1958 AC Aceca Bristol

The oldest car manufacturer in Britain, AC Cars would begin production of automobiles as early as 1901. Originally setting up shop in South London, AC Cars would have a bright future by building automobiles for a myriad of uses. However, in the early 1950s, AC would build one of the most iconic of two-door body styles. This foundation was too tempting not to use for other model concepts.

In 1953, AC would introduce its open-top Ace. Its popularity and following would be almost immediate among motor racing enthusiasts. One year later, AC Cars would launch a derivative of the open-top coupe known as the Aceca Coupe.

The Aceca would make its debut at the London Motor Show. Its elegant closed variant would not only build upon the foundation of the company's Ace Roadster, but other little details would help it to become even more refined. Such features as sound-absorbing fiberglass and rubber bushings would help to reduce the amount of noise and vibration caused by the 125hp 2.0-liter six-cylinder Bristol engine. Suddenly, the Aceca was an aggressive, but comfortable, tourer.

The Bristol engine served as the heart of the Aceca. Based upon the pre-war BMW 328 engine, the engine produced a great deal of performance. As a result, the Aceca-Bristol would not be a tamed two-door coupe. Powered by the Bristol engine, the Aceca-Bristol would become another favorite competitor.

In total, there would be just 169 examples of the Bristol-powered Aceca built over the course of its production history beginning in 1956.

By Jeremy McMullen