AC Ace

Die Sammlung

Die Geschichte der AC Ace und AC Aceca haben wir schon erzählt, hier – wir gönnen uns selbstverständlich auch noch die entsprechende Sammlung, hier die Ace, also die offenen Fahrzeuge, die als Vorlage für die Cobra dienten. Wir unterteilen diese in die drei verschiedenen Motorisierungen, die AC Cars über die Jahre anbot, also die 226 Ace (mit dem hauseigenen AC-Motor), die Ace-Bristol (466 Exemplare) und schliesslich die Ace-Ford, von denen nur 36 Stück entstanden sein sollen.

AC Ace:

Chassis-Nummer: AEX 138

Auktion: RM Sotheby’s, Arizona 2010, verkauft für 192’500 Dollar

–

Chassisnummer: AEX160

Dieses Fahrzeug wurde am 11. Mai 1956 fertig gestellt und kam zu seinem ersten Besitzer, Irving Davis, nach Kalifornien. Irgendwie fand es nach einem Umweg über die Schweiz nach Florida, wo Walter Padow sich 33 Jahre an seinem Besitz erfreute. Leider gibt es nicht mehr viele Ace mit dem originalen AC-Motor.

–

Chassis-Nummer: AEX476

Auktion: Bring A Trailer, verkauft für 246’000 Dollar (Oktober 2025), mit diesen Informationen: «This 1958 AC Ace is one of approximately 220 AC-powered roadsters built between 1953 and the early 1960s and is a left-hand-drive example that was dispatched to AC Imports Inc. in Arlington, Virginia, for distribution in the US. Chassis AEX476 was sold new on August 18, 1959, by D&H Automotive, Foreign Car Sales & Service in Concord, New Hampshire, to an Army veteran and SCCA member, Richard “Dick” Waite, who retained the car for 60 years. During that time, the car is believed to have been used by Waite at the 1961 Mt. Washington Hillclimb. After spending 35 years in storage in Massachusetts, it was refurbished between 2021-2022 with a repaint in the original shade of pale yellow and an overhaul of the 1,991 SOHC inline-six.»

–

Chassis-Nummer: AE1061

Auktion: Bonhams, Goodwood 2024, Schätzpreis 120’000 bis 160’000 Pfund, angeboten mit folgendem Text: «Chassis number ‚AE1061‘ was one of only four right hand drive AC engine cars produced during 1959. The AC owners club register records that ‚AE1061‘ with engine number ‚CLB2421‘ was sold by the agent European Cars, of London to owner D.B. Cheneuix-Trench in Switzerland in July 1959. The car was supplied in bright blue metallic with a red leather interior and assigned the registration number 10 KPL. In June 1964 the car transferred to Mr Zavieh of Earls Court, London. Six years later in September of 1970 the car transferred to Mr D R W Brown of Warlingham in Surrey with whom it would stay for the next 53 years until August 2023. Mr Brown assembled a small collection including a second Ace, an Aceca and a brace of E-Type Jaguars. The odometer still shows a mere 26,000 miles. Indeed, the portion of the ignition key which was inside the barrel when our vendor purchased the car gives a wonderful glimpse to the condition of the car when it went into storage. Most notably the car is equipped with front disc brakes and 16-inch wheels. The current owner purchased the car, along with an AC Aceca, from the collection last year. Our private vendor, who races an AC Cobra, bought the Ace with the idea of restoring it as part of his eclectic classic car collection and to replace a left hand drive Ace he sold a short while ago. Unfortunately, his upcoming house build for 2024 has enforced a rethink, and so this AC Ace is offered for sale. The car is complete, albeit the interior and seats and tonneau are in poor condition, along with hood frame and side screens».

–

Chassis-Nummer: AE1190

Dürfte eines der letzten Exemplare (1963) noch mit dem hauseigenen 2-Liter-Motor (gern als «Weller» bezeichnet) gewesen sein. Steht bei Car-iconics zum Verkauf (Dezember 2023), Preis: 194’995 Pfund.

