Timeless Elegance and Power: Exploring the 1969 AC 428 Fastback Coupe

Late in the 1960s, the combination of Italian design and American V8 power had already established a strong foothold in the market. The decision that AC Cars made to adapt their high-performance Cobra sports vehicle into a sumptuous Grand Routier was significantly influenced by this impact. The coil suspension that is characteristic of the Cobra MkIII chassis was extended by six inches in the wheelbase of the vehicle. After that, the chassis that had been changed was shipped to Italy, where it was given a sophisticated steel exterior that had been constructed by Pietro Frua. This exterior was reminiscent of the work that he had done on the Maserati Mistral. It was at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1965 that the two-seater convertible made its premiere. Subsequently, during the Geneva Salon in 1966, an even more spectacular fastback-styled Coupe was presented to the public.

In spite of the fact that the Ford Galaxie engine, which is a 428ci (7-liter) engine, provides somewhat less power than the Cobra 427, its 345 horsepower turns out to be more than sufficient to match the performance demands of the customers. This strong engine had outstanding capabilities, despite the fact that the car weighed 1,416 kilograms and that automatic transmission was the most common type of transmission. There was a top speed that was greater than 140 miles per hour, and the 0-60 mph time was less than six seconds. The 0-100 mph duration was roughly 14.5 seconds.

Nevertheless, the logistics of transporting the chassis to Turin and back again once the body was installed proved to be time-consuming and expensive, which resulted in delays in the delivery of the vehicle. The manufacture was further hampered by the inflated price, which was significantly higher than the price of the modern Aston Martin DB6. The production of only 80 units took place between the years 1966 and 1973, with 29 convertibles and 51 coupes being produced. A remarkable survival rate is estimated by specialists, with roughly 65 specimens still in existence today. This is despite the fact that there has been some level of attrition and cases of cars being destroyed in order to construct replicas of the Cobra.