Andy Burrows is quite proud of his GD427, and justifiably too, because his Cobra replica is unique in a number of areas when compared to other fake snakes on the market. Up until recently, this uniqueness has been based around the body and chassis construction but with his new suspension designs he has also set new standards for the market to follow.

When Andy came to design his chassis he had a number of important objectives to achieve. Without stating the obvious, strength was one, but light weight was another. In order to get a ladderframe chassis torsionally strong it has to be big, and that means weight penalties. Spaceframe construction was another alternative, but a backbone chassis achieved a number of things that would have been difficult to obtain with the former.

A backbone set‑up makes assembly during the build‑up nice and uncluttered whilst enclosing the drivetrain is a substantial safety cage. Combined with GD's unique body construction, the chassis can be fully built with suspension, engine and gearbox, wiring, brakes, steering and almost everything else in place prior to fitment of the body. The chassis then acts as a positioning jig for the body, with precise construction tolerances ensuring that it is impossible for the builder to misalign the body on the chassis.

Using a backbone chassis means that the body has to be self‑supporting, and in order to achieve that you're looking at a monocoque type construction. Front and rear bulkheads become moulded‑in structures with a honeycomb sandwich floor and foam filled sills and side panels. Every panel is designed in such a way as to spread loads through the whole structure and reduce the pressure on any one area.

The way in which the body is fitted onto the chassis is also unique. The body is completely isolated from the chassis by special rubberised isolation mounts, of which there are fourteen dotted around the chassis at various location points. There are two main reasons for this method of location. The first is to help reduce feedback from the drivetrain and chassis into the body, so reducing fatigue and increasing driver comfort. The second is to make later removal of the body for any major mechanical servicing firstly possible and secondly easy. Through cunning location of the brake and clutch reservoirs it is, I am told, merely a ten minute job to remove the body and reveal the exposed chassis and mechanicals below. That's an excellent idea.

Up until recently, the only GD427 you could buy used the Jaguar based suspension common to most Cobra replicas and many other exotic GTs and open‑tops. The blue car in the pictures is based around this running gear. It has been built by farmer, David Hodgeson, and his aim was clearly the retro look, with full knock‑on wire wheels and reasonable profile tyres. I've always been intrigued by the GD body styling, which is slightly different to most 427 replicas you find on the market. But rather than straying from the path of replication it is merely linked more closely to the earlier Mk3 289 Coil Spring Cobra. Perhaps most distinctive are the more slender, less bulbous rear wings.

With the traditional 15" wire wheels from a Jaguar, David's car really looks the part when combined with all the usual Cobra brightwork and traditional leather interior. The paint finish was done locally and is more workmanlike than concours, but the car is used regularly and hard, so that's probably not a bad thing. Under the bonnet nestles the familiar Rover V8 lump, which received a comprehensive re‑build and mild tuning by David before it found its new home. Clearly it's the mechanical side of things that are this builder's forte and the engine bay is a great example of smart presentation and attention to detail.

The interior also shows signs of David's mechanical and welding skills. There's a beautifully presented floor­mounted handbrake made from all sorts of bits including part of a motorcycle front strut! In operation it's beautifully smooth and refined. The gearbox has been modified to bring the gearlever slightly further forward on the tunnel. Even the gearstick itself is home­made and includes a slick lift‑up reverse gear lock‑out. Terrific.

David is well over 6' and has repositioned the pedals to give him the correct length. Consequently for most other people, either the pedals are a little too far away for the steering wheel or a little too close depending on adjustment of the seat. Still, it's not enough to make driving impossible.

Fire up the Rover and two underslung exhausts issue a familiar Rover V8 woofle...aah, this is the life. Out on the road it soon becomes clear that David has wound the adjustable coil‑over dampers up quite hard and the car feels a tad harsh over undulating back roads. It's just enough to make long journeys a bit more tiring than they ought to be in a car of this nature. On my return it transpires that the wire wheels have 7" rims instead of the intended 6" ones and with the suspension set softly, cause the higher profile Goodyears tend to scuff the wheelarches over the bumps. It's a real shame that rather overshadows what is clearly a nicely tempered roadster.

The steering, perhaps as a result of the harder suspension and the need to run 25lbs pressure in the tyres due to the fitment of inner tubes, is a bit on the light side for my liking but firms up really nicely in the corners to give that vital feedback needed to push on through the twisty bits with confidence.

Whilst the clutch and accelerator pedal are both light and progressive, the brake pedal is rock solid in operation. There's no brake servo and this is one of around ten GDs supplied with the Tilton pedal box assembly using twin brake master cylinders and bias control front to back. I've normally had nothing but praise for these units but on the GD the brakes, whilst highly effective, are too solid to give the beautifully progressive feel that was clearly evident on the other two cars.

