AC is the oldest manufacturer of motor cars in Britain. Started by talented designer John Weller and financed by a wealthy butcher, John Portwine, the company was founded in 1901.
By 1903, the first 2-cylinder and 4-cylinder models were produced. By 1904, the company then known as Autocar & Accessories was producing its most successful vehicle to date. Known as the Auto Carrier, this was a single-cylinder, air-cooled tricycle, built as a delivery van. In 1907, a passenger version, the AC Sociable produced, another success that’s design lasted until 1915. During that time the abbreviation AC was used for the first time and a new company came into existence, Auto Carriers Ltd., replacing Autocar & Accessories. In 1919 John Weller designed an overhead cam, 6-cylinder engine that would remain in production, in various forms, right up to 1963.
In 1921, Auto Carriers Ltd. had offices and showrooms in Regent Street, London. At that time racing driver S.F. Edge joined the board of directors. Not able to get along with Edge, Weller and Portwine left the company. S.F. Edge then became Chairman of the board, and AC Cars Limited came into being. By the following year, the company was known as AC Cars Ltd. and was purchased outright by Edge for £135,000.
AC broke all the light car records of the time, setting a recorded speed at Brooklands of 104.85 mph.
With the recession of 1929, AC went into voluntary liquidation. Luckily brothers William and Charles Hurlock purchased the ailing company and, with many satisfied AC customers putting the pressure on, the brothers saw there was still a future for the company. AC cars were even competing in the RAC Rally of 1933, and by 1937 AC was exporting cars to the U.S.
Then the production facilities were turned over to the war effort in 1939. After the war, production slowly started getting back under way.
In 1952, John Tojeiro penned the design that would become the basis of AC’s most well-known machine—the AC Ace. Powered by the John Weller-designed, 6-cylinder engine, it took the world by storm in 1953, quickly becoming a sought after weapon for racing and rallying, as well as an everyday sports car. The following year motorists welcomed a coupