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Cobra Monaco 40th Edition Bucket Seats with Custom Tartan Trim
In the showroom, December 2025
Every so often a seat comes through the showroom that stops everyone, and this pair of Cobra Monaco 40th Edition bucket seats did. They were made for one of our customers with a tartan centre in a pattern of their own choosing: blue and green checks with red lines and black. The tartan did not come from Cobra's range. The customer sourced the fabric and supplied it, so the pair is a one-off.
We gave them our usual pre-delivery check before they went out. The tartan sits well against the black vinyl and the eyelets, and the whole seat has a period rally look. Here is what the Monaco 40th Edition is, how the custom trim works, the measurements, and how the seat mounts.
- Cobra Monaco 40th Edition, FIA 8855-1999 homologated
- Fully steel plated shell with a solid back and base, 11.4kg per our listing
- This pair was trimmed in tartan supplied by the customer
- Our tartan listing offers eight tartan designs as standard
- Base mount or side mount, with slots for a 4 or 6 point harness
- Made to order and hand trimmed by Cobra in the UK
What is on this page
Cobra's custom trim options
Cobra hand trim their seats in the UK, and their Signature programme lets you choose the trim on a seat to suit the car: leathers, vinyls and Dinamica suede, with matching or contrasting piping and stitching. It covers the steel framed seats like the Monaco and the fibreglass competition seats.
This customer went a step further and supplied their own fabric, which Cobra used for the centre panels. It gives complete control over the look of the seat, and it suits a restoration, a show car or a period build where the interior is being done properly.
Custom seats are made to order. Nothing about them is held in stock, so there is a lead time, and it is worth planning around. In the showroom we keep standard Cobra seats in black to try for size, and for a one-off trim we help you through the order with Cobra.
The Cobra Monaco 40th Edition
Cobra built the 40th Edition to mark forty years, and what it marks is the trim, not the engineering. Underneath, it is the Monaco: a fully steel plated seat with a solid back and base, an integral head pad and shoulder support, homologated to FIA 8855-1999. Our listing gives the weight as 11.4kg, which is the cost of the steel plating.
What sets it apart is the finish: black vinyl outer trim, vintage style eyelets in the centre panels and a classic shape. On our tartan listing the centre panels come in a choice of tartans, and this customer’s pair shows what happens when you bring your own.
The seat takes a 4 or 6 point harness. As with any FIA seat, the approval is tied to its manufacture date, so we check the label before a seat goes to anyone racing.
Key features of the Monaco 40th Edition, from our listings:
- Fully steel plated shell with a solid back and base
- FIA 8855-1999 homologated
- Integral head pad and shoulder support
- Black vinyl outer trim with vintage eyelets
- Base mount or side mount
- Slots for a 4 or 6 point harness
- Hand trimmed in the UK
Measurements and fit
The Monaco is a slim seat, which is why it goes into so many cars. Our listing sizes it for drivers under 6ft with a 32 to 36 inch waist, and narrower and wider versions of the Monaco shell exist for drivers outside that. These are the measurements we noted for the 40th Edition:
| Measurement | Monaco 40th Edition |
|---|---|
| Shoulder width | 550mm |
| External base width | 510mm |
| Internal base width | 360mm |
| Base depth | 405mm |
| Backrest height | 870mm |
| Base length | 660mm |
| Weight (our listing) | 11.4kg |
Garreth’s advice is to sit in a standard Monaco before ordering a custom one. The trim does not change the shell, so if the standard seat fits you, the custom one will too.
Installing a Monaco
The Monaco can be base mounted or side mounted, so you are not committed to either when you order. Side mounted, it uses a 290mm bolt spacing, which suits standard side mount brackets.
Base mounted, it uses Cobra’s 291mm pattern. That goes straight onto Cobra sub-frames and Cobra’s 291mm sliding runners. Many vehicle specific frames from other makers use a wider 345mm pattern, which does not line up with 291mm. In that case there are two ways to go: side mount the seat onto the frame, or use adaptor plates to bridge the narrower base pattern to the wider frame. We check which frame is available for the car and how the seat will go on it before anything is ordered.
Our customer question on fitting side mounts to a Cobra Monaco Pro goes into more detail on the side mount route.
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The Monaco range
The Monaco comes in a range of trims: tartan, 3D spacer fabric, nylon velour and vinyl, depending on how much grip and breathability you want and how you want it to look. There are FIA homologated versions for competition, and non-FIA versions for track days and the road, including narrower sizes.
Alongside the standard seats there are special editions, such as the 40th Edition and the Houndstooth Edition. Our customer chose the 40th Edition with a tartan centre, and went one further by sending Cobra their own fabric.
Why tartan
Tartan was a real period trim on fast cars, and it suits builds from the 1970s through to the early 1990s. It can match a classic paint colour or lift an all black interior, and it links a car to its era without saying a word.
Putting it on an FIA homologated shell means a period look without giving up the approval that lets you compete. Our tartan listing offers eight designs, including Blair Ancient, MacFarlane Clan Ancient and Stewart Dress Modern, and if none of those is right, this pair shows that your own fabric is an option too.
This pair looked the part on the way out of the showroom, and they should look even better fitted in the customer's car.
If you are thinking about a custom trim, tell us the seat, the fabric and the car, and we will talk you through it.
Can I supply my own fabric for a Cobra seat?
This customer did, and Cobra trimmed the Monaco 40th Edition centre panels in it. Ask us before ordering and we will check it with Cobra.
Is the Cobra Monaco 40th Edition FIA approved?
Yes. It is homologated to FIA 8855-1999, and the approval is tied to the manufacture date.
Can the Cobra Monaco be side mounted?
Yes. It can be base mounted or side mounted, and side mounted it uses a 290mm bolt spacing.
What base pattern does the Cobra Monaco use?
Cobra’s 291mm pattern, which suits Cobra sub-frames and 291mm runners. Frames on 345mm need side mounting or adaptor plates.
What size driver does the Monaco suit?
Our listing sizes it for drivers under 6ft with a 32 to 36 inch waist.
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One of oneA Monaco in the customer's own tartan
The same FIA homologated seat, trimmed to match one car and one owner.
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