The Rover V8 engine is surely the most commonly fitted unit in the Cobra replica fraternity and on this car was reputed to be putting out around 180bhp. It provided the Gardner Douglas with quite adequate performance without being a shocker, although as the revs climbed above 4000rpm the exhaust note became somewhat harsh rather than raucous. Still, it was enough to give the car a good turn of speed and David's home‑made gearlever clicked its way through the 5­speeds with a beautifully classic feel.

Mine was an all‑too‑brief drive of the car that, due to harsh back roads, sadly highlighted the over‑firm set‑up imposed by slightly unsuited wheel sizes. That said, the suspension feels well set‑up with no nasty geometry shocks to catch out the unwary. The build quality was very high and with the wheel problem solved this will surely be a classy mid‑range performer. David reckons he went only slightly over his budget of £12,000 but the level of finish and quality of the donor reconditioning seem to more than justify that sort of outlay.

The next machine I got my hands on was the mighty Chevy 355ci powered beast pumping out a reported 425bhp! Oh boy...this should be interesting.

Andrew Bird isn't new to kit cars. In fact he owned a Brightwheel Viper before building the Gardner Douglas, so he's a true Cobra nut. With the GD427 he wanted something a little special and the first step towards achieving that was to order GD's new EURO chassis. Gardner Douglas only supplies this set‑up in rolling chassis form, citing quality control as the main reason for not offering a basic chassis and set of wishbones, so Andrew's build has progressed in a fairly straightforward manner but even now there are still some odd jobs to be completed. You'll notice his car is at the moment devoid of front and rear nudge bars and his will be the only one here to be fitted with a roll‑over bar.

This car has also received a paint finish, this time in metallic and to a top quality standard. The interior won't let the side down either, with luxurious carpet, all the usual trimmings and some neat custom made cappings to keep everything up to scratch. That said, l think it's a real shame that the body to chassis location bolts are left visible on the side of the central tunnel (on the Jaguar based car David has hidden them under the carpet). Just how often will you need to take the body off the chassis?

You'll notice that none of the GD427s have the external bonnet latches common to most fake snakes and that's because they are all operated by a more conventional latch method with release situated under the dash in the cockpit. GD boss, Andy Burrows, tries to discourage his customers from using the traditional latches, and also the massive flip‑top fuel caps, for two main reasons. Not only are they dangerous in the event of an accident involving pedestrians but (slightly less important) Andy feels they spoil the otherwise smooth lines of the car.

There's not a lot under the bonnet of this car to suggest that it's anything other than a normal Chevy 350ci. But perhaps the huge round air filter was an omen of things to come. Back in the cockpit I immediately fall into difficulties with the large 15"steering wheel. It's simply obstructing my legs and precluding me from getting comfortable. Still, the owner doesn't find it a problem so I'll just have to make do.

The 6‑speed Richmond gearbox is solid in action and required a firm hand to keep things on the move. As we drive out into the road I'm immediately impressed by just how well sorted this car is. The suspension is firm but, at the same time, supple enough to absorb the lumps and bumps of a less than forgiving back road. The steering feels beautifully bedded‑in, being light yet with perfect balance and feedback. As with the Jaguar based car, it firms up responsively in the bendy bits.

I must admit to having a real soft spot for big American V8s and this one's a real treat. It offers that instantaneous throttle response that is so exciting. Touch the throttle and the car responds immediately, no matter whether you move the pedal half an inch or punch it to the floor. The latter, it must be said, should only be done by the very foolhardy, for with 425bhp available at the snap of a finger, this beast could seriously catch out the inexperienced. Well perhaps not, because GD's EURO chassis is clearly a master at taming these levels of performance. Rarely have I come across any car that contains such power so well. Even with this monster engine it'll take some pretty heavy handed treatment to unstick the rear tyres.

Fast? Just a bit!

Such is the finesse of the GD EURO set‑up that even after just fifteen minutes I find myself pushing this wild thing through twisting corners in a way one wouldn't dare try in other cars after a week. That is surely, in part, due to the reduced unsprung weight of this car when compared to any Jaguar alternative. STATUS manufactured alloy uprights and GD's own wishbones have replaced the cumbersome items normally employed from that mighty British cruiser, the Jag XJ6. Also playing its part must be the more adjustable suspension geometry allowed by this set‑up over the more fixed Jag alternative. One thing's for certain, it makes the Gardner Douglas a hugely capable performer.

