AC Cobra 289 (1964)

Of all the great 1960s sports cars, few are as influential or as infamous as the legendary Shelby Cobra. A fortunate partnership between AC and their lightweight British sports car and Le Mans-winning driver Carroll Shelby resulted in the latest Ford lightweight V-8 sitting in the European fettled chassis of the Ace.

The result of this transplant contributed enormously to Ford’s motorsport dominance of International Sports Car racing during the late 1960s. European chassis dynamics partnered with the power of the new V-8 meant that in competition trim, Cobras achieved an impressive record.

The 260ci (4.2-litre) prototype first ran in January 1962, with production commencing later that year. Exclusively for the USA initially, Cobras - minus engines - were sent from England to be finished off by Shelby in California, and it was not until late in 1963 that AC Cars in Thames Ditton got around to building the first fully finished cars to European specification. After 75 cars had been built, the 289ci (4.7-litre) unit was standardised in 1963. Rack-and-pinion steering was the next major up-date; then in 1965 a new, stronger, coil-suspended chassis was introduced to accommodate Ford's 427ci (7.0-litre) V8, an engine that in race trim was capable of producing well in excess of 400bhp. Wider bodywork, extended wheelarch flares and a bigger radiator intake combined to create the definitive - and much copied - Cobra 427 look.

Owing to its astounding competition history and unique chassis designation, ‘HEM-6’ is undoubtably one of the world’s most recognisable AC Cobras extant. Campaigned in period by a succession of accomplished and notable sports-car drivers, it remains highly eligible and competitive to this day. Partaking in the RAC Tourist Trophy in 1964 with Salvadori behind the wheel, the first TT Celebration some 34 years later at the inaugural Goodwood Revival in 1998, and most recently in 2025, ‘HEM-6’ has achieved four podium finishes in the last six years alone, including victory in 2021.

Built by AC Cars to competition specification with cut-back doors and FIA-compliant flared wheel arches, this RHD 289 Cobra was to be supplied, minus an engine and transmission, to British privateer, C.T. “Tommy” Atkins, of High Efficiency Motors. It is understood it was designated ‘HEM-6’ as the sixth car prepared by H.E.M; '6' was entered by Atkins into the 1964 season.

A Brooklands regular before the Second World War, and competitor on both two wheels and four, C.T. “Tommy” Atkins sought to continue his motor racing endeavours post-war with the foundation of High Efficiency Motors. Under Atkins’ stewardship, High Efficiency Motors entered a Cooper-Climax T43 into the Formula Two category at select rounds of the Formula One World Championship in 1958. Following the team’s progression into Formula One in 1959, Atkins enlisted Roy Salvadori, already a proven talent who would go on to win Le Mans outright for Aston Martin that same year. After withdrawing from formula-spec racing at the end of 1960, Atkins redirected his team’s attention to sports cars, marrying a Maserati powertrain to a Cooper-Monaco chassis for Salvadori to drive in domestic events. Following delivery of his factory-built Jaguar E-type Lightweight in 1963, Atkins once again called upon Salvadori, who drove the car to 3rd in the Goodwood Tourist Trophy, finishing behind Graham Hill and Mike Parkes respectively. Together with Salvadori, Atkins entered his newly acquired AC Cobra (HEM-6) into competition for the following 1964 season, debuting the car in the British Grand Prix support race at Brands Hatch that July.

The Cobra arrived at Brands Hatch in bare aluminium, wearing the number 31 on its unpainted bodywork. Salvadori finished third having started from pole position, marking the beginning of ‘HEM-6’s’ illustrious competition career.

The first weekend of August 1964 saw Brands Hatch host the Guards International Trophy, open to both prototype and grand touring sports cars. Still in possession of his Maserati-powered Cooper-Monaco, Atkins entered both classes, assigning Roy Salvadori to the prototype entry and handing Cobra duties to the young Chris Amon. One of the most accomplished drivers of the era, Chris Amon would not only maintain a seat in Formula One between 1963-1977 but achieve major endurance racing success in the process. In 1966, under the banner of Shelby American and Ford, he claimed overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the #2 GT40, arguably history’s most celebrated Le Mans victory. The following year, as a works Ferrari driver, he and Lorenzo Bandini led a dominant 1–2–3 finish at the Daytona 24 Hours.

Goodwood’s Tourist Trophy took place at the end of August 1964. Open only to GT cars, Roy Salvadori would drive for Atkins once again, with the car now repainted in a medium green with a bright red nose band. Sadly, and unbeknownst to the pair at the time, a clutch issue on lap 80 would not only mean retirement from the race but bookend a multi-year professional partnership between Atkins and Salvadori.

