1960 AC Ace Roadster

AC Cars introduced the Ace at Earls Court in London in 1953. It featured a tubular chassis, a hand-formed aluminum body designed by Tojeiro, and powered by a 100-horsepower AC powerplant. They earned numerous race successes in 1955 and 1956. In 1957 AC offered an optional 2.0-liter Bristol six-cylinder engine which featured an advanced design derived from the BMW 328 unit, with three downdraft carburetors and offering 120 horsepower (later raised to 128 horsepower in Stage II spec). With their low overall weight, and impressive performance and handling, they proved competitive on race circuits around the world, including LeMans in 1957 and 1958.

There were four hundred sixty-six examples built with the Bristol engine between 1956 and 1962. Bristol discontinued their six-cylinder engine in 1961, followed by Carroll Shelby suggesting a Ford V8 should be installed. In 1962, the AC Ace-derived Cobra was born.

This particular example is a factory left-hand-drive model that left the factory on April 13, 1959, and was noted as having 'Stage II' engine preparation. The original owner is recorded as Dr. R. Roth of Illinois, who registered it as a 1960 model-year car. As of 1998, the car was owned by Mr. Cronin in the United States. Mr. Jim Feldman located the car in Woodside, California, in Mr. Cronin's ownership, around 2005 or 2006. In 2006 it was sold to the current owner, who funded Mr. Feldman's (an AC restoration specialist) five-year restoration without regard to cost. During the restoration, the car was fitted with a correct period Laycock de Normanville overdrive. The original six-cylinder Bristol engine, four-speed transmission, and rear end were rebuilt. The engine was rebuilt to the Stage II specifications of the original engine in components such as the high-compression head, driveshaft, bearings, pistons, and camshaft. It was given a period-correct optional aluminum fuel tank and a second fuel pump running through a second fuel line into the carburetors.

The car has 16-inch, 56-spoke, cross-laced wheels and narrow tires. There are five new wheels and original-spec Michelin X tires along with the optional disc brakes. The body was refinished in Aston Racing Green with green upholstery. There is a curved windshield that was optional on the last of the Aces. There are period-correct racing seatbelts, new webbing, new top and side curtains, and the owner's handbook.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2016