1972 AC Frua – Classified of the Week

We love a racy little number here at Car & Classic, especially when said racy little number is something you never expected. Like this 1972 AC Frua, for example. A car you may not have even heard of, let alone seen complete with spoiler, full cage and bucket seats. But that’s what we have, and man alive, what a thing it is. 

The Frua is an exceptionally rare machine. Only eighty-one were built, and of those, only forty-nine were coupes. It was AC’s attempt to expand its range to be greater than just the Cobra. That said, the Frua was indeed a Cobra 427 underneath, albeit extended by 150mm. But that was no bad thing. It meant that unlike its rivals, the Frua would boast full independent race suspension, not to mention a thumping great V8. And then there was the body, from which the Frua got its name. The chassis was assembled here in the UK before being shipped to Italy and the workshops of designer Pietro Frua. Here, the Italian-designed body was fitted before the car was shipped back to the UK to be fitted up for trim and mechanicals. This was of course an expensive way of doing things, and as such, the retail price of the Frua was eye watering compared to its peers from the likes of ISO, Monteverdi and De Tomaso. As such, despite being a glorious machine, sales weren’t forthcoming. From 1965 to 1973, eighty-one were built. 

The Frua floundered for a few years as a car without any real following. Some were forgotten and simply rotted away, some were cut up and remade into Cobras, but some did survive. Around twenty or so is the rumoured number. Happily, it eventually slipped into the realms of the classic car world and, deservedly, became something of a hot commodity. 

This 1972 AC Frua is perhaps the hottest, at least in terms of power and specification. No longer a ‘gentleman’s express’, this car – chassis number CF69 – has been stripped out and built back up to race specification. There is a full roll cage, bucket seats, harnesses, a big tach, fire extinguishers and nothing else. It’s a serious cockpit. But… it needs to be. 

Under that vented bonnet, you’ll find a 1968 Ford ‘side oiler’ NASCAR specification V8. With a capacity of 482 cubic inches, it’s not a car for the low emission zone. The engine was built up by Stuart Mathieson of Mathwall Engineering and is a serious performer. Just have a look at the advert for the full, impressive specification. It’s backed up by a Ford C6 automatic transmission with full manual twin clutches, B&M pro shifter and 2800rpm stall speed converter. It is, make no mistake, a monster. 

There simply isn’t another car out there like this one. This is a work of art, but one that demands you take it out and absolutely kick its teeth in. It wants you to thrash it, it wants the engine to scream, it wants the bespoke aero to be worked hard and it wants to try and shred the rear tyres. It is a beast from bumper to bumper, and one that any self respecting petrolhead should be desperate to own.