1937 AC 16/80

John Weller abandoned plans to produce a 20hp touring car and instead focused his design talents on a three-wheeled commercial delivery vehicle. Known as the Auto-Carrier, it was introduced in 1904 and was an immediate success. A passenger version, dubbed the Sociable, arrived in 1907, at which time the company's name was abbreviated to 'AC.' A four-cylinder model joined the lineup in 1913 and four-cylinder options would remain apart of the company's catalog until 1928, thereafter the company solely offered six-cylinder models. The Weller-designed six-cylinder overhead camshaft engine entered production in 1922. By this point in history, Weller and his financial backer, John Portwine, had been ousted by new owner S. F. Edge.

S.F. Edge was a strong believer in the publicity value of competition successes, and this would be an integral policy during his stewardship of AC. In 1922, an AC became the first 1,500cc car to cover the mile at over 100 mph. Four years later, a 2.0-liter model became the first British car to win the Monte Carlo Rally.

Despite the competition success and its numerous mechanical achievements, AC struggled financially, and in 1930, the business was taken over by the Hurlock brothers. Henceforth, the firm concentrated on sophisticated sporting cars.

The Hurlock brothers acquired AC with the intent of expanding their existing motor dealer business and only restarted manufacturing of AC cars when pressured by customer demand. Production commenced using existing stocks of spares, but as supplies became sparse, the brothers were forced to make a fresh start. To streamline the process, chassis were acquired from Standard, and AC's traditional three-speed transaxle was replaced by a conventional ENV gearbox. The heart of the vehicle remained Weller's tried-and-true six-cylinder engine.

AC displayed a new and improved model in October 1933 at the London Motor Show. It had an underslung chassis, a wheelbase size of 115 inches, a synchromesh gearbox, automatic chassis lubrication, Telecontrol shock absorbers, and built-in jacks. The previous rounded radiator was replaced by a flatter grille with a mesh grille. All of these features were incorporated in the 16/60hp and 16/70hp models launched in 1936.

The AC 16/80hp
The 16/80 hp model first appeared publicly at the 1935 London Motor Show. It was an entirely new two-seat competition roadster endowed with Weller's 2.0-liter (1991cc), water-cooled six-cylinder engine producing 80 horsepower and installed in a short-wheelbase chassis that measured 108 inches. It was under-slung at the rear and equipped with Bendix self-energizing mechanical brakes and a Moss remote-change synchromesh gearbox. Excellent mechanical componentry combined with svelte roadster coachwork rewarded the 16/80hp with superior handling and a 90 maximum speed.

Approximately 42 examples (as many as 44) of the two-seat 16/80 roadsters were produced between 1936 and 1939 as well as several (approximately four) supercharged 16/90 models. No two cars were alike, as each was individually hand-built at the AC factory alongside the Thames in West London. They were, however, identical from the windscreen forward but each had a variety of unique features to the rear. AC made 15 examples of the 'Sloping Tail (Slant Back) Competition Sport Roadster' cars between 1937 and 1939. The aluminum body was penned by Freddie March, Earl of Richmond (who became the owner of the Goodwood racing circuit in the 1960s), and introduced in 1937 at the London Motor Show.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2024