The AC Ace - Great Britain's Baby
As the dust settled from the conclusion of World War II, auto manufacturers around the world shifted their focus back to making cars. In the southeastern corner of England, a quiet little car maker geared up to release what would become a truly iconic sports car: The AC Ace. Initially released in 1953, the Ace had a ten year production run. During that time, the Ace evolved into many things, but it all started with this gorgeous two-seater.
AC's initial sports car had a chassis designed by John Tojeiro and was powered from a rather asthmatic prewar 2-liter six. This was Britain's first postwar sports car to have four-wheel independent suspension (by transverse leafs and wishbones). The Ace received overdrive in '56 and front discs in '57 which rounded out the car rather nicely.
The most important advance was the availability of Bristol's 2-liter engine from 1956, greatly enhancing performance. As you can imagine, the AC Ace was, and still is, highly praised for its roadholding.
Overall, the AC Ace earns three out of five stars for reliability and maintenance costs. It gets two out of five for parts/support and full five stars for market appeal. You can expect a pretty penny for these wonderful cars but the fun factor is un-rivaled by other cars of the same era. An AC Ace will get you into the running for several driving events such as the California Mille and the Mille Miglia if you're so inclined. Later this week we'll find an Ace for sale - it may just be your next classic car!
(Description courtesy of Sports Car Market magazine)
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Comments
if ever i come into money
if ever i come into money thiswold be the car for me (or the shelby cobra)