AC Ace

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
AC
AC Ace (here as AC Ace Bristol)
AC Ace (here as AC Ace Bristol)
Ace
Sales designation: Ace
Production period: 1953-1964
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Roadster
Engines:
Petrol engines : 2.0–2.6 liters
(63–127 kW)
Length: 3848-3874 mm
Width: 1511 mm
Height: 1245 mm
Wheelbase : 2286 mm
Empty weight : 762-894 kg
Previous model AC Six ( AC 16/80 Ace Two Seater Competition Sports )
successor AC Cobra 260

The AC Ace was an open two-seater sports car with an aluminum body and a six-cylinder in - line engine from AC , Bristol or Ford .

It was developed and manufactured by the traditional English company AC Cars Ltd. based in Thames Ditton in the county of Surrey , whose roots go back to 1901 (start of work on the Weller Four Seat Tourer by the company founders Weller and Portwine). The AC Ace was based on a custom-built racing sports car that John Tojeiro had built as an independent sports and racing car designer in 1953. With prices at the level of the more powerful Jaguar sports cars (and above), the hand-built Ace was always a vehicle for wealthy individualists during its construction period. In 1962 it became the basis for the legendary AC Cobra , developed together with Carroll Shelby and Ford .

introduction

Between 1953 and 1964, a total of 728 vehicles of the AC Ace model were produced in small series and largely by hand, including those

  • 226 with the in-house 2.0-l six-cylinder in-line engine ( AC Ace , 1953–1964),
  • 466 with the 2.0-liter six-cylinder in-line engine from Bristol ( AC Ace Bristol , 1956–1964) and
  • 36 with a 2.6-liter six-cylinder in-line engine from the Ford Zephyr Mk. II, usually with increased power ( AC Ace 2.6 , 1961–1963).

The Ace (English; in German: Ass ) was the first new sports car model that AC brought out as a series vehicle after the Second World War . The company's aim was to use the comparatively small and light model to reconnect with the brand's sports car tradition from the mid-1920s and 1930s. In addition to the much more expensive Lagonda 2.6-liter presented in 1948, it was one of the first English production vehicles, in particular the first English production sports car with independent front and rear suspension . Low weight, balanced weight distribution, stable, powerful engines and an advanced chassis design enabled the AC Ace to achieve numerous racing successes in the United Kingdom, as well as in continental Europe and the USA . Due to its sporty reputation, it could be sold at a higher profit margin than the AC 2-liter sedan model and thus became an economic success - despite the comparatively low number of units.

History of origin

Logo of the automobile manufacturer AC with letters in Art Nouveau style as it has been used - with minor changes - since 1907
AC 16/80 "Ace" Two Seater Competition Sports , approx. 1936 - the predecessor and namesake from the pre-war period
AC 2-Liter (Two Door Saloon) - the first post-war model
Ferrari 166MM Touring Barchetta - the design model for the Tojeiro Bristol prototype

AC's situation in the early 1950s

At the beginning of the 1950s, AC Cars Ltd. - as it has been since 1930 - owned by the Hurlock family with William A. Hurlock (* 1887; † 1964) as CEO and his brother Charles FH Hurlock (* 1901; † 1989) as managing director. The vehicle program of the small series manufacturer was presented at this time, exclusively from the 1947 of the upper mid-range attributable to AC 2-Liter with in-house 2.0 liter straight-six and 74  bhp / 75  hp / 55  kW . This luxurious, conservative-looking model was usually bodied as a two- door saloon , rarely as a two-door, four to five-seater convertible ( Drophead Coupé ) or as a Buckland Tourer , a sporty , open-top model built by the external bodybuilder Buckland four to five seat touring car. In its market segment there was increasing competition for the 2-liter : Some manufacturers were able to offer their models with similar engines through mass production on assembly lines at significantly lower prices; other manufacturers meanwhile offered engines with larger displacement and more power. In addition, it was foreseeable that the price of the 2-liter would soon cross the limit of £ 1,000 net, from which a sales tax that is twice as high (quasi a luxury tax ) would be due, which would further reduce market opportunities. AC was therefore looking for new vehicle models and concepts.

The considerations ranged from a conventional successor to the 2-liter to a high-performance vehicle in the luxury class, with four-, six or eight-cylinder boxer engines also being considered. At the same time, AC was thinking of a light sports car in the style of the successful pre-war models such as the sporty AC 16/80 Ace Two Seater Competition Sports , which, for example, had won the Alpine rally in 1936. A third plan concerned a three-wheeled microcar , as it was offered as AC Petite from 1952 .

The decision to develop the AC Ace was made in 1953 after a meeting at which John Tojeiro had presented the racing sports car he had built for customers to the Hurlock brothers.

The Tojeiro Bristol prototype

In his main job, John Tojeiro ran a small workshop for body painting and repairs in a shed. In addition, he designed and built racing cars as one-offs for customers and himself. He was supported in building the vehicles by the shed's landlord, Vin Davison, who himself ran a large workshop on the property. As early as 1950 Tojeiro had designed a successful racing sports car based on an MG TA with chassis components that he had taken from a Cooper racing car . A vehicle he rebuilt in 1951 with a larger engine and a completely self-designed chassis with rigid axles at the front and rear was less successful. After the end of the 1952 racing season, car dealer and amateur racing driver Cliff Davis commissioned John Tojeiro to design a new racing sports car. A lightweight chassis with independent front and rear suspension was created over the winter. The vehicle was equipped with a two-liter six-cylinder engine from Bristol , which was installed in the front of the car, but was offset far behind the front axle towards the center of the vehicle in order to achieve the most balanced weight distribution possible.

The vehicle received a two-seater body in the Barchetta style, which was made by the coachbuilder Eric Gray in the company Gray and Rich Panelcraft . It was inspired by the Ferrari 166 MM (Mille Miglia) Touring Barchetta from 1948 to 1953, as designed by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan and manufactured using its patented Superleggera design. Right from the start, Davis had a successful season with victories on the circuits at Goodwood , Silverstone and Crystal Palace . The Tojeiro-Bristol was characterized by its maneuverability and good cornering behavior. The vehicle with the English registration number LOY 500 still exists today and regularly takes part in historic racing events.

That same year, 1953, Tojeiro received an order from Ernie Bailey, owner of the Buckland coachbuilder , to build a similar vehicle, but with a larger-capacity Lea-Francis engine . Both had previously had business relationships as Tojeiro painted the Bailey-built AC Buckland Tourer bodies in his shed. From his business relationships with AC , Bailey knew the drop in sales of the 2-liter model and AC's considerations for a replacement. Together with Davison, he saw the possibility of having the Tojeiro design produced by AC in larger quantities, which is why they presented Tojeiro and his vehicle design to the Hurlock brothers. John Tojeiro had borrowed Cliff Davis' vehicle, who in turn had the hope of being able to sell replicas of his racing car as a dealer. The Hurlocks were so impressed by the Tojeiro-Bristol that they agreed to take over the vehicle concept at short notice. The Hurlock brothers wanted a quick decision to be able to present the New AC as a prototype at the British International Motor Show in October 1953 ; Customer feedback should be tested and, if necessary, donors should be found who provide the funds for further development of the series vehicle.

The AC Ace prototype

Work on the prototype took place under great time pressure, as there were only a few weeks before the exhibition opened. In order to save time, AC used the not yet completed Tojeiro car that Bailey had ordered, equipped it with the in-house two-liter in-line six-cylinder engine and the associated manual transmission from Moss , and named it Ace, corresponding to the successful pre-war models . By contract, AC received the rights to the Tojeiro design and John Tojeiro in return received a royalty of £ 5 for each vehicle sold (up to a maximum of 100 vehicles, equivalent to £ 500 - in retrospect, bad business for Tojeiro). Vin Davison received an employment contract from AC to help adapt the Tojeiro prototype to the needs of series production. The aim was to use parts from the AC inventory as far as possible for series production, to adapt the prototype to the road approval regulations of the United Kingdom and the American market envisaged for export, and to provide a minimum level of comfort and weather protection for the occupants. The Ace prototype received a normal high windshield in a separately attached chrome-plated frame and a well-equipped interior with an extensive dashboard, high-quality carpets and leather-covered individual seats. He also received an unlined canvas top (which was attached to the aluminum body by means of press studs and whose top bars and bows had to be fitted individually) as well as button-down, folding plastic side windows.

The Ace prototype was exhibited at the Earls Court Exhibition Center from October 21st to 31st, 1953 , where it was celebrated as one of the highlights of the fair, so AC decided to go into series production.

