1996 Cobra Replica Roadster

Description

One of the most collectible, and certainly the most copied, sports cars of all time is the Anglo-American Shelby Cobra. Taking Ac's pretty but underpowered Ace sports car, Texan racing driver Carroll Shelby added Ford's small-block V8 and created a legend that won countless races and millions of fans over the decades. One of the fastest and most brutal sports cars of the day, the Cobra was sold in tiny numbers between 1962 and 1968 with a mix of 4.2 and 4.7-litre small-block and 7-litre big-block V8s under the bonnet, each quicker than the last. Indeed, the 427-cid Cobra entered the record books in 1967 as the fastest accelerating road car, reaching 62mph in just 4.2 seconds. The combination of V8 power in a simple, lightweight tubular chassis proved a winner on the racetrack and Shelby's Cobras were soon beating more fancied European competition, including the dominant Ferrari team. Today, original Cobras are highly prized by collectors around the world and fetch enormous sums when they rarely change hands. For more than two decades, the kit car industry has been giving enthusiasts the chance to experience the Cobra legend at an affordable price. One of the most highly regarded of these replicas hails from DRB, well known builders of both Cobras and GT40s. With a reputation for high build quality, the long established DRB has a chassis that is immensely strong item and designed to meet Queensland's stringent guidelines, while the finish of the fibreglass body is fantastic, with thicker and rolled edges, unlike inferior quality kits. The shell of the DRB Cobra is slightly longer than the original in order to provide a deeper foot well, allowing taller drivers to fit comfortably and is a faithful copy of the big-block 427 Cobra, with its pumped up guards. DRB Cobras are sold in various stages of completion but normally utilised Jaguar front and rear suspension, Ford rack and pinion steering like the original 289, and a choice of engine and transmission combinations, the most popular choice being the Windsor 302 V8.