Autocars and Accessories Ltd., which had begun production in 1904, was reorganized in 1907 as Autocarriers Ltd., which continued until 1921 when British motoring entrepreneur Selwyn F. Edge gained control of the firm. The founders, John Weller and John Portwine resigned, and Edge renamed the company AC Cars Ltd. The Weller Brothers of West Norwood had provided the mechanical expertise, while John Portwine, was the financial backer and business manager.

By the mid-1920s, most of the AC vehicles were powered by the two-liter, six-cylinder, overhead-cam engine that Weller had designed in 1919. The company would continue to produce the engine with continual improvements until 1963.

The Hurlock brothers purchased AC Cars in 1929 with plans to discontinue automobile production but continue to use the factory as a warehouse. The employees, however, built William Hurlock a year later, and it really impressed him, prompting limited production shortly thereafter. The cars built prior to World War II continued to use the overhead-cam, six-cylinder design that AC had been producing since the early 1920s. These engines were mounted on chassis that were supplied by Standard, and they featured a four-speed gearbox, which was built in a single unit with the engine. The new model was named the 16/70, named for its taxable and actual horsepower.

by Dan Vaughan