2000 AC Cobra Mk IV CRS

The Cobra is probably one of the most copied cars ever made, which makes this one rather different. This is a genuine AC-built Mk IV CRS – Carbon Road Series – built at Brooklands in 2000 and one of just 37 CRS examples produced.

Introduced at the 1999 London Motor Show, the CRS took the established Mk IV formula and gave it a distinctly late-1990s twist. Underneath it retained the substantial tubular chassis and traditional Ford V8 layout of the Mk IV family, but rather than an aluminium body, AC used a lightweight one-piece carbon-fibre shell. Produced using pre-impregnated carbon fibre and cured in an autoclave, it was considerably more exotic construction than you might expect beneath the familiar shape of a Cobra.

With only 37 built, the CRS is one of the rarer factory-built versions of the Cobra.

This particular car is finished in dark green with a matching green leather interior and carpeting. It is an understated combination for a Cobra, particularly alongside the polished brightwork and silver 16-inch wheels.

The interior follows the same theme. Deeply bolstered green leather seats sit behind twin chrome roll hoops, while the dashboard is trimmed in dark suede and carries a bank of Smiths instruments. A heater, stereo and conventional handbrake add a little practicality to what is otherwise a fairly purposeful cabin.

Power comes from Ford's fuel-injected 5.0-litre V8, which in standard CRS specification produced 225bhp at 4,200rpm and 300lb ft of torque at 3,200rpm. Drive is through a five-speed manual gearbox and Hydratrak limited-slip differential, with AC quoting 0–60mph in around five seconds and a top speed of 145mph.

The chassis was considerably more sophisticated than the Cobra's appearance might suggest, with independent suspension front and rear, rack-and-pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes, ventilated at the front. Contemporary CRS specification also included four-pot AP Racing front calipers.

That combination is what makes the CRS such an interesting part of AC history. This wasn't an aftermarket interpretation of a Cobra, but a car manufactured by AC itself at Brooklands, combining the familiar shape and Ford V8 with carbon-fibre construction and more contemporary running gear.

Importantly, this example hasn't subsequently been turned into a pastiche of a 1960s competition Cobra. The bumpers, road wheels, full green interior, heater controls and stereo remain, leaving it very much as the turn-of-the-millennium AC that it is.

The history file is particularly comprehensive. It begins with the original AC Car Group order paperwork from 2000, together with the original chassis instruction book and service record. The final factory order confirms the British Racing Green specification and details options including chrome roll bars, windwings, Superblower seats with leather door trims, stainless-steel wiper arms, tailored overmats and a matching Mohair hood and tonneau. The original order totalled £46,568.89.

Early maintenance was carried out by AC itself, with the file containing factory invoices for servicing and other work during the first years of the car's life. Thereafter, the records document continued specialist maintenance, much of it entrusted to AC Cobra specialists Thunder Road.

The invoices show regular servicing alongside more substantial work when required, including braking and steering work, a replacement radiator and thermostat, wheel refurbishment, replacement headlamps and later attention to the fuel and cooling systems. The MOTs and invoices also provide a well-documented mileage trail, showing that the car covered only around 10,000 miles between 2011 and 2023.

For us, that's a large part of the appeal. There are countless ways of buying something that looks like a Cobra, but relatively few opportunities to buy one carrying the AC name and built at Brooklands. With only 37 CRS cars produced, the carbon-bodied Mk IV represents a particularly unusual chapter in AC's history.

As with all of our vehicles, we have a digital folder available on request containing additional images, walkaround videos, pictures of the underside and scans of the history file. The car can be viewed by appointment at our West London showroom.