–

AC Ace-Bristol:

Chassisnummer: BEX223

Nein, die Farbe ist nicht original, es ist Almond Green von Aston Martin. Aber es passt gut zu diesem schönen Exemplar mit dem 2-Liter-Sechszylinder von Bristol, der in seiner stärksten Ausbaustufe auf 128 PS kam.

–

Chassis-Nummer: BEX389 (1958)

Auktion: RM Sotheby’s, Monterey 2024, Schätzpreis 250’000 bis 300’000 Dollar, mit folgenden Informationen: «Shipped by AC Cars Group Ltd., finished in black with red interior, on 20 December 1957, it was sold new by AC Imports of Arlington, Virginia, and remained in the Washington, DC, area for most of its life. In 1968 the 11-year-old roadster was purchased by Gerald F. Curtin, Jr., of Wilmington, Delaware, a vice-president of the Petrochemicals Division of Du Pont. Mr. Curtin drove the car for about a year before other activities took his attention, and the AC was put away in his family’s garage, where it remained with about 33,000 miles on the odometer for the next 41 years. Following Mr. Curtin’s passing in 2010, the Ace-Bristol was sold to the noted enthusiast Jim Taylor, and joined his prominent sports car collection in Gloversville, New York. During Mr. Taylor’s ownership the car had the original engine (100 D 738) rebuilt by the noted British sports car restorer Paul Tsikiris, and the exhaust re-routed by the passenger door to improve its note. Never restored, the car retains most of its original paint, with the remainder skillfully touched-up as necessary so as to be indistinguishable from the factory finish. Within is the amazing original interior with its seats, door panels, carpeting, and dashboard, and the car is also complete with its original side curtains, tools, grease gun, and jack. It had recorded 33,827 miles at the time of cataloguing».

–

Chassis-Nummer: BEX340

Auktion: RM Sotheby’s, Gene Ponder Collection 2022, verkauft für 280’500 Dollar, angeboten mit folgendem Text: «According to research obtained from the AC Cars archives, this Ace-Bristol was completed on 30 October 1957. One of 466 Bristol-powered examples produced, it retains its numbers-matching engine, number 100D 671. It was restored under prior ownership in its highly appealing bright red; this pairs nicely with its beautifully finished tan interior, including floor mats emblazoned with the AC logo. Exterior details include Marchal headlamps, and the car rides on Borrani knock-off wire wheels with two-ear AC spinners. It benefits from front disc brakes, with drums in the rear. This AC was acquired by Gene Ponder in 2009 from well-known former racer and racing instructor Skip Barber. After adding the car to his collection, Ponder has used the AC on premier events including the Colorado Grand and California Mille—outings for which the car continues to be both highly eligible and very well-suited. Throughout his ownership tenure Ponder has carefully maintained the car. In 2018, the car’s numbers-matching Bristol engine was completely rebuilt, with subsequent mechanical work detailed by invoices on file. It is now accompanied by an AC Cars Certificate of Authenticity, service invoices, side curtains, a tonneau cover, and a tool roll».

–

Chassis-Nummer: BEX373

Einfach, damit man auch ein bisschen eine Preisidee hat: 399’000 Euro. Wird an verschiedenen Orten angeboten, wie das heute anscheinend üblich ist.

–

Chassis-Nummer: BEX374

Ein frühes Exemplare mit dem 2-Liter-Bristol-Motor, kam schon Ende 1957 in die USA. Der spätere amerikanische Besitzer setzte diesen Ace 40 Jahre lang bei Rennen ein. Steht zum Verkauf bei Brooklands Cars für 315’000 Pfund (Dezember 2023).

