Combining the exquisite coachbuilding skills of leading Italian designer Pietro Frua and the raw persona of the Shelby Cobra, this spectacular GT is certain to rock the boat of any classic car enthusiast.
49 coupes, 29 convertibles and 3 special bodies were ever made. Amazingly, body panels are slightly different from car to car, only the front quarter windows and the door handles being the same on all 81 vehicles.
This gran turismo featured independent coil spring suspension courtesy of AC Cars, derived from the system that equipped the original Shelby Cobra 427.
The chassis was a slightly modified version of the one underpinning the Cobra, the only modifications being stronger longitudinal tubes and a 6-inch longer wheelbase, wishbone suspension and a limited-slip differential. Needless to say, this was AC’s answer to other gorgeous grand tourers of the era such as the Iso Grifo, Jensen Interceptor and Bizzarrini 5300 Strada.
If you think that the front fascia looks very similar to the Maserati Mistral, you’re not wrong. Both cars were designed by Pietro Frua. But as the Italian GT featured just a 4.0-liter straight-six with 255 horsepower on tap, the AC Frua Coupe was equipped with a Ford FE block 428 cubic inch (7.0-liter) V8, very similar to the one powering the Shelby Mustang GT500, Ford Thunderbird and the hideously understated Ford Galaxie.
The 1968 AC Frua Coupe you can admire in the photo gallery below also hides one of these babies under its hood. When the car was new, the powerplant generated 345 horsepower to 475 horsepower in top tune and 426 lb-ft (577 Nm) of torque. Along with a police-spec C-6 three-speed automatic transmission, the engine’s oomph was capable of offering a very respectable 5.4-second naught to 60 mph time and a top speed in excess of 145 mph.
Currently in the inventory of Missouri-based dealer Hyman Ltd., this 82,000-mile right-hand drive model is finished in a gorgeous medium blue metallic paint and sports an all-black leather interior. Equipped with power windows and an AM/FM radio cassette player, this $269,500 reconditioned AC Frua Coupe is fast, comfortable and in tip-top condition. American heart, Italian styling and British engineering. Does it get any better than this?
