Finished in maroon with black interior and registered EAB 778B (as it remains today). COB 6046 is perhaps one of the most important of all Cobras, supplied by HW Motors Ltd of Surrey in 1964 to Lord Patrick Lichfield the cousin of Queen Elizabeth. After several years, Lichfield sold the car to Richard Taft who made a few modifications and took the car racing with some success, including a second place overall and class winner in the 1970 STP Modsports Championship with three outright wins and seven second places. The racing success is documented including a front page photo in Autosport Magazine in 1970, which shows COB 6046 in pole position.
In 1975 the car was sold to John Irving, a pilot from the Isle of Skye. He consigned the car to CP Autocraft, (latterly AC Cars Ltd) of Brooklands, for a rebuild, utilising a full Gurney Weslake 389 bhp GT40 engine. The Crown Prince Saud of Saudi Arabia purchased the car in 1981, he used the car in Switzerland and later gave it to Prince Michael of Kent.
In 1995 the car was purchased by William Loughran Ltd who sold the car to Hans Dieter Klein. He sent the car to marque specialist Uniclip Automotive who carried out a substantial amount of work to the steering, suspension and brakes so that the car could compete in historic rallies. In recent years this superb Cobra has been returned to its original specification with the installation of a correct 289 engine purchased from the Cobra Shop in Switzerland. The car returned to Brooklands where respected marque specialists Thunder Road Speed Shop carried out a full inspection of the car.
This is one of the most important of the 46 right hand drive Cobra 289s with significant ownership history and racing success that has been carefully prepared for its new owner to enjoy in the 50th anniversary year of the model.