Start of sales and series production

AC Ace in the street version with in-house 2.0-l six-cylinder in-line engine
AC Ace Bristol
AC Ace 2.6 with Ruddspeed engine and flat front (1962)
AC Cobra 289 with 4.7 l Ford V8 engine and moderately widened fenders as standard
For comparison: The AC Aceca - the two-seater coupé version of the open- top AC Ace , here in the racing version for the Carrera Panamericana long-distance rally

Start with AC motors

Production and sales of the AC Ace began at the turn of the year 1953/54. The sale price was a comparatively high £ 1,015 plus tax of £ 424 (as of October 1955: £ 1,100 plus tax of £ 459). Under the leadership of chief engineer Alan D. Turner, AC had revised the body design again compared to the Ace prototype from the British International Motor Show . The changes concerned the radiator grille, higher set and more strongly modeled headlights, a modified side line with a stronger "hip bend" behind the doors and above the rear wheels and a not so steeply sloping rear. AC kept this final design almost unchanged for the vehicles with its own engine and the later with the Bristol engine until series production was discontinued in 1963 and the one-off replicas in 1964. The key design elements with differently widened fenders were continued with the AC Cobra until 1968.

In the course of 1954, the two-seater AC Aceca coupe with hatchback and tailgate, based on the Ace , expanded the range. However, despite greater comfort and better weather protection, this did not reach the sales figures of the Ace due to the even higher price (£ 1,215 plus taxes of £ 507 in October 1954 and £ 1,375 plus taxes of £ 574 in October 1955). By the end of 1954, AC was able to sell 147 handcrafted Ace. It was able to establish itself as a well-designed sports car, especially in racing, but was comparatively impractical in everyday use - especially because of the poor weather protection. In addition, it was relatively expensive due to the manual work and the complex tubular space frame, especially in the export markets. In addition, there was the growing competition from the assembly line and therefore cheaper models such as the Austin-Healey 100 and the Triumph TR2 and TR3 .

At the start of production, the in-house two-liter, six-cylinder in-line engine in the series version produced 85 bhp / 86 PS / 63 kW at 4500 rpm. In the further course AC was able to increase the output in 1955 and 1958 in two steps by increasing the compression. In the last version, the AC engine achieved 102 bhp / 103 PS / 76 kW at 5000 rpm from 1958. It offered comparatively few opportunities to increase performance, especially for racing, or this went hand in hand with risks for reliability. The cause was, on the one hand, its unusually long-stroke design with a cylinder bore of 65 millimeters and a cylinder stroke of 100 millimeters, and on the other hand the fact that the engine's basic conception dates back to 1919. With a light metal cylinder block and an overhead, chain-driven camshaft, it was decades ahead of its original competitors, but in the mid-1950s it offered hardly any further development opportunities.

Technical improvements, especially the Ace Bristol

As early as 1953, John Tojeiro had used a more lively two-liter six-cylinder in-line engine from Bristol in his racing car for Cliff Davis , which in turn was based on the engine of the pre-war BMW 328 . This engine had also proven itself with other manufacturers of racing cars such as Frazer-Nash . Some racing drivers had already retrofitted their AC Ace to the high-quality and sophisticated engines from Bristol on a private initiative , which also offered good opportunities for increased performance without losing any significant amount of reliability. A driving force here was the vehicle dealer and amateur racing driver Ken Rudd from Worthing, who is in close contact with AC . In 1956, AC took the opportunity to work with Bristol Cars Ltd. conclude a contract for future engine delivery. From now on could AC -Kunden beside the AC -own motor alternatively to Bristol engine with 105 bhp / 106 hp / 78 kW at 5000 / min or in the from Bristol uprated factory shape with 128 bhp / 130 hp / 95 kW at 5750 / min order. This could easily be increased to 130 to 150 hp for competitions. However, the version with the Bristol engine was also significantly more expensive than the version with the AC engine (£ 1963 in May 1956 and £ 2112 in October 1957 instead of £ 1651 each).

For Bristol , this cooperation had the advantage of being able to continue to produce its own engines profitably through higher quantities and better plant utilization, after it had increasingly developed into a manufacturer of luxury cars with correspondingly low quantities. The AC Ace sports car was no competition for the Bristol vehicles.

With the Bristol engine, the number of racing successes increased further in both the United Kingdom and the USA. This, as well as the low number of units, prompted competitors in the American sports car championship to upgrade the AC Ace from class E to class D, then even to class C. The Ace ultimately had to compete against significantly more powerful vehicles, such as the Jaguar XK 140 or XK 150 or the Austin-Healey , later the Jaguar D-Type , Aston Martin , Lotus and Maserati . In order to be better prepared for use in competition, was awarded the AC Ace , first as one of the first vehicles from 1957 on request and at an additional cost - - again at the suggestion of Ken Rudd Girling - disc brakes on the front axle, which later were standard equipment.

From the mid-1950s, AC had been working on a four-seat Gran Turismo version based on the Ace in addition to the two-seat Aceca Coupé . This was introduced in 1959 as the AC Greyhound , but ultimately only had the drive technology in common with the Ace : the wheelbase was lengthened, the front and rear track widened. The tubular space frame no longer consisted of round steel tubes as in the Ace and Aceca , but of square tubes. Instead of the lower wishbones with an upper, transverse leaf spring, there were double wishbones with coil spring / damper units at the front and a De-Dion axle at the rear to create more space for the occupants and the trunk and to be able to install the engine further forward. Mainly because of the high price, AC was only able to sell a little more than 80 vehicles of the Greyhound . In October 1959 it cost £ 2981, while the already expensive Ace Bristol was on offer for £ 2045.

In the same year, 1959, Bristol AC announced that it would discontinue its own engine production in 1961. Because of the small numbers she was now no longer profitable and Bristol himself wanted for his increasingly difficult become models on American Chrysler - V8 engines change, not only in terms of interior design, but also the power and torque on the claim of the upper class to meet . For the following months and years, AC was able to secure a larger number of Bristol engines for its own warehouse.

Facelift, especially the Ace 2.6

At the same time, at the suggestion of Ken Rudd , AC developed an Ace version in 1961 with the 2.6-liter six-cylinder in-line engine from the Ford Zephyr Mk. II , which Rudd and his company Ruddspeed had comprehensively revised and increased in performance as required. This variant was introduced in 1961 with up to 170 bhp / 172 PS / 127 kW as the AC Ace 2.6 . Since this engine had a lower overall height despite the larger displacement, the AC development chief Alan Turner took the opportunity to make the bonnet flatter and extend it a little longer and deeper to the front, and also to make the front cooling air intake flatter and smaller. This Ace variant thus received - apart from the later widened fenders - the distinctive body shape that was to characterize the legendary Cobra models Mk. I and Mk. II ( Cobra 260 and Cobra 289 ) from 1962 . Although Rudd was able to achieve a few sporting successes with the tuned Ford engine, the engine lacked the charisma and fame of the AC and Bristol engines, so that AC was only able to sell 36 vehicles of this variant between 1961 and 1963.

Series production of the Ace came to an end in 1963 after AC developed the AC Cobra with an American Ford V8 engine together with Carroll Shelby and Ford in 1962 and produced it as a left-hand drive - initially for the American market only. At the express request of customers, individual AC Ace were made as a reproduction in 1964, as long as the Cobra was not yet available in sufficient numbers in a right-hand drive version for the British market.

Technical details

Chassis and running gear

The chassis and suspension of the AC Ace were very advanced for their time; it was the first British production sports car with independent front and rear suspension.

The Ace had a complex but lightweight tubular steel frame chassis. The basis was a welded box frame made of steel tubes with a diameter of three inches (7.62 centimeters) with thinner arms at the front and rear, as well as transverse, box-like lattice structures at the level of the axles to stiffen and accommodate the chassis components. Another chassis element was a welded, load-bearing tubular space frame made of thinner steel tubes with a diameter of 1½ inches (3.81 centimeters) for further stiffening and fastening of the body.

With the load-bearing tubular steel structure, AC turned away for the first time from the technology they had preferred since the 1920s, a technology with a load-bearing ash frame. With the more compact Ace , this technology would not have made sense, because the favorable ratio of high strength to weight with wood only occurs with larger individual parts.

The chassis consisted of lower wishbones at the front and rear with upper, transverse, wheel-guiding leaf springs. Separate stabilizers were not required, as the leaf springs were mounted on the box-like structures on the axles in two points and thus also acted as a stabilizer.

At 2286 millimeters (90 inches), the wheelbase was 69 centimeters (27 inches) shorter than the AC 2-liter and 41 centimeters (16 inches) shorter than the prewar model AC 16/80 Ace Two Seater Competition Sports or the 16/90 . The front and rear track was 1270 millimeters (50 inches) and thus exactly corresponded to most pre-war models of the AC Six series ( 16/56 and 16/66 or 16/60 , 16/70 , 16/80 and 16/90 with the exception of them the rare wide track models). The AC Ace had 5.50 × 16 tires on 16-inch wire-spoke wheels with central locking and wing nuts as standard . On request and at an additional cost, chrome-plated wire-spoke wheels were used ex works.

For the steering , AC used a worm steering typical of the time , i.e. no recirculating ball or rack and pinion steering (the latter was only introduced in 1963 with the Cobra 289 / Cobra Mk. II ). The advantage of the Ace steering was the very direct translation with only 1 2/3 turns of the steering wheel from lock to lock as well as the ability to adjust the steering wheel as standard so that its position can be adjusted to the driver's body length; Critics, on the other hand, criticized the comparatively low steering precision.

Contemporary test reports praised the balanced and safe chassis properties, especially on uneven ground, in particular the cornering behavior, which enabled above-average cornering speeds. The chassis was considered to be very torsion-resistant in the area of ​​the axles (only slight torsional forces arose between the axles) and offered sufficient reserves for racing even without changes.

Contemporary modifications, especially for racing, were the widening of the front and rear lanes and the installation of a roll bar.

Body and equipment

The body of the AC Ace consisted of aluminum sheets that were first shaped by hand with a hammer over wooden models, then welded together; AC used the same technology as early as the 1920s and 1930s. It was not self-supporting, but in the case of the Ace - comparable to the Superleggera technology from Carrozzeria Touring from Milan - was firmly connected to the supporting tubular structure.

The flowing body design of the Ace with the departure from the classic lines of a MG TF , for example , is described by many as timeless and sporty and elegant; It lacks the aggressiveness in the lines, which the later AC Cobra models, especially the Cobra 289 FIA or Cobra 427 with their sometimes extreme flared fenders and additional air inlets and outlets. Like some contemporary roadsters, the Ace has no exterior door handles; rather, the doors must always be unlocked from the inside. Even in its final form, the Ace bears many similarities to contemporary Italian models by Ferrari and Alfa Romeo (radiator grille, flowing body lines, “hip swing” over the rear wheels). In today's traffic it looks - like many roadsters of the 1950s - rather small and petite.

Comparison of various contemporary roadsters and convertibles to compare designs:

  • AC Ace - series from 1953, 2.0 l in-line six-cylinder

  • Aston Martin DB2 Cabriolet - series from 1950, 2.6-liter in-line six-cylinder

  • Austin-Healey 100/4 - series from 1953, 2.6-liter inline four-cylinder

  • Jaguar XK 120 OTS - series from 1948, 3.4-liter in-line six-cylinder

Originally 3848 millimeters long, the AC Ace was 83 centimeters shorter than the AC 2-liter sedan and eleven centimeters shorter than the prewar Ace . With a width of 1511 millimeters, the Ace undercut the two aforementioned models by 19 and one centimeter respectively.

With the exception of the Ace 2.6 version, the body remained unchanged until the end of production; There were only minor differences in detail in the front vehicle headlights , turn signals and taillights . Early production models often have front and rear bumpers drawn around the corners of the vehicle made of two continuous, stacked chrome-plated tubes with chrome-plated bumper horns. Later street models mostly only have chrome-plated bumper horns at the front and rear; in racing, this was partly dispensed with.

Some early models have an additional crescent-shaped cover painted in body color in the upper part of the radiator grille (less cooling air requirement; aerodynamics ). A few early models show a two-part windshield made of separately framed flat panes angled in the middle of the vehicle, while otherwise a continuous, slightly curved windshield was always used.

Contemporary modifications for racing were shortening the windshield, replacing it with a small circumferential window or one just in front of the driver, or completely dismantling it (weight, aerodynamics, according to the regulations for sports cars only in the USA and at endurance races such as Le Mans permissible). Other common modifications were slight fender flares at the front, partly also at the rear, side vents on the front fenders corresponding to the later Cobras and small air scoops and vents on the bonnet.

The interior was considered to be sufficiently large, despite the front engine being moved far back. As a rule, it has two sporty, comfortable individual seats covered with leather; Individual early vehicles were given a continuous two to three-seater bench seat at the customer's request. A typical equipment feature was a steering wheel in the classic AC design, as it was used before the Second World War (steel wreath with three star-shaped, wide double spokes with a riveted, polished wooden wreath; the same model was also used in the first AC Cobra before it was there was replaced by a more powerfully dimensioned version with T-shaped double spokes and a lower-lying steering wheel hub). The dashboard was extremely well equipped (two large round instruments on the right and left above the steering column; up to six small round additional instruments in the direction of the center of the dashboard, arranged in the form of an inverted triangle in the version with six additional instruments).

When it rained , the interior was mostly only protected by a buttonable tonneau cover (interior tarpaulin, a kind of tarpaulin ) that could be opened separately for the driver and front passenger; alternatively, a light fabric top and rods could be carried in the trunk and, if necessary, fastened with plug connections and snaps. Its construction is generally considered to be very cumbersome and time-consuming; it also affects all-round visibility. Carroll Shelby is said to have mostly asked a neighbor at the AC Cobra in question to set up the roof for him.

engine and gears

The motor-gear unit of the AC Ace is installed as a front motor, but far behind the front axle; it is driven by a cardan shaft on the rear wheels. This results in a balanced weight distribution on the front and rear axles with a positive influence on driving behavior. The installation position of the engine also resulted from the front independent wheel suspension: Due to the suspension on a lower wishbone and an upper transverse leaf spring, the engine could not be installed above the front axle for reasons of space.

AC motor details

AC Royal from 1924, which could already be delivered with the 2.0-liter six-cylinder in-line engine designed by the company's founder John Weller

At the start of production, the in-house water-cooled two-liter six-cylinder in-line engine with three SU carburettors in the series version produced 85 bhp / 86 hp / 63 kW at 4500 rpm. In 1955, by increasing the compression ratio from 7.5: 1 to 8.0: 1 to 90 bhp / 91 PS / 67 kW at 4500 rpm. In the last version, the AC motor achieved 102.5 bhp / 104 hp / 76 kW at a compression ratio increased to 9.0: 1 from 1958 at 5000 rpm.

The engine block was already made of cast light metal, while the cylinder head was made of gray cast iron ; In addition to wet cylinder liners and a crankshaft with five bearings, the engine already had a chain-driven overhead camshaft (OHC valve control) that operated the two valves per cylinder. The AC motor was initially combined with a manual four-speed gearbox from Moss ; later he received a four-speed manual transmission designed by AC with a self-made gearbox and the gearbox interior of the Triumph TR3A.

In a contemporary test, the AC Ace surpassed the image-worthy limit of 100 mph with a top speed of 103 mph (166 km / h); He drove the classic quarter mile in 18 seconds and accelerated from zero to sixty miles per hour (97 km / h) in 11.4 seconds, making the Ace one of the fastest vehicles in its displacement and performance class.

The engine concept goes back to a development by the company's founder, John Weller, from the First World War , which he presented for the first time in 1919, which the AC had been producing in series since 1922, and which has been built into all six-cylinder models in various specifications since then (initially with 35 hp / 26 kW). By using three SU carburettors and increasing the compression, the output had already been increased to 67 hp / 49 kW at 3500 rpm in 1930, then to 81 hp / 60 kW at 4500 rpm in 1936 (with supercharging even to 91 hp / 67 kW).

The engine and transmission are considered to be very reliable in series production, the engine in connection with the low weight of the vehicle as powerful. Nevertheless, the performance of the AC Ace with its own engine lagged behind that of the AC Ace Bristol , which is why the former could only be sold in small numbers from 1956 to outspoken brand enthusiasts with less sporting ambitions. In eleven years of production, only 226 Ace with its own AC motor were produced.

Vehicles that were originally equipped with an AC motor can be identified by their chassis number from AE… 01 upwards (AEX for left-hand drive versions).

Bristol engine details

Bristol 405 , here as a drophead coupé - the Type 100B engine of the AC Ace Bristol comes from him
Engine of the pre-war BMW 328 , which Bristol continued to develop after the Second World War until 1961. Clearly visible: the cover of the rocker arms operated by bumpers, which can give the impression of a dohc engine

From 1956 stood AC -Käufern in Ace next to the house 2.0-liter six-cylinder engine as an alternative to the 2.0-liter six-cylinder in the Bristol Cars Ltd. to choice. The engine was available

  • Type 100B with 105 bhp / 106 PS / 78 kW at 5000 rpm and a compression of 8.5: 1 as well as the
  • Type 100D with 128 bhp / 130 PS / 95 kW at 5750 rpm and a compression of 9.0: 1.

The former was already offered by Bristol in the 404 and 405 Drophead Coupé ; The latter was an exclusive production for AC : It was based on the Bristol Type 100C , which had been upgraded from the factory , as it was used on request in the Bristol 404 and whose extra power was based on increased compression and sharper valve timing; for AC , Bristol also used modified Solex carburetors with an acceleration pump and a differently mounted crankshaft. Because of its high performance and good reliability, the latter is - especially because of its suitability for racing - an extremely sought-after, but also very rare variant.

The Bristol -motorized AC Ace are sometimes referred to as AC Bristol for short , but this does not correspond to the official company name.

In some respects the Bristol engine was lagging behind the AC engine , for example the cast iron engine block instead of one made of cast light metal or the side camshaft ( OHV valve control ) instead of the one above. Conversely, the Bristol engine had several advantages, such as the cylinder head made of light metal cast instead of gray cast iron and a less long-stroke ratio of cylinder bore to cylinder stroke for better revving. The greatest advantage of the Bristol engine was its V-shaped hanging valves, which resulted in a better inlet for the gasoline-air mixture of the carburettors, a more favorable shape of the combustion chambers and thus a better power output.

Although the Bristol engines have a side camshaft, they are visually reminiscent of those with double overhead camshafts (DOHC control); in fact, it is only a matter of the covers for the special bumpers and rocker arms, as they are caused by the V-shaped hanging valves. Together with the Bristol engine, the Bristol four-speed gearbox, which was locked to the engine as a unit, was also used, with overdrive if required .

Later examples of the Ace Bristol reached a top speed of 187 km / h in tests and completed the quarter mile in 16.8 seconds. It took them 9.0 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour (97 km / h).

With 466 copies in eight years, the AC Ace Bristol sold better than the other Ace variants.

Vehicles that were originally equipped with a Bristol engine can be identified by their chassis number BE… for right-hand drive and BEX… for left-hand drive versions. Externally, the original AC and Bristol- motorized vehicles can be distinguished by the different emblems on the engine and trunk lid: AC -motorized vehicles only have the classic curved "AC" logo, Bristol -motorized vehicles have a round AC logo the lettering "Bristol" is added in the lower quarter in a separate curved field .

Ford engine details

. Ford Zephyr Mk II (1956-1961) - he comes the 2.6-liter engine of the AC Ace 2.6 , after his tuner also Ruddspeed Ace called

The 2.6-liter six-cylinder in-line engine comes from the British Ford engine production, where it was used from 1956 to 1961 in the conservative sedan models Zephyr Mk. II and Zodiac Mk. II ; In contrast, it was not used in German Ford models. It was designed conservatively with the engine block and cylinder head made of gray cast iron, but due to its comparatively short-stroke design it was only slightly heavier than the engines from AC or Bristol . Due to the larger displacement, this engine naturally offered a significantly higher torque and thus more pulling power at medium speeds.

The racing driver and vehicle dealer Ken Rudd offered this engine through his company Ruddspeed in five different power levels. Contemporary testers attested that the Ruddspeed engines, regardless of the level of tuning, had a smoother and more sophisticated engine run than unprocessed Ford engines. At the suggestion of Ken Rudd, in 1961 the Hurlock brothers had a more powerful Ruddspeed motor installed in an originally AC- motorized Ace . The performance figures were so convincing that AC presented this version in 1961 at the British International Motor Show in London and included it in their regular delivery program. Since the engine was flatter than the AC and Bristol engines, AC also took the opportunity to modernize the body design in the front area (flatter, longer bonnet, smaller and flatter front air intake). In order to emphasize the larger displacement in the external presentation, these vehicles were given the designation AC Ace 2.6 ; The name Ruddspeed Ace , sometimes also AC Ace RS , AC Ace Ford or AC Ace Zephyr, is also common, but not official .

The tuning stages comprised the following steps, with the compression being increased to 9.5: 1:

  • Stage 1: modified Ford cylinder head with widened and polished inlet and outlet channels, larger inlet and outlet valves, three intake manifolds with three SU carburetors (100 bhp / 101 hp / 75 kW)
  • Stage 2: additionally lighter pistons (125 bhp / 127 PS / 93 kW)
  • Stage 3: new cylinder head made of cast light metal with six separate ducts, pistons that have been lightened again, lighter bumpers and three SU carburetors (150 bhp / 152 PS / 112 kW)
  • Stage 4: like Stage 3, but with three Weber twin carburettors (170 bhp / 172 PS / 127 kW)

Contemporary test reports attested the Ace 2.6 in the highest tuning level a top speed of 217 km / h and a time of 16.3 seconds for the traditional quarter mile with a standing start. The vehicle only needed 6.0 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour (97 km / h), making it one of the most powerful series vehicles of its time.

The converted Rudspeed prototype was given the new chassis number RS5000, the following AC Ace 2.6 were numbered accordingly, with the left-hand drive versions being marked with the prefix RSX…. Although the original engine was comparatively inexpensive, the tuning measures were labor-intensive and costly, so that the price of the AC Ace 2.6 was higher than a Jaguar E-Type . In addition to the prototype up to 1963, only 36 vehicles in this version were built in two years.

The Ace 2.6 is next to the AC 289 Sports (technically a Cobra 427 / Cobra Mk. III with 4.7 l Ford V8 engine, which AC produced in 27 copies after the end of the collaboration with Carroll Shelby) and the Luxury model AC 428 Convertible (29 copies) one of the rarest production vehicles from AC ever.

data sheet

Data sheet AC Ace (1953–1964)
AC Ace (1953-64) Ace Bristol (1956-64) Ace 2.6 (1961-63)
Engine:  6-cylinder in-line (four-stroke)
Engine manufacturer / type:  AC Bristol Type 100B / 100D Ford (Rudspeed)
Displacement:  1991 cc 1971 cc 2553 cc
Bore × stroke:  65.0 x 100.0 mm 66.0 x 96.0 mm 82.55 x 79.5 mm
Maximum performance at 1 / min 85 bhp / 86 PS / 63 kW at 4500
90 bhp / 91 PS / 67 kW at 4500
102 bhp / 103 PS / 76 kW at 5000		 105 bhp / 106 PS / 78 kW at 5000 (Type 100B)
128 bhp / 130 PS / 95 kW at 5750 (Type 100D)		 90 bhp / 91 PS / 67 kW at 4500
100 bhp / 101 PS / 75 kW (Stage 1)
125 bhp / 127 PS / 93 kW (Stage 2)
150 bhp / 152 PS / 112 kW (Stage 3)
170 bhp / 172 PS / 127 kW (Stage 4)
Max. Torque at 1 / min 149.0 Nm at 2500 rpm (85 bhp)
149.0 Nm at 2500 rpm (90 bhp)
163.0 Nm at 3000 rpm (102 bhp)		 142.0 Nm at 3750 rpm (Type 100B)
167.0 Nm at 4500 rpm (Type 100D)		 180.0 Nm at 2000 rpm (Stage 1)
209.0 Nm at 3000 rpm (Stage 4)
Mixture preparation:  Downdraft carburetor
3 SU carburettors 3 Solex Zenith (base)
3 SU carburettors (stage 1–3)
3 Weber carburettors (stage 4)
Valve control:  overhead camshaft, chain driven lateral camshaft driven by duplex chain, push rods and rocker arms Lateral camshaft driven by spur gears, push rods and rocker arms
Cooling:  Water cooling
Transmission:  4-speed gearbox, center shift (from 1956 on request with overdrive)
Front suspension:  Single wheel, lower wishbone, upper transverse leaf spring
Rear suspension:  Single wheel, lower wishbone, upper transverse leaf spring
Brakes:  Drum brakes all around (from 1957 on request: front disc brakes, from approx. 1958/59 standard)
Body:  Hand-formed, welded aluminum sheet over a load-bearing lattice frame made of steel tubes with a round cross-section
Track width front / rear:  1270/1270 mm
Wheelbase:  2286 mm
Length:  3848 mm 3874 mm
Empty weight:  762-780 kg 762-894 kg 792-813 kg
Top speed:  166 km / h (85 bhp)
166 km / h (90 bhp)
167 km / h (102 bhp)		 188 km / h (Type 100B)
190 km / h (Type 100D)		 217 km / h (Stage 4)
0-60 mph / 97 km / h:  11.4 seconds (85 bhp)
11 seconds (90 bhp)
x seconds (102 bhp)		 x seconds (Type 100B)
9.1 seconds (Type 100D)		 6.0 seconds (Stage 4)
Consumption (liters / 100 kilometers):  11.2 liters (90 bhp) 13.1 liters (Type 100D)

Sports activities

AC Ace Bristol prepared for racing with modified tail lights (in the style of the AC Cobra 427 ) and widened fenders at a historic rally (Gaisbergrennen 2009)
Racing prepared AC Ace Bristol at a historic rally (Isle of Man)

Since its introduction in 1953, privateers have been using the AC Ace (some with modifications to the body, engine and chassis) in the United Kingdom, the rest of Europe and the United States. The first successful participations with podium places are documented from June 1954 (second place in the national championship run in Goodwood, England). Due to the limited financial resources, AC initially only participated indirectly by continuously incorporating the experience gained from third parties in racing into the technical improvement of the Ace . Racing activities sponsored by the factory or personally sponsored by William Hurlock remained the exception with the AC Ace with its own engine, for example the six-hour endurance race on July 9, 1955 in Silverstone or on September 24 at Oulton Park International. One of the early successes was the victory and fourth place for two private teams in the 1955 tulip rally in the Netherlands with two standard vehicles in the production sports car category from 1000 to 2000 cc.

AC did not actively participate in motor racing until 1957. From 1957 the Ace Bristol was used regularly in the Sebring 12-hour race until 1961 and in the Le Mans 24-hour race until 1959 (in the form of works support for private teams , initially that of Ken Rudd, and from 1958 with an own factory team ). AC had recognized that success in racing - as already experienced in its own company history in the 1920s and 1930s - had a sales-promoting effect and now had limited funds and enough staff to do this.

The vehicle dealer and racing driver Ken Rudd gave the impetus for his own races at Le Mans, who convinced AC in 1957 to use an AC Ace with a Bristol engine and advanced Girling disc brakes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's most famous long-distance race. The factory-supported Ace of the Ken Rudd racing team was distinguished by a slightly modified, aerodynamically improved front and a shortened windshield. Against well-known works teams from Ferrari , Lotus, Cooper and Porsche , the two drivers Ken Rudd and Peter Bolton came tenth overall with 281 laps as well as second place in the class over 1500 cc to two liters (only beaten by a privately used Ferrari 500TRC ).

The success was the reason that AC set up its own small works team with two vehicles for the following year 1958 and aimed for the victory it had missed in 1957 in the class up to two liters. AC again commissioned John Tojeiro, the creator of the Tojeiro-Bristol one- off, which became the forerunner of the AC Ace , to design a special Le Mans one-off of the Ace ; this should have advantages in terms of weight, chassis and aerodynamics. Tojeiro had implemented similar concepts after 1953, for example with Jaguar technology. This is how the AC Ace LM (Le Mans) Prototype open-top racing car was born ; The drivers were the Englishmen Richard "Dickie" Stoop and again Peter Bolton. The second vehicle was a near-series Ace Bristol , driven by the Swiss Hubert Patthey and the Belgian Georges Berger . The two vehicles reached the finish line eighth and ninth overall with 257 laps completed for the prototype and 255 laps for the near-series Ace . In the class over 1500 cc to two liters of displacement, this meant second and third place, beaten by a Porsche 718 1600 RSK Spyder used by the Porsche factory with the French Jean Behra and the German Hans Herrmann as drivers. The result of the poorly developed prototype was all the more astonishing as the chassis in the area of ​​the suspension of the differential gear on the rear axle broke during the race .

After the Le Mans race in June 1958, AC only used the Ace LM Prototype one more time. With factory support, the Rudd Racing Team with the English drivers Mike Anthony and Ted Whiteaway competed in the RAC Tourist Trophy in Goodwood in September 1958 . After problems with the engine cooling, the vehicle only achieved 19th place. Due to a change in the regulations for the 1959 racing season, the Ace LM Prototype could no longer compete in the near-series sports car class, so AC sold the vehicle.

In 1959, AC limited itself to factory support for the Ken Rudd Racing Team at Le Mans . A near-series Ace Bristol with drivers Ted Whiteaway and John Turner achieved after 273 laps the class victory that had been aimed for two years in the category of GT vehicles up to two liters; At the same time, he finished seventh overall and thus the best result that an AC Ace ever achieved at Le Mans. In the overall standings , only two Aston Martin DBR1 racing cars with the overall winners Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori and four Ferrari 250 GT (with 3.0-liter V12 engines) were faster. However, AC also benefited from multiple accidents and technical failures by competitors.

Other notable sporting successes of the AC Ace were from 1957 to 1961 continuous overall victories in the American SCCA ( Sports Car Club of America ) sports car championship in its respective class with sometimes overwhelming dominance (despite upgrades to the category of vehicles up to 2.5 liters in the meantime) . In 1959 the AC Ace was placed among the top 15 with 14 vehicles. Another success was the class win at the Sebring 12-hour race in 1958; Ken Rudd narrowly missed the British sports car championship in two attempts with his AC Ace . For the AC Ace , participation in at least 220 national and international championship races between 1954 and 1967 has been documented, mostly in the USA, Great Britain, the Bahamas (at Speed ​​Week in Nassau) and France. It was seldom seen on German racetracks: a total of five private teams competed with an Ace in the 1000-kilometer endurance race at the Nürburgring between 1959 and 1963 , but without any notable success. With a total target arrival rate of 88%, it was one of the most reliable vehicles of its time. Despite the sometimes much more powerful competition, he was able to record 28 overall wins, 28 second and 37 third places in the overall standings, as well as 36 class wins.

Unique pieces and special versions

The AC Ace Bristol Zagato at the Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach 2009 - detail of the front
The AC Ace Bristol Zagato - easily recognizable: one of the trademarks of Zagato, the “Double Bubble”, two bulges on the low coupe roof to ensure sufficient headroom for the driver and front passenger

AC Ace LM (Le Mans) Prototype

The AC Ace LM Prototype was a one-off from 1958 with the unusual chassis number LM5000, which John Tojeiro had designed and built on behalf of the Hurlock brothers specifically for AC works at the Le Mans 24-hour race and for other long-distance races . The vehicle, which weighed only 737 kilograms, differed fundamentally from the production model: It had a load-bearing, lightweight tubular steel lattice frame without the massive ladder structure, a new front axle with independent suspension, this time in the form of upper and lower wishbones with coil spring / damper units, i.e. without an upper transverse leaf spring, also a newly designed swing axle at the rear. The open aluminum body was significantly flatter with larger overhangs at the front and rear and aerodynamically rounded with a lower front and a high tail; It was designed by the coachbuilder Cavendish Morton . The engine / transmission unit, a tuned series aggregate, came from Bristol Type 100D2 / S . After test drives on the Brooklands race track, only a few kilometers away from the AC plant , the not yet fully developed prototype completed two outings: in June 1958 as a works car at Le Mans and in September with works support for the Rudd Racing Team at the RAC Tourist Trophy on the Goodwood Circuit . By rule changes the car was in the following year in the FIA - World Sportscar Championship compete in the series class anymore. The engine / gearbox unit provided by Bristol went back there, the racing vehicle was sold without a drive and later rebuilt; it still exists today as a collector's item.

AC Ace Bristol Zagato

The AC Ace Bristol Zagato was a one -off Berlinetta (coupé) designed and built by Zagato in 1958. Conceptually, the Berlinetta is similar to the two-seater AC Aceca factory coupé , but is based on chassis number BEX 477 of a left-hand drive AC Ace Bristol . The idea arose at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show during a meeting between Hubert Patthey , the then AC and Aston Martin importer for Switzerland and himself active in racing, and Elio Zagato. The original vehicle from 1957 was delivered to the Swiss company Pattheys in 1958; the latter commissioned Carrozzeria Zagato to produce a single, individual special body for the vehicle in order to use it in local races and the Pescara rally. Zagato designed and built a characteristic coupé body made of thin-walled aluminum sheet with Zagato's trademark, the "Double Bubble", a fixed roof with two arches over the driver and front passenger seats to ensure sufficient headroom with a low overall height. Pattey sold the finished vehicle to an Englishman living in Switzerland, who competed with him in various hill climbs near Lake Geneva ; Later, the racing driver Jo Siffert bought the one-off, who used it at various racing events and historic races such as the Mille Miglia . On the racetrack, the one-off only took part in one better-known race, on October 5, 1958 at the Coupes du Salon in Montlhéry , France , where it won the class up to 2000 cc and came in eighth overall. The vehicle is now owned by an American collector.

Technical data of the AC Ace Bristol Zagato (if different): modified Bristol six-cylinder with 130 bhp / 132 PS / 97 kW at 5750 / min, torque 174 Nm at 4500 / min, length 3848 millimeters, height 1245 millimeters, ready-to-drive weight 862 kilograms , Top speed 185 km / h, acceleration from zero to 60 miles per hour (97 km / h) in 7.7 seconds, to 100 miles per hour (161 km / h) in 27.8 seconds

AC Ace-Aigle

The AC Ace-Aigle was an aerodynamically improved one-off based on the left-hand drive AC Ace Bristol with chassis number BEX289, which was built specifically for use in the 24-hour race of Le Mans in 1960. As with the AC Ace Bristol Zagato 1958, the suggestion came from the Swiss AC importer Hubert Patthey, but the concept was much simpler. The one-off was built by the Swiss bodywork company Ghia Aigle in Aigle , which had been legally independent since 1953 alongside the design studio and bodybuilder Ghia in Turin . In contrast to the production vehicle, the Ace-Aigle had a modified vehicle front and a permanently mounted hardtop . The roof attachment had two unusual curvatures to allow the driver and front passenger sufficient headroom - actually the "double bubble" design, as it was typical for Zagato and was implemented in its one-off coupé from 1958. The normal, aerodynamically relatively unfavorable front structure consisting of a radiator grille, front fenders and bonnet has been replaced by a newly designed front made of lightweight polyester . This was designed more round, ran longer and flatter towards the front and had, in addition to a flat, oval cooling air inlet, set back headlights clad with plexiglass half-shells. It was vaguely reminiscent of the Jaguar E-Type . According to the same concept and with very similar lines, Ghia Aigle had already converted several Austin-Healey Sprite (albeit without a hardtop) from 1958 to 1961 .

The Ace-Aigle was used by the Swiss racing team Ecurie Lausannoise with the Swiss drivers André Wicky and Georges Gachnang. The vehicle completed the Le Mans test in April 1960 as the fastest in its class and eighth overall, but retired from the race in June 1960.

An outwardly very similar Ace Bristol with the chassis number BEX1192 competed in Le Mans in 1962, which was also the last Le Mans appearance of an AC Ace before the AC Cobra was used from 1964. The vehicle of a French private team had been damaged in an accident the year before and was returned to the AC plant , where it received a special lightweight body with an aerodynamically favorable front in the style of the Jaguar E-Type / Ace-Aigle . In the race it was eliminated with a damaged clutch.

Further development of the model and the manufacturer

The search for alternative engines

At the beginning of the 1960s, AC was aware that it would have to find another engine alternative for its sports car in the medium term. Attempts with a self-designed six-cylinder boxer engine were ultimately unsatisfactory in terms of power delivery and smoothness (probably due to the insufficient number of crankshaft main bearings, which could no longer be remedied constructively at an acceptable cost). The Hurlock brothers thought of the compact, cast light alloy 3.5-liter V8 engine that Buick had developed in the USA and used in individual models from 1961 to 1963. However, Buick still had technical problems with the unfamiliar cast aluminum for the engine block and cylinder head, and the production costs for this engine were comparatively high; In addition, the demand for larger-volume engines quickly arose in the USA. Buick therefore stopped production in 1963 and sold the design rights for further development in 1964 to Rover , where the engine was used in a modified form from 1967 in the Rover P5B 3½-liter and in many other models until the end of the 1980s.

Other American V8 engines in use up to then appeared to the Hurlocks as too heavy, too big and too unsporting in character for their light sports cars, which is why, unlike Bristol, they did not want to switch to a Chrysler V8 engine. The six-cylinder in-line engine from Jaguar with 3.4 or 3.8 liters displacement from the XK series turned out to be too long and, with its significantly higher weight, would have had a negative impact on driving behavior; it would also have been questionable whether Jaguar would have been willing to deliver engines to AC in view of the competitive situation . Daimler's 2.5-liter V8 engine from the SP250 roadster appeared ideal, but Daimler was also not interested in additional competition; Jaguar also acquired Daimler in May 1960 , which made the situation even more difficult for AC .

The solution finally came about in September 1961 based on a letter from former racing driver Carroll Shelby to AC . After completing his racing career and gaining initial experience as a self-employed businessman selling vehicle tires, the American and former Le Mans winner Shelby wanted to create a sports car based on his own ideas. He had established contacts with various American engine manufacturers, most recently Ford ; he knew that a new generation of relatively light, sporty V8 engines intended for sedans and station wagons was about to be ready for series production and that Ford was ready to deliver engines to him. In his letter to AC , Shelby announced that he was looking for an advanced, lightweight and torsion-resistant chassis with independent suspension for his sports car project, and asked the Hurlock brothers whether they would be willing to work with him. This resulted in the successor model of the AC Ace , the AC Cobra , which was first built for the American market from 1962, and later also for the domestic and other markets .

The AC Ace in the Cobra era and beyond

An AC Ace on a classic sports car outing at Goodwood Motor Circuit

With the appearance of the Cobra with its extraordinary driving performance and the rapid sporting successes, the AC Ace quickly lost its importance internationally from 1962; in the United Kingdom it initially remained interesting for outspoken fans of the AC brand until the appearance of the first right-hand drive Cobras . AC ensured the maintenance and repair of the used AC Aces for a long time ; Problems were caused by the deterioration in the supply of spare parts for the AC motors with Moss gearboxes and the Bristol drive units in the 1960s and 1970s . Individual drivers had their Ace, based on Carroll Shelby's example, upgraded with American Ford V8 engines that could be bought at a very reasonable price ; Drivers whose AC - or Bristol -Motor suffered damage over time or the desire for more engine power had upgraded their Ace isolated on tuned straight-six of Ford UK or the 2.5-liter standard engine from the Triumph TR5 or TR6 to .

In Great Britain, the AC Ace has always enjoyed a great reputation among lovers of classic automobiles and has remained a regular guest at brand and club races; In the German-speaking countries, the Ace was only somewhat known in Switzerland thanks to the efforts of the Aston Martin and AC importer Patthey, while it remained almost unknown in Germany and Austria. With the growing interest in historic vehicles in the 1980s and 1990s, the AC Ace was also occasionally seen at historic racing events and classic car exchanges in Germany, Italy, France and, above all, the USA, but it reached mainland Europe in particular Far from the level of awareness of the AC Cobra .

In the 1980s and 1990s, AC Ace achieved quite high sales prices on stock exchanges and auctions. In this context, many of the vehicles that have survived have been restored; In order to create a condition that was as true to the original as possible, even where the original engine was no longer available, the less sought after models AC Aceca and AC Greyhound , but also other, less sought after vehicles with Bristol engines , were occasionally used as battle vehicles. Individual conversions from two-seater Aceca coupés to Ace roadsters are also known, although numerous changes have to be made to the tubular frame structure.

Later AC models named AC Ace

The model name AC Ace appeared three times for the AC brand :

  • 1986: Presentation of a 2 + 2-seater front engine Targa coupé as a prototype ; developed by AC Autokraft Ltd. under the leadership of Brian Angliss on behalf of Ford with steel monocoque and aluminum body, independent front and rear suspension with chassis components, all-wheel drive technology and engines from the Ford Sierra and Ford Scorpio (alternatively in-line four-cylinder turbo engine from the Sierra Cosworth or Ford V6); Designated top speed of 225 km / h and acceleration from zero to 60 miles per hour (97 km / h) in under seven seconds
  • 1996 to 1999: Small series production of a 2-seater upper-class convertible with front engine and rear-wheel drive (approx. 59 copies), often referred to in specialist circles as AC Ace Brooklands for the purpose of differentiation (because of the production location in a modern factory in the middle of the former Brooklands race track in Weybridge , Surrey ); designed by AC Autocraft Ltd. , further developed for series production by AC Cars Group Ltd. under Alan Lubinsky, further development of a project started together with Ford years earlier with steel monocoque and aluminum body, independent front and rear suspension with chassis components, engine, transmission and other drive technology from Ford USA ; Ford V8 engines with 4601 or 4942 cc; manual 4942 cc version also with turbo-charging or 4.6-l four-valve engine, otherwise automatic transmission
  • December 2006: Announcement of a two-seater mid - engined sports car named AC Ace as part of the "Kimber Project"; the former Formula 1 chief engineer and designer Gordon Murray had acquired the rights to the Smart Roadster together with investors , the production of which had been discontinued; previous attempts to acquire the naming rights from MG or Healey had failed; Revised design by Gordon Murray (with scissor doors ), planned engine with one-liter three-cylinder gasoline engines from Mitsubishi as naturally aspirated or turbo variant; the presentation of the vehicle was announced for spring 2007 at the Geneva Motor Show with planned annual production of 7,000 vehicles in Wales from mid-2007 at a sales price between 17,500 and 28,000 euros. To date, there has been no vehicle presentation or production start, as the financing failed and Gordon Murray wanted to focus more on his own T.25 small car project .

Todays situation

AC-Ace sport version (with short, lightweight windscreen)

Today the few AC Ace are mostly in firm hands; his followers appreciate its originality and simple elegance compared to the later, more massive, significantly more powerful motorized AC Cobra . Occasionally in the UK

  • AC motor vehicles for around £ 16,000 to £ 27,000 (around € 18,000 to € 30,000; exchange rate as of November 2009),
  • Bristol engine vehicles for around £ 38,000 to £ 58,000 (around € 42,000 to € 65,000; exchange rate as of November 2009) and
  • Ford engine vehicles for around £ 35,000 to £ 50,000 (around € 39,000 to € 56,000; exchange rate as of November 2009)

traded (medium to excellent condition). Vehicles with a special racing history, known previous owners and / or in a special condition (unrestored originals or top-quality restorations in Concours quality) have already achieved top prices at auctions in individual cases, so

  • $ 500,000 at the auction house Coys / Barrett Jackson on May 27, 2000 for an AC Ace-Bristol from 1962 (around 1,056,000 DM / 540,000 € at the exchange rate at the time),
  • £ 216,000 at the Bonhams auction house on June 8, 2008 for an AC Ace from 1956 (around € 271,000 at the exchange rate at the time) and
  • £ 209,000 at auction house H & H Sales Limited on July 22, 2009 for an AC Ace 2.6 (around € 242,000 at the exchange rate at the time) (both including “premium”).

Prominent AC Ace owners include Ross Brawn , who bought an AC Ace 2.6 in 2009 .

Of the total of 728 vehicles built, an above-average number for their age still exists today. Many of the current owners are united in the British AC Owners Club , which holds regular brand and model meetings (for example at the Silverstone Circuit and the Goodwood Festival of Speed ) and in which the supply of spare parts and reproductions are coordinated by specialist companies.

Today, the AC Ace is considered a rare, robust classic that is very well suited for historical motorsport, even if it does not reach the high level of the AC Cobra in terms of reputation and driving performance . In addition to the Cobra , the Ace is also becoming increasingly important as an investment.

One of the first AC Ace is exhibited in the Newburn Hall Motor Museum in Newburn , Newcastle upon Tyne, England , along with around 35 other mostly English vehicles; an AC Ace Bristol from 1957 is in the collection of the Musée de Sanxet in Pomport, France . Two AC Ace Bristol (BEX254 and BEX1044) are part of the Shelby American Collection in Boulder , Colorado in the United States.

The AC Ace can also be seen in the French short film "Charlotte et son Jules" (English version: "Charlotte and Her Boyfriend" ) by director Jean-Luc Godard from 1960. In the film with Jean-Paul Belmondo dedicated to Jean Cocteau , Gérard Blain and Anne Collette , the main actors use a rare left-hand drive Ace from 1957. In 2000, British journalist and presenter Jeremy Clarkson exhibited an AC Ace Bristol from 1958 as well as part 3 of his film series "Clarkson's Car Years" an AC Ace from 1961.

While the AC Cobra , especially the Cobra 427, is one of the most frequently copied vehicle models, replicas of the AC Ace are comparatively rare. The most common is the Hawk Ace , which is based on a new tubular space frame with many mechanical components from mass-produced vehicles and can be combined with various engines such as that of the MGB , the Triumph TR6 or in-line six-cylinder engines from BMW . Due to the high technical effort, the prices for this replica are roughly at the level of an AC Cobra replica. A much simpler replica is offered by an American manufacturer; Here only the sheet steel body parts of a used MGB are exchanged for body parts made of glass fiber reinforced plastic , which are reminiscent of the AC Ace . A special case of the Ace of AC Autokraft one: Under the leadership of Brian Angliss the company had AC Car Power Ltd. - until then a company for the restoration of older AC s - 1986 the naming rights to AC Cars Ltd. acquired and produced the AC Cobra Mk.IV before it went bankrupt in 1996 due to the high development costs of the modern AC Ace (Brooklands) . While the naming rights to AC Cars Ltd. were sold to the native South African Alan Lubinsky, the AC Autokraft company continued to exist and continues to manufacture slightly modernized versions, including the classic AC Ace , based on the original AC plans , before production was completely discontinued in 2008.

Comparable vehicle models

Other contemporary open sports cars with four and six cylinders and similar power (60 kW to 140 kW):

literature

  • John McLellan: Classic ACs . Sutton Publishing, Stroud, Gloucestershire 2000, ISBN 978-0-7509-2042-1 (English, esp. Pp. 91 to 123).
  • Simon Taylor, Peter Burn: AC Heritage: From the Three-Wheeler to Superblower . 2nd Edition. Osprey Publishing (UK), Botley, Oxford 2000, ISBN 978-1-85532-875-4 (English, especially pp. 52 to 68).
  • Trevor Legates: Cobra. The real sports car . Heel, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 978-3-89365-541-0 (especially pp. 10 to 19).
  • HD Seufert, in: "Motor Klassik" (magazine), AC Ace Bristol , issue MOK-1997-02-S22-8 (detailed driving report with background information, pictures and technical data)
  • GN Georgano (Ed.): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile . Stationery Office Books, London 2000, ISBN 978-0-11-702319-2 (English, two volumes, hardback ).
  • Peter Hingston: The Enthusiast's Guide to Buying a Classic British Sports Car . Hingston Publishing Co., Eaton Bishop, Hereford 2007, ISBN 978-0-906555-25-5 (English, especially p. 16).
  • Mike Lawrence: A to Z of Sports Cars, 1945-1990 . Bay View Books, Bideford, Devon 1996, ISBN 978-1-870979-81-8 (English).
  • Automobile Revue catalog 1956 to 1963

Web links

Commons : AC Ace  - collection of images, videos and audio files

References and comments

  1. ↑ Technical data based on the Carfolio portal for AC Ace , Ace Bristol and Ace 2.6 / Ace Zephyr (English) accessed on November 20, 2009
  2. ↑ Note: Notation in part, especially in older publications, also with dots as AC Ace
  3. ↑ Reproduction of the AC press publication on the occasion of the 100th anniversary (with a short Weller company and model history) (English)  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) accessed on November 20, 2009@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.carpictures.com
  4. ↑ Note: Occasionally, slightly different production figures are given, depending on whether or which prototypes are included; In some cases, the production figures for the Aceca Coupé are also incorrectly included
  5. ↑ a b c d e f Mike Lawrence: A to Z of Sports Cars, 1945-1990 . Bay View Books Ltd., Bideford, Devon 1996, ISBN 978-1-870979-81-8 (English, keyword " AC ").
  6. ↑ Gary Anderson, Sports Car Market , presentation of the AC Ace (English) ( Memento of 25 January 2010 at the Internet Archive ) accessed on 25 November 2009
  7. ↑ Dave Kinney, Sports Car Market , Presentation of the AC Ace Bristol (English) ( memento January 25, 2010 in the Internet Archive ), accessed November 25, 2009
  8. ↑ History of the AC brand from 1950 to 1963 at www.ac2litre.com (private website) (English) Chassis numbers RS (X) 5001 to RS (X) 5036 plus the first prototype RS5000 (originally with AC engine and corresponding chassis number) on November 20, 2009
  9. ↑ a b c d Trevor Legate: Cobra. The real sports car . Heel, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 978-3-89365-541-0 , p. 16 .
  10. ^ Biographical data on William A. Hurlock (English) accessed on November 20, 2009
  11. ^ Biographical data on Charles FH Hurlock (English) accessed on November 20, 2009
  12. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t History of the AC brand from 1950 to 1963 at www.ac2litre.com (private website) (English) accessed on November 20, 2009
  13. ↑ Trevor Legate: Cobra. The real sports car . Heel, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 978-3-89365-541-0 , p. 40 .
  14. ↑ a b c d e History of the origins of the Tojeiro Bristol and AC Ace prototypes with pictures on www.ritzsite.nl (private website) (English) accessed on November 20, 2009
  15. ↑ The Tojeiro-Bristol prototype on the specialist portal Ultimatecarpage (English) accessed on November 20, 2009
  16. ↑ a b c d Trevor Legate: Cobra. The real sports car . Heel, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 978-3-89365-541-0 , p. 14-16 .
  17. ↑ a b c d Reproduction of AC advertisements from The Motor (magazine), in particular issues from October 20, 1954, October 19, 1955, May 16, 1956 and October 16, 1957 as well as from The Autocar (magazine), issue from October 23 , 1957 October 1959 (English) Retrieved November 23, 2009
  18. ↑ Trevor Legate: Cobra. The real sports car . Heel, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 978-3-89365-541-0 , p. 15 (in other sources a performance of 75 bhp or 80 bhp is given for the very first vehicles).
  19. ↑ David Traver Adolphus, Don Spiro: "AC in the Hole" in: Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car (magazine), issue of July 1, 2006, detailed report on the AC Ace with pictures and technical data (English), accessed on 20. November 2009
  20. ↑ a b c Technical information on the 2.0 l Bristol engines on the Bristol Owners Club website (English) accessed on November 20, 2009 (in other sources, 120 bhp or 125 bhp are occasionally given as the output of the more powerful Variant called)
  21. ↑ background information on the Bristol -cars with two-liter engine on the website of the Bristol Owners Club (English) accessed on 20 November 2009
  22. ↑ Comprehensive vehicle description from the auction house H & H (English) ( Memento from January 18, 2016 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on November 22, 2012
  23. ^ History of the company Bristol Cars on the website of the Motorbase portal (English) accessed on November 23, 2009
  24. ↑ a b c Trevor Legate: Cobra. The real sports car . Heel, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 978-3-89365-541-0 , p. 17 .
  25. ↑ Trevor Legate: Cobra. The real sports car . Heel, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 978-3-89365-541-0 , p. 53 .
  26. ^ A b John McLellan: Classic ACs . Sutton Publishing Ltd., Stroud, Gloucestershire 2000, ISBN 978-0-7509-2042-1 (English, especially pp. 91 to 123).
  27. ↑ a b Technical data based on the Carfolio portal for AC Ace , Ace Bristol and Ace 2.6 / Ace Zephyr as well as AC 2-Liter , AC 16/80 and AC 16/90 (English) accessed on November 20, 2009
  28. ↑ Trevor Legate: Cobra. The real sports car . Heel, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 978-3-89365-541-0 , p. 42-44 .
  29. ↑ Extensive picture gallery of the AC Ace on supercars.net (English) accessed on November 22, 2012
  30. ↑ a b Comprehensive picture gallery of the AC Ace on cobracars.be (Flemish) ( Memento from January 10, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) accessed on November 23, 2009
  31. ↑ Trevor Legate: Cobra. The real sports car . Heel, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 978-3-89365-541-0 , p. 33 .
  32. ↑ a b History of the development of the AC Ace on the Howstuffwork website ? the Discovery Company (English) accessed on 24 November 2009
  33. ↑ a b David Culshaw, Peter Horrobin; The Complete Catalog of British Cars, 1895-1975 , Veloce Publishing, 2nd edition 1998, ISBN 978-1-874105-93-0 (English)
  34. ↑ evolution of the AC Ace 2.6 (extract from the catalog of a recent auction) (English)  ( Page no longer available , searching web archives ) retrieved (PDF) on 24 November 2009@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.classic-auctions.co.uk
  35. ↑ Trevor Legate: Cobra. The real sports car . Heel, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 978-3-89365-541-0 , p. 17 (reproduced from the 1961 AC Ace 2.6 sales prospectus).
  36. ↑ Technical data of the AC Ace (85bhp) on the portal Carfolio (English) accessed on 24 November 2009
  37. ↑ Technical data of the AC Ace (90bhp) on the portal Carfolio (English) accessed on 24 November 2009
  38. ↑ Technical data of the AC Ace (102bhp) on the portal Carfolio (English) accessed on 24 November 2009
  39. ↑ Technical data of the AC Ace Bristol (105bhp) on the portal Carfolio (English) accessed on 24 November 2009
  40. ↑ Technical data of the AC Ace Bristol (125 / 128bhp) on the portal Carfolio (English) accessed on 24 November 2009
  41. ↑ Technical data of the AC Ace 2.6 (100bhp) on the portal Carfolio (English) accessed on 24 November 2009
  42. ↑ Technical data of the AC Ace (170bhp) on the Carfolio portal (English) accessed on November 24, 2009
  43. ↑ a b compilation of Race participations of the AC Ace in the art portal Racing Sports Cars (English)  ( Page no longer available , searching web archives ) accessed on 25 November 2009@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.racingsportscars.com
  44. ^ Advertisement from AC Cars Ltd. in The Motor (magazine) of May 18, 1955 on the occasion of the victory at the 1955 Tulip Rally, accessed on November 24, 2009
  45. ↑ Compilation of the AC Ace 1956/57 race entries on the Racing Sports Cars specialist portal  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) (English), accessed on November 25, 2009@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.racingsportscars.com
  46. ↑ As before, from the second half of 1957  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) (English), accessed on November 25, 2009@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.racingsportscars.com
  47. ↑ As before, 1958/59  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) (English), accessed on November 25, 2009@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.racingsportscars.com
  48. ↑ a b c d e f g h David Blumlein: AC Aces at Le Mans ( Memento from February 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 174 kB) on grandprixmodels.com, report on the AC Ace with a focus on motorsport ( English), accessed November 20, 2009
  49. ↑ Picture gallery of the AC racing at Le Mans 1957 ( Memento of November 21, 2009 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on November 24, 2009
  50. ↑ List of results for the 24-hour race at Le Mans on June 23, 1957 (English), accessed on November 24, 2009
  51. ↑ List of results from the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 22, 1958 (English), accessed on November 24, 2009
  52. ^ Result list of the RAC Tourist Trophy in Goodwood on September 13, 1958 (English), accessed on November 24, 2009
  53. ↑ List of results from the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 21, 1959 (English), accessed on November 24, 2009
  54. ↑ Tim McKinney, AC Cars, Where it all started , reproduced on European Car Web ( Memento of November 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on November 25, 2009
  55. ↑ Overview of the racing successes of the AC Ace on the Racing Sport Cars website  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) (English), accessed on November 25, 2009@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.racingsportscars.com
  56. ↑ Pictures of the AC Ace LM Prototype (at the bottom of the page) (Flemish) ( Memento from September 6, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) accessed on November 25, 2009
  57. ↑ Race results of the AC Ace LM Prototype on the Racing Sports Cars website  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) (English), accessed on November 25, 2009@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.racingsportscars.com
  58. ↑ Brief description with picture (English), accessed on November 25, 2009
  59. ↑ AC Ace Bristol Zagato on the Conceptcarz website (short introduction with many pictures) (English), accessed on November 25, 2009
  60. ↑ AC Ace Bristol Zagato on the Supercars.net website (short introduction with lots of pictures and technical data ), accessed on November 25, 2009
  61. ↑ Race results of the AC Ace Bristol Zagato on the Racing Sports Cars website  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) (English), accessed on November 25, 2009@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.racingsportscars.com
  62. ↑ Image of the AC Ace-Aigle with race results in the main race on the LM24-Database website ( Memento from November 27, 2009 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on November 25, 2009
  63. ↑ Race results of the Ace-Aigle on the Racing Sports Cars website  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) (English), accessed on November 25, 2009@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.racingsportscars.com
  64. ^ Website of the bodybuilder Ghia Aigle (English), accessed on November 25, 2009
  65. ↑ Trevor Legate: Cobra. The real sports car . Heel, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 978-3-89365-541-0 , p. 52 .
  66. ↑ Trevor Legate: Cobra. The real sports car . Heel, Königswinter 1996, ISBN 978-3-89365-541-0 , p. 23 .
  67. ↑ Example of an AC Ace that has been converted several times on the Motorbase portal , accessed on November 25, 2009
  68. ↑ The AC Ace (Brooklands) on the specialist portal Supercars.net (English), accessed on November 25, 2009
  69. ^ Message from the auto-motor-und-sport.de portal dated December 12, 2006 about the new AC Ace, accessed on November 25, 2009
  70. ↑ prices and auction results for AC Ace in the art portal engine base ( Memento of 22 November 2008 at the Internet Archive ) (English), accessed on 25 November 2009
  71. ↑ prices and auction results for AC Ace Bristol in the art portal engine base ( Memento of 29 June 2008 at the Internet Archive ) (English), accessed on 25 November 2009
  72. ↑ prices and auction results for AC Ace 2.6 on the specialized portal engine base ( Memento of 9 August 2009 at the Internet Archive ) (English), accessed on 25 November 2009
  73. ↑ Auction result for the AC Ace Bristol with the chassis number BEX446 (English), accessed on November 25, 2009
  74. ↑ Auction result for the AC Ace with the chassis number AEX116 (English), accessed on November 25, 2009
  75. ↑ a b Auction result for the AC Ace 2.6 with chassis number RS5003 (English), accessed on November 25, 2009.
  76. ↑ Presentation of the Newburn Hall Motor Museum ( Memento of March 13, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) (English), accessed on November 22, 2012
  77. ↑ Report by a museum visitor (English), accessed on November 25, 2009
  78. ↑ AC Ace Bristol (BEX254) on the website of the Shelby American Collection ( Memento of 6 July 2008 at the Internet Archive ) (English), accessed on 26 March 2010
  79. ↑ AC Ace Bristol (BEX1044) on the website of the Shelby American Collection ( Memento of 6 July 2008 at the Internet Archive ) (English), accessed on 26 March 2010
  80. ↑ The AC Ace on IMCDb.org (English), accessed on 25 November 2009
  81. ↑ Presentation of the Hawk Ace kit vehicle with BMW engine in Complete Kit Car magazine , p. 86/87 (English), accessed on November 25, 2009
  82. ↑ An American AC Ace replica based on an MGB (English), accessed on November 25, 2009
  83. ^ Richard Owen: 1998 → 2000 AC Ace
  84. ↑ A BRIEF HISTORY OF AC CARS