AC MkIV for sale in Switzerland

[Spantik]

AC MkIV for sale in Switzerland (ad in German) for 189'900CHF.
   Green body with beige intérieur.
   
   http://www.autoscout24.ch/de/d/ac-cobra-cabriolet-occasion?allmakes=1&index=4&make=209%2c0%2c0&model=883%2c0%2c0&returnurl=%2fde%2fautos%2fac--cobra%3fallmakes%3d1%26make%3d209%2c0%2c0%26model%3d883%2c0%2c0%26st%3d2%26vehtyp%3d10%26r%3d5&st=2&vehid=3214364&vehtyp=10

[ANF289]

quote:Originally posted by Spantik
   
AC MkIV for sale in Switzerland (ad in German) for 189'900CHF.
   Green body with beige intérieur.

   AK1120 sold for $90,000 in January 2014 at Auction: Lot F234, Kissimmee, Florida (BRG/Tan stock 6,119 miles, no top or side curtains).  Asking price of $95,900 on eBay in May 2014.  More pics here: http://www.rosnermotorsports.com/1985-autokraft-ac-mark-iv-cobra-roadster.htm
   
   Now asking ~$202,555 in Switzerland!  It is well known that the Mk IV gets considerably more respect in Europe than in the States, but I didn't think it was that much more respect!

[AC Ventura]

Yep, this is the car Rosner Msp in the US had for sale for over a year. I enquired extensively with a view to bringing it into the UK. However, I couldn't establish a bullet proof date of manufacture. Our own ACOC factory records seem to show manufactured Jan 1986, but vehicle records seem to show 1985.
    I'm guessing, even knowing AC, this is little more than a clerical error. However, as it was coming into the UK, it was more vital than usual, as 'classic' cars over 30 years old are treated to only 5% duty and VAT, as opposed to 30% on a 29 year old car.
   
    In the end I'm glad I waited for a UK rhd car. Those US additions (bumper rubbers and wing lamps) would have been expensive to remove.

[BBK]

This car has has been available for quite a while. I first saw it at least a couple of years ago at Aston Martin/Lotus of New England for significantly less. It was then on EBay Motors too and then it seems to have made the rounds elsewhere before heading to Europe where they are asking $100,000 more than the price I saw it last going for here.   Wonder if they will have any takers?

[ANF289]

quote:Originally posted by AC Ventura
   
I couldn't establish a bullet proof date of manufacture. Our own ACOC factory records seem to show manufactured Jan 1986, but vehicle records seem to show 1985.
   

   December 1985 is stamped on the AutoKraft Manufacturer's plate on the car... Assuming its authentic, you can't get more bullet proof than that, can you?
   
   See the plate pic at: http://www.rosnermotorsports.com/1985-autokraft-ac-mark-iv-cobra-roadster.htm

[ACOCArch]

quote:Originally posted by Spantik
   
AC MkIV for sale in Switzerland (ad in German) for 189'900CHF.
   Green body with beige intérieur.

   It is noted that the vendor is advertising this car as an AC Cobra MkIV. My understanding is that AC/Autokraft were not licenced to use the Cobra name until 1987.
   
   On that basis the correct designation for the car is AC MkIV, as noted by Spantik

[AC Ventura]

quote:Originally posted by ANF289
   

quote:Originally posted by AC Ventura
   
I couldn't establish a bullet proof date of manufacture. Our own ACOC factory records seem to show manufactured Jan 1986, but vehicle records seem to show 1985.
   

   December 1985 is stamped on the AutoKraft Manufacturer's plate on the car... Assuming its authentic, you can't get more bullet proof than that, can you?
   
   See the plate pic at: http://www.rosnermotorsports.com/1985-autokraft-ac-mark-iv-cobra-roadster.htm
   

   
   
   It is my understanding that AK1120 is shown with an invoice date of 13/05/86 and this is the date when the car was 'completed' and the purchaser invoiced for it. Of course the car was under build prior to this recorded date. The car was sold to Rick Muck, Muck Motor Sales and presumably this is when it was registered in the US. Unfortunately it is the registration date that UK customs use for import taxation purposes. You could rightly I think argue that this is an 1985 car, because that is what the US documents and the chassis plate show. However I couldn't get a UK customs prior agreement to this and basically I wasn't prepared to take the chance over 25% of the cars purchase price, that may or may not have been chargeable.
   This doesn't cast a shadow over the cars provenance, only the vagaries and uncertainties of the UK customs system.

[French Frie]

quote:Originally posted by ACOCArch
   My understanding is that AC/Autokraft were not licenced to use the Cobra name until 1987.
   

   
   The AC/ford agreement was signed in 1986, as shown on this press release :
   
   
   
   IMHO, the point is rather that, after this communication and due to Mr Shelby claim, Cobra name was deleted for the US cars...

[ACOCArch]

quote:Originally posted by French Frie
   

Originally posted by ACOCArch
   My understanding is that AC/Autokraft were not licenced to use the Cobra name until 1987.
   

   
   

The AC/Ford agreement was signed in 1986, as shown on this press release : /quote]
   
   I stand corrected! However, the August 1986 date of the agreement leaves the car in question correctly designated an AC Mk IV, not a Cobra MkIV as offered by the vendor

[rstainer]

This was in a 2003 or thereabouts ACtion:
   
   "I am often asked how many cobras there are.
   
   Attempting any form of answer without further definition of the question leads to a hopeless tangle, because the reply depends entirely on the answer to the question: 'What do you mean by cobra?'
   
   The most widespread use (in the automotive sense) is: A cobra is any car that has the external appearance of a cobra (the Alan Turner designed vehicle). This includes not just AC cobras, but Shelby cobras built independently of AC, Autokraft cobras, Dax cobras, Ram cobras, Pilgrim cobras, replicas etc. (Some would challenge this simple definition by placing less emphasis on usage and more on etymological origin: I have heard it said that a cobra is any car authorised to bear the registered mark Cobra (thus, for example, leaving out the initial production of Autokraft and the recent production of AC). Anyone seriously interested in the question "When is a cobra a Cobra?" can quiz the relevant registrar.)"
   
   Neither Ford nor any of its licensees would take action for 'unauthorised' use of the Cobra mark unless it damaged the value or standing of the mark. This would only be the case if a non-licence-holding vehicle manufacturer calls his product 'Cobra' and markets it as such.
   
   So no used car dealers nor the tens of thousands of cobra owners (including all 'historic' racers with 21st Century cars) are in the slightest danger of receiving proceedings.