Rare AC Cobra added to Concours of Elegance line-up

By Ryan Standen

| 12 Aug 2024

Classic & Sports Car – Rare AC Cobra added to Concours of Elegance line-up

An early, competition-focused AC Cobra will be one of the stars at this summer’s Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace.

The event returns to the Grade I-listed building’s Great Fountain Garden from 30 August-1 September.

This AC will join an exotic selection of classic cars vying for the coveted Best in Show trophy.

Classic & Sports Car readers can get 20% off tickets with our exclusive offer by using the code 24CSC at the checkout, here.

Plus, with this code, if you’re coming to Concours of Elegance in a pre-1990 classic car, be sure to claim your free pre-’90 parking pass and join like-minded enthusiasts in a dedicated car park.

The AC Cobra 427 Competition during the 1966 Targa Florio; it crashed out after one lap

So, what makes this AC Cobra so special?

Carroll Shelby decided to shoehorn Ford’s 500bhp-plus 427cu in motor in the AC Ace-based Cobra 289 to go racing.

Unfortunately, the American team boss and driver was denied entry to the Group 3 category because not enough homologation cars were produced.

In all, 53 AC Cobra 427 Competition models were built, including 23 ready-to-race examples.

At the Nürburgring in ’66, where this AC Cobra completed 32 of the race’s 44 laps

The car heading to Concours of Elegance is from the first batch of competition cars, most of which were sold to privateer teams.

Chassis CSX3019 was bought new by Ed Freutel, an American lawyer and amateur racer.

It was one of four AC Cobra 427s delivered with dry-sump lubrication, although it’s now the sole survivor.

Freutel had the car shipped to Europe for the 1966 season, which he contested alongside co-pilot Tony Settember, who raced in Formula One in 1962 and ’63.

The AC Cobra 427 Competition won at Silverstone in ’67

The pair tackled the Targa Florio in this car, plus 1000km races at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Germany’s the Nürburgring, but failed to finish at all three.

After this trio of disappointing results, Freutel sold the AC Cobra 427 Competition for £500.

It found more success with second owner John Woolfe who campaigned it in the UK, where he won at Silverstone and placed second at Snetterton in 1967.

After chassis CSX3019 retired from motorsport, it went to the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire, for 35 years.

This AC Cobra 427 Competition has been restored – now it’s ready for Concours of Elegance 2024

Following a decade of persuasion, it was eventually sold to its current owner in 2022.

Since then, it has been restored by teams of specialists in the UK and America, and now it’s ready to go up against some of the best classic cars at Concours of Elegance.

It will join a one-off Porsche prototype, a rare Siata 208 CS, a Maserati A6G/54 Zagato and much more in the Best in Show competition at Hampton Court Palace from 30 August-1 September 2024.

And remember, Classic & Sports Car readers can get 20% off tickets with our exclusive offer by using the code 24CSC at the checkout, here.

Images: Concours of Elegance

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