The brakes, this time GD's own set‑up, are more progressive than the Tilton variety used in the Jaguar car although they're still hard and require a firm positive action from the driver. The six-speed gearbox takes a bit of getting used to. The gears are extremely close together but once mastered will no doubt be a real joy to use. Sixth gear is unbelievably high and at 70mph the engine is almost idling at less than 2000rpm! Still, with 425bhp under your right foot, this mammoth machine will happily pull away cleanly from under 1500rpm. Awesome stuff.

Finally we come to Gardner Douglas' own new demonstrator. This is the only car here with a coloured gelcoat finish. And what a finish it is, too. A quite excellent moulding that has produced a gelcoat with a beautifully smooth finish and deep lustre.

Under the bonnet we find Ford's latest injected Mustang 302ci V8. It certainly looks unusual situated under this bonnet and is clearly aimed at markets abroad. The car's fitted with catalytic converters and much of the other gubbins normally associated with such things. In this utterly standard form it's an engine pumping out an utterly respectable 245bhp and 285lbs/ft torque.

This car I find the easiest in which to obtain a comfortable driving position. A sensible sized 13" steering wheel makes for loads of knee room and, with the pedals in their standard position, I'm quickly at ease. The gearstick is canted over at a rather funny angle but falls neatly to hand. In action it has a rather typically vague production car feel about it. A bit disappointing.

The demonstrator is running slightly softer springs than the other EURO car and these and the dampers were still bedding in during our visit. The ride is definitely on the soft side ‑ just a little too spongy, but the steering still has that positive feel to it and the brakes are just as communicative as on the other car. With just ninety odd miles on the clock it is clear there are still a few minor bugs to sort out. Apart from allowing the springs and dampers to settle, the rear toe‑in setting was a little awry, causing the back end to get a little lively over the more uneven back roads. Adjustment is extremely easy, and Andy immediately altered it on my return to the workshop.

What a shame it hadn't been spot‑on for my drive because otherwise this was a real beauty. In typical injected style, the 302 produced power in a refined and smooth torque curve that was utterly manageable but also highly effective in hustling the Garner Douglas along in great style. Following the Jaguar based car back to GD's unit, I could reel‑in the lesser powered machine at will on the straights while only the oddities of this car's rear suspension set‑up forced me to tread a little more wearily through the bends.

At the end of the day I found this Gardner Douglas visit a really interesting exercise. These were three utterly different cars all emanating from the same manufacturer.

But which to choose? Put quite simply, cost may well be your deciding factor. Jaguar based cars have been put on the road for as little as £10,000 while most will be looking at nearer £12‑15,000 (GD's fine coloured gelcoat finish can help reduce that). The EURO option is a rather different kettle of fish. If you order the basic rolling chassis less engine and 'box and build up from there you may get something on the road for under £20,000, while if you order a complete rolling chassis and then a complete body pack (pre assembled) you'll be paying upwards of £31,000. Quite a difference over the Jag based car.

If the price hasn't helped you make up your mind then you need to look at the merits of each option. Let's not forget that almost all other Cobra replica manufacturers use Jaguar mechanicals as the basis for their cars. They do this for the simple reason that the Jaguar parts are robust and do the job of carrying around a Cobra‑like bodyshell quite admirably. Not just that, some are very good cars indeed and the Gardner Douglas option must be up there with the best of them. Its price is also very competitive, too.

As a build‑up prospect the GD (in both guises) must also score very highly as I'd imagine it's one of the more straightforward to construct. The ability to almost totally build the car with the body and chassis split must really help matters.

By comparison to the Jag based car the EURO option has very few competitors. Certainly none that we are aware of offer a backbone set‑up while perhaps only one or two others run non‑Jaguar based suspension.  I wouldn't hesitate to say that this set‑up is clearly very capable and delivers a superior ride and handling to most Jaguar based kits. The suspension design, as a point of fact, offers more geometry adjustment that you can hope to achieve using Jaguar components.

If you're a hard driver who likes to get the most from his cars, then the EURO unquestionably offers the edge in terms of sheer composure, steering feel and awesome brakes. It's a car in which you can feel totally confident. I wouldn't go the all out 425bhp route, damn good fun though it is. Far more user friendly and offering bags of bhp and torque is the injected Ford 302 of the company demonstrator. The EURO offers the owner a top‑fight driving experience with all the splendour and presence that comes from that classic shape. If you've got the dosh, you could do a lot worse than putting it into a GD427 EURO.

Sadly, the bottom line will probably be that few of us can actually afford the EURO package so it's just as well that Gardner Douglas still offer the Jaguar option. For me, this car's main plus points are it's apparent ease of build, quality of gelcoat finish and overall affordability. For a comparatively middle‑range sum you should be the owner of a Cobra replica to match rather more expensive machines. One thing's for sure, it really ought to be on your test drive list when you come to make a decision.