The Dax Cobra is the British answer to the AC 427 Cobra: a kit-built replica produced in Essex since the late 1960s. Its maker, DJ Sportscars Int., was the first British company to offer such a kit, and the car has stayed in production under the names Dax Tojeiro and Dax 427.
Dax Cobra at a glance
| Maker | Dax Cars (DJ Sportscars Int.), North Weald, Essex |
|---|---|
| Company founded | 1968 |
| Model | kit replica of the AC 427 Cobra; later Dax Tojeiro, now Dax 427 |
| First British Cobra kit | yes, according to the maker |
| 1975 | John Tojeiro became a director; the car was renamed Dax Tojeiro |
| 2003 | 427 De Dion added beside the 427 IRS |
| Engines | most American V8s and Jaguar engines, including the V12 |
| Transmission | manual or automatic |
| Steering | power steering optional |
| Interior | leather-trimmed interior kit |
| 2017 | production of the Dax 427 acquired by John Kox on 15 August |
| 2018 | Dax Coupe shown at Stoneleigh, on a 427 chassis lengthened by 5 in |
No Wikipedia page exists for the Cobra replica itself. This article is based on the maker’s page, Dax Cars, and is based on one source.
History of the Dax Cobra
Fibreglass beginnings
Dax Cars began in 1968 as a fibreglass moulding company called DJ Sportscars Int., based in North Weald, Essex. It became the first British company to make a kit-based replica of the AC 427 Cobra — the big-block version of the American roadster that had itself grown out of the AC Ace.
Tojeiro joins
In 1975 John Tojeiro, the original designer of the AC Ace chassis, became a director of the company, and the car was renamed the Dax Tojeiro. The design has been developed continuously since then and is now called the Dax 427. In 2003 the 427 De Dion became available alongside the 427 IRS. The chassis can take most American V8 engines and Jaguar engines including the V12, with automatic or manual transmission; power steering is another option, and the interior is supplied as a leather-trimmed kit.
The 427 today
On 15 August 2017 John Kox acquired the production of the Dax 427 from 427 Motor Company, the firm formerly known as Dax Cars and DJ Sportscars Int. The newest body style, the Dax Coupe, appeared at the Stoneleigh show in 2018. It is based on the established Dax 427 underpinnings, with the chassis lengthened by 5 inches through a new spaceframe section; the suspension is carried over and the engine options remain the same.
Design and features
- Cobra replica: a kit-based copy of the AC 427 Cobra, the first such kit made in Britain according to the maker.
- Tojeiro chassis: the car was renamed Dax Tojeiro in 1975 when the AC Ace’s designer joined the company.
- Engine choice: most American V8s and Jaguar engines including the V12, with manual or automatic transmission.
- Two rear suspensions: the 427 IRS and, from 2003, the 427 De Dion.
- Kit interior: a leather-trimmed interior kit is part of the package.
Dax Cobra versions
- Dax Tojeiro: the name used from 1975, when John Tojeiro became a director.
- Dax 427 IRS: the independent rear suspension version.
- Dax 427 De Dion: added in 2003 alongside the IRS car.
- Dax Coupe (2018): a closed body on a 427 chassis lengthened by 5 in, with the same suspension and engine options.
The same Essex workshop also built the two-seat Dax Rush. More kit cars and replicas are in the Dax collection.
Video: DAX COBRA 427
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Dax Cars, English Wikipedia: company history, model names, engines, 2017 sale, Coupe
_Dax_Tojeiro_5.7_Rear.jpg){kind=link}