1958 AC Ace Roadster

Though not the fire-belching machine conjured up by Carroll Shelby, there simply would be no Cobra if there was not the Ace first. Wedded to a Bristol-powered six-cylinder engine, it would be easy to surmise just what Shelby found.

The AC Ace would make its first appearance at the 1953 London Motor Show. To say there was a similarity with the barchettas leaving Maranello would be something of an understatement. However, in the years immediately following the Second World War, Britain would be a little behind the curve when it came to designing powerful engines for sportscars. The war effort had cost the country dearly. However, there were those in government and within the car industry that knew where to get some inspiration.

Dividing up the spoils of war, Britain would claim an important piece of technology. Though designed before the war, the BMW 328 engine was something of a marvel and it would serve as the foundation for Britain's post-war car market carrying the Bristol badge.

AC Cars would combine a small, lightweight body and chassis with the adept Bristol engine to produce the Ace. The result would be a sprightly car that was nimble and quick in a multitude of directions, and this would lead to a great deal of praise from many of the magazines and periodicals of the time.

Successful on the track, the Ace would certainly be a force with which to be reckoned. This success on the track would be a result of the Bristol engine being upgraded. The D2 would end up being the ultimate expression of the old BMW 328 engine. Bumping the power from a little more than 100hp up to 125hp the Ace now had power in hand to combine with its light and nimble chassis. Success on the track was nearly inevitable. It was just as inevitable the public would want to get their hands on the same kind of performance for the rolling and winding roads of England.

Chassis BEX 436 was offered by RM Auctions at Hershey in 2014, the 1958 AC Ace-Bristol would be one of the highlights before and during the auction. Pre-auction estimates ran between $200,000 and $300,000. However, when it was all said and done, the estimates would come up a little short as the final sale price would be $341,000.

By Jeremy McMullen