture from: Primotipo)

After the incident, the wreck of Coupé A98 was brought back to the AC headquarters in Thames Ditton and never rebuilt and or raced further ‘in period’. The very significant car was restored by Barrie Baird (the current owner) who negotiated its purchase in 1972. The work took over 12 years, many of you will have seen it at Goodwood and the like after its restoration finished.

To these days, this incredibly rare (one of a kind) 1964 Le Mans car is road registered and still used on British roads. As you can see in a brief clip of it outside the Fennel restaurant near Aberdeen Scotland where they regularly hold V8 Breakfast car meetings. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | GTPLANET.NET | AUTOCAR | PRIMOTIPO ]

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