PARIS.- Les Grands Heures Automobiles has become one of the major events for classic cars in Europe and this will be the second auction that Aguttes hold at this event on the Linas-Montlhéry Autodrome, Montlhéry, 30km south of Paris on Sunday September 30th.

This ‘one of a kind’ version of the AC Cobra will be presented at this sale. This AC Mk II 289 FIA was built in 1997 by AC Cars Ltd, using the original drawings and specification. As is attested by the AC certificate, the car is in every way identical to those built in 1964 and is equipped with aluminium bodywork and the Ford 4.7 litre, 380 bhp V8 engine with Weber carburettors. It is a car that made motor racing history in the 1960’s combining as it did American and British engineering and power.

The paintwork is “Viking Blue”, the livery of the official Shelby Competition team which took part in major events in 1964and 1965. This true competition car has already participated in the Spa 6-hour race and is eligible for all the events in the historic racing calendar. The German registration also qualifies this car for normal road use. She offers an exceptional opportunity to acquire a bit of the history of the celebrated AC marque (estimation 300.000 – 500.000 €).

Carroll Shelby had a dream of building sports cars under his own name and in 1961, he got the news that AC Cars in England would stop production of their AC Ace model since the Bristol six cylinder engines weren’t available anymore. Shelby realized that the light and sporty British roadster would be a perfect match for a powerful American V8 engine and that this could be the chance of becoming a constructor, and not just a former racing driver.

He contacted AC Cars and they sent him an engine-less body to his shop in California where with help from Ford Motor Company and a team of mechanics, the first Shelby Cobra was introduced in 1962. It was powered by Ford’s 260 engine, and later with a venerable 289 V8, and it pretty soon took the sports car world by a storm. Now you can have an exact modern version of this car that changed the history of racing.

In the “Youngtimers” category at this Aguttes sale on September 30, there will be at least 30 cars. Models such as a MVS Venturi 521 Cup, Peugeot 205 Rallye, Maserati 3200 GT, Ferrari 550 Maranello, Saab 900 Cabriolet and a BMW Z1 will be among the highlights of an offering which promises to be colourful.

And as usual, approximately twenty older classics will feature in the catalogue and there will be some good surprises!