James Robinson’s 289 FIA Cobra Replica

When Ford was looking for an exciting way to promote its new 221ci V-8 engine—which evolved into the 289—it accepted a proposal from Carroll Shelby to outfit the car that, in theory, he brought to AC Cars Ltd. in England. AC modified its Tojiero Bristol and engineered the car that served as the basis for what we know today as the 289 FIA. Renamed the Cobra, Shelby took the slabsided racer and soon the 289 FIA was born.

That was 40 years ago, and after a successful-but-brief championship-racing career, the car was replaced by the 427 S/C. According to automotive lore (and the Shelby American Automobile Club), there were only five true 289 FIAs ever built.

That hasn’t stopped the kit car replicar allure of owning a 289—perhaps the most stylish of snakes.

For the past quarter-century, Unique Motorcars of Gadsden, Alabama, has manufactured a faithfully replicated, delicious-looking, and smooth-driving 289 replicar—and that’s what caught James Robinson’s eye when he chose this snake as the one he had to make and drive.

James, a Mercedes-Benz dealer in Pennsylvania, had previously built a Porsche 356 coupe replica and was eager to join the Cobra ranks. He chose the 289 FIA because, “I prefer small-block cars and wanted something different. There are lots of big-body cars, and I wanted something to stand out from the rest.” He tells us he chose Unique Motorcars because, “It offered the hardtop, and it really captured the replication of the design.”

“I wanted a car I could drive proudly and have fun with,” he says. “It’s a fine little car and a lot of fun, so I have achieved all I had hoped for when I bought the kit.”

He has driven it some 6,500 miles in the two years since he built it, and the car attracts attention at the shows he brings it to. It stood out at last year’s Carlisle Kit Car Nationals and, as the public buzzed around it, we took it into a meadow and photographed it for this feature.

The car was built by James and Fred Gimble of Autovision in Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania, in about six months (of weekends and evenings).

James built his small-block beauty using a 52-inch-wide ’85 Jaguar XJS rearend. The rear brakes are Jag and the rear shocks are from Aldan. The front suspension is all Unique, with custom unequal A-arms. The front brakes are Wilwood and are adorned by Aldan shocks and Mustang II spindles.

This 289 is powered by a Ford 351 Windsor V-8, machined by Leggett Engine Research of Boonesboro, Maryland. It has Wesco pistons with 11.5:1 compression, and Comp Cams rollers. James chose a Holley 650-cfm carburetor and MSD ignition to round out the powerplant that is linked to a Ford four-speed toploader tranny.

Stewart-Warner gauges adorn the dash, which is accented by black upholstery and carpet. James finished it off with a snappy PPG Sandstone beige-and-maroon-stripe paint job, artfully done by Josef’s Auto Body of Baltimore, Maryland. “This car has style, more so than the original, and this paint job is me…my customization of the original,” says James.

“Except for the monetary rewards, I couldn’t be happier if had one of the original five,” says James.

On style alone, we agree with him.