For many people, their car is simply a tool to transport them from point A to point B and back again. For others, cars are their passion, whether they are used for racing, hauling, or simply sit in a show room and look nice. One of the most popular racing cars was the AC Cobra, commonly referred to as the Shelby Cobra in the United States.

Produced intermittently in England between 1961 and 1967, the Cobra was a British roadster with an American V-8 engine. Due to its small size, the Cobra was able to beat a Chevrolet Corvette in a race in 1963, and in 1964, an AC Cobra was recorded to have gone 186 miles per hour on the M1 Motorway.

For the next twenty years or so, Cobras were no longer manufactured by Shelby. Anyone who wished to own one had to look for AC Cobra kits to build their own cars. While the original Cobras all had aluminum bodies, Cobra car kits were made of fiberglass. Thousands of AC Cobra replicas flooded the market. Some Shelby Cobra kit cars were better than others, it only depended on where the kit was manufactured.

In the late 1980s, Shelby authorized the production of “continuation cars.” These were manufactured in the style of the original AC Cobra, but updated with modern amenities. Most of the continuation cars have fiberglass bodies, though some are aluminum. All models of Cobra have been produced as continuations.

While Cobra kits may not result in a genuine Shelby Cobra, they are an affordable alternative for car enthusiasts who prefer the hands-on experience. People who would like to experience owning a similar car but are not mechanically inclined will be able to find a Cobra replica for sale on the internet or in their local classified ads.