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The AC 428 was an attempt to make a civilised GT out of the Cobra 428 Mk III. It shared that car's all-independent suspension and disc brakes on all four corners but had a longer wheelbase and was usually fitted with the less powerful 345 bhp, 7016 cc Ford Galaxie engine and a three-speed automatic transmission, although a few were produced with more powerful Cobra engines.
Italian design house Frua styled, and fitted, the steel bodies, which looked not unlike the body that company had designed for the Maserati Mistral. Indeed, some body panels were common to both cars. The production process was convoluted: AC had to import the running gear from Detroit and then send the chassis to Italy to have the body fitted.
Top speed and acceleration were electrifying but the car lacked refinement and the steering wasn't all it might have been. Overheating, as in many Euro-Americans, was also a snag: the huge engine didn't have enough room to cool. On top of that it was expensive and, being a two-seater, no more practical than the Cobra. Sales were slow, and ended in 1973 with just 51 fastbacks and 29 convertibles built.
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