1968 AC 428 Roadster

AC Cars had 82 chassis in stock when Ford switched in preference from Cobra to the GT40. In a stroke of genius, AC shipped the surplus chassis to Frua in Italy to receive coachwork, and then shipped them back to the United Kingdom for installation of the 428 engine. Only 29 were bodied in convertibles on a lengthened 427 Cobra chassis, with Frua coachwork that was similar to the Maserati Mistral. This spyder was completed in 1968 and owned by Rob Walker, a whiskey heir, race car driver, RAF pilot, and privateer Formula 1 team owner. Recipient of a new Ford 428 engine in 1971, and a recent refreshment, this AC 428 has both street credibility and styling gravitas, with its huge 345 horsepower engine and restrained yet elegant Frua Spyder body.

The first owner of this AC 428 Spider was Grand Prix privateer Rob Walker, heir to the Johnny Walker whisky fortune and long-term entrant for Stirling Moss. This car is equipped with a strengthened Ford C6 3-speed automatic transmission and a limited-slip differential. It is finished in bright red (a color change from original) and has black leather upholstery, a black cloth top, and chrome wire wheels. At some point, the engine was replaced and a subsequent owner installed air conditioning.

This AC Frua was displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours in 1990 where it earned 2nd in Class, then scored class wins in 1991 at the Hillsborough and Forest Grove Concours d'Elegance.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2021