Engine: Small Block Chevrolet V8, 5700cc - "Saturday Night Special"
Fuel system: Twin-barrel Holley with Edelbrock manifolds
Power output: in excess of 450bhp @ 5500rpm
Max speed: Theoretically over 200mph but you'd have to mad to try.
Acceleration 0-60 mph: sub 4 sec
Weight: 900 Kg

They called it 'The Widowmaker' - the original AC Cobra was one of the real icons of the 60's. Designed and built by racer Carroll Shelby after being snubbed by Enzo Ferrari, the sole purpose of the Cobra was to bite Ferrari where it hurt most - on the track. BY taking the pretty but underpowered AC Ace, and shoehorning as large an engine as he could fit into it, the Cobra was born. The ultimate incarnation of these cars was the 427. Here, Shelby fitted a 7.0 litre Ford V8, producing 425bhp, and in 1967 British journalist John Bolster recorded a top speed figure of 165mph and the then unbelieveable 0-60mph time of 4.2 seconds. This feat established the Cobra 427 as the worlds fastest accelerating production car, and a favourite on bedroom posters around the world. Famously Shelby used to take prospective buyers for test drives, during which he would place a $100 bill on the window, and any passenger who could grab it while Shelby was accelerating was allowed to keep the money. No one ever did.

The UK replica industry seized upon the Cobra for several reasons, partly it's beauty, partly it's simplicity, but also because it was comparatively rare. Many manufacturers make kits for the car, with various engine options ranging from a 2.0 litre Ford Pinto upto the 7.0 litre monster. Many stick with the original chassis formula that made the original such a brute and so very dangerous to drive. One company stands alone in the crowd of Cobra replica makers in offering a specially designed chassis, featuring Caterham-style double-wishbone suspension at both front and back. This car is the Gardner-Douglas Euro 427, and this arrangement ensures that the car drives as a modern sports car.

The car that the Classic Car Club has obtained for members is indeed a Gardner-Douglas Euro 427. Fitted with a 'Saturday Night Special' tuned 5.7 litre Chevy engine, it has a very similar power output to the original. Whilst heads turn as you drive by, it is not due to the pretty looks, but the noise the car makes is unlike anything you will have heard away from a racetrack. Quite simply the most fun you can have in the summer.

Weekday points: 7; Weekend day points: 14.