1959 AC Ace Bristol

AC was Britain's oldest independent automobile manufacturer and is best known for providing the foundation of Carroll Shelby's Ford-powered Cobra. The success of Cliff Davis's Tojeiro sports racer convinced AC Cars to put the design into production in 1954 as the Ace. It was given a twin-tube ladder frame chassis by John Tojeiro, a Cooper-influenced all-independent suspension, and AC's own 2-liter, long-stroke six. The origins of the single-overhead-camshaft engine dated back to 1919, with the 1950s version delivering a modest 80 horsepower, providing respectable performance.

A year later, a hardtop version called the fastback-styled Aceca, joined the lineup. From 1956, the models were powered by the more powerful 2-liter, six-cylinder engine with pushrod-operated inclined valves. The BMW-based Bristol had a superior cylinder head design and down-draught carburetors. In road trim, the engine offered up to 130 horsepower and a top speed of around 120 mph. The racing versions had around 150 horsepower.

The introduction of the Bristol-engined Ace in 1957 also brought a change in price, having increased by 22 percent of the AC-engined version. By the time production ceased in 1963, a total of 723 examples had been built with 465 (or 466) of those fitted with the Bristol engine.

The AC's enjoyed considerable success at LeMans with a 10verall finish at the 1957 event including a 2nd in class. A year later, an AC finished 8th overall and 2nd in class. For 1959, it achieved a remarkable 7th overall and 1st in class. They were dominant in the Sports Car Club of America's production championship for classes E from 1957 through 1959, the D Class Championship in 1960, and the C Class Championship in 1961.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2019