C.T. “Tommy” Atkins tragically passed away in 1965, at which point ‘HEM-6’ was acquired by Graham Warner’s Chequered Flag Ltd of Chiswick, London and road registered for the first time as GPG 4C. The car was repainted in white with a black stripe and nose to match the team’s colours and fitted with a Holman-Moody engine. In the capable hands of Roy Pike, Roger Mac and Bob Bondurant, ‘HEM-6’ won the Sussex Trophy and achieved first in class in the Whitsun Trophy at Goodwood. The Cobra also competed in the Tourist Trophy at Oulton Park and the Redex Trophy at Brands Hatch, where Bondurant finished third in class. Throughout the 1965 season, ‘HEM-6’ recorded four major victories or class wins, along with numerous podiums and club-level successes.

When Chequered Flag offered the Cobra for sale, it was listed at £3,650 and described as “acknowledged to be the fastest and best Cobra in the country.” The car was purchased by Keith and Wendy Hamblin, who campaigned it at club level throughout the latter part of the decade. In 1970, ‘HEM-6’ passed to Shaun Jackson, who repainted it red with a distinctive gold stripe extending over the nose, evoking the likes of Alan Mann's racecars. After two competitive seasons, Jackson sold the car to Mick Hill, who went on to record numerous club victories during the following year. Alistair Walker purchased the car in 1973, before passing it on to the Brian Classic dealership the following year, where it was acquired by Martin Hilton. Hilton once again repainted the Cobra, this time in an attractive dark blue with a white stripe running laterally across the nose. He then entrusted Mathwall Engineering to rebuild the engine to Gurney-Weslake specification.

In 1978, ‘HEM-6’ was bought by Peter Agg. Agg decided to rebuild the car in its entirety and return it to his favourite of its former colours in the process. CP Autokraft was tasked with applying new body panels and restoring the car’s red and gold livery, a process that can be observed throughout a great many chronologically arranged documentative photographs.

Agg’s ownership spanned just under two decades, during which time ‘HEM-6’ continued to appear in competition. Following an accident at Silverstone, the car was restored once more before Agg decided to part ways with it, consigning it to Brooks’ London sale in 1995, where it was acquired by its current custodial family.

Over the past thirty years, ‘HEM-6’ has enjoyed an unbroken campaign, recording hundreds of appearances and earning recognition across Europe’s foremost events. Throughout this period, the Cobra was comprehensively maintained by leading specialists, ensuring its continued competitiveness.

‘HEM-6’ is perhaps best known to contemporary motorsport fans for its appearances at the Goodwood Revival, where the RAC hosts the Tourist Trophy Celebration, open to GT cars reminiscent of those that competed in period. Having taken part in the very first TT Celebration in 1998, driving duties have since been shared with the likes of Marino Franchitti, Darren Turner, Jake Hill, Gerhard Berger, Brian Redman and Jack Brabham achieving multiple podium finishes and taking victory in 2021.

Accompanied by a vast amount of history documentation, invoices, publications and original period photographs depicting the car’s career from the offset, ‘HEM-6’ remains one of the most beloved and favoured competition 289 Cobras extant and likely the most competed. Having been driven by a number of renowned and globally recognised sports car drivers and cared for by a lineage of enthusiastic and passionate owners, this 289 AC Cobra, affectionally ‘HEM-6’, represents a hugely significant opportunity for the next custodian to ensure immediate competitiveness at the world’s most prestigious historic motor racing events.

• Undoubtedly one of the most recognisable and experienced competition 289 Cobras in existence
• Built by AC Cars to competition specification and supplied new to C.T. “Tommy” Atkins’ High Efficiency Motors
• Driven in period by Le Mans winners Roy Salvadori and Chris Amon
• Competed in two RAC Tourist Trophy races at Goodwood (1964) and Oulton Park (1965)
• Winner of the Sussex Trophy and 1st in class in the Whitsun Trophy in 1965
• Entrant in the inaugural Goodwood Revival in 1998, and most recently in 2025
• Achieved 7 RAC Tourist Trophy Celebration podiums, 3 pole positions and a victory at the Goodwood Revival since 2012.
• Accompanied by an exceptional history file including extensive documentation, period publications, original photographs, and works invoices
• In single-family ownership since 1995
• Ready to prove immediately competitive at the world’s most prestigious historic motor racing events
• FIA HTP (Historic Technical Passport) valid until 31.12.2028