–

Chassis-Nummer: BEX454
Motoren-Nummer: 100B2 4288 (siehe Text)

Auktion: Auktion: Broad Arrow, Zoute 2025, Schätzpreis 225’000 bis 275’000 Euro, mit diesen Informationen: «Sporting the “BEX” designation, this 1958 AC Ace-Bristol is a left-hand-drive export model powered by the more potent Bristol motor. This example was delivered new in May 1958 to Count François Cossé de Brissac in Paris via Garage de Lorraine, originally finished in Azure Blue over a black interior and fitted with Bristol engine 100B2 828. Carlos Lucky, a former Garage de Lorraine mechanic, later acquired the car. He conducted several engine swaps which was current practice in the era, on French-market AC Bristols in the 1970s and during this time fitted BEX 454 with Bristol engine 100B2 4288. The car subsequently passed to fellow Parisian J.N. Roques via British Garage, before being acquired in late 1984 by esteemed automotive historian and author Antoine Prunet, who registered it in the French Pays-Basque as 8589 SJ 64 and stored it at his family villa. Prunet raced the car with best friend Grégory Noblet son of ex-endurance racer Pierre Noblet, at the 1986 Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti as well as the Tour Auto road rallies in both 1993 and 1997. After acquiring another AC Bristol in 2003, Prunet sold BEX 454 the following year after 20 years of ownership to Paris resident Jacques Lafond, who too retained the car for nearly 20 years until the summer of 2025».

–

Chassis-Nummer: BE 1120

Motoren-Nummer: 100 D2 977

Auktion: RM Sotheby’s, London 2021, verkauft für 252’250 Pfund, angeboten mit folgendem Text: «This example, which benefits from the more powerful Bristol engine that can be identified thanks to the “BE” suffix of its chassis number, was registered for the road on 10 March 1960 under the registration “400 MTJ” that is retained to this day. Of the 463 examples of the car made with the Bristol engine, this is one of 100 built in right-hand drive, and one of 14 from the 1960 model year. The Ace-Bristol was said to have been delivered to its first owner who—without registering the car in her name—decided not to keep it and sold the car to a friend, who owned the car for an incredible 38 years. The long-term owner would take great care of the AC’s condition and keep hold of numerous workshop receipts and invoices, amounting to a sizeable history file that dates back to 1965. The Ace-Bristol was sold again in November 1998, then acquired by its incumbent owner in July 2000, who has kept it in fine condition since. Notably, the AC underwent restoration work in 2002, with body-off repairs carried out between the specialist technician Aubrey Finburgh of Kings Langley; Graham Dean, an interior trimmer based in Ilkeston; further to engine tuning by Ric Wood after being rebuilt; and upgrades to brakes, lighting and steering performed by INRacing of Nottingham».

–

Chassis-Nummer: BEX1209

Auktion: Bring A Trailer (März 2025), verkauft für 320’000 Dollar, mit diesen Informationen: «This 1962 AC Ace is a left-hand-drive example that is said to have been dispatched in October 1962 to its first owner in Detroit, Michigan. Chassis BEX1209 is said to have spent time under the stewardship of AC specialist Ron Leonard and later spent several years in Southern California, where it received a refurbishment in 2001. Finished in yellow, the car is powered by a 2.0-liter Bristol 100D2 inline-six that was overhauled in 2020 and breathes through triple Solex carburetors. Additional features include a four-speed manual transmission, Girling front disc brakes, four-wheel independent suspension, 16” wire wheels, a navy soft top, side curtains, and dark blue leather interior upholstery.»

–

AC Ace-Ford:

Chassis-Nummer: RS5022

Wurde am 20. April 1962 ausgeliefert. Steht privat zum Verkauf (Dezember 2023), 325’000 Pfund. (Oder dann bei Brooklands Cars, wo es immer schöne AC Ace/Aceca gibt.)

–

Chassisnummer: RS5030

Eigentlich waren diese 37 AC Ace, die mit dem 2,6-Liter-Sechszylinder aus dem Ford Zephyr ausgestattet waren, die besseren Cobra. Sie hatten bis zu 170 PS (mit drei SU-HD6-Vergasern und Alu-Zylinderkopf), waren aber fast 200 Kilo leichter als die 289er-Shelby.

–

Weitere schöne Klassiker finden sich in unserem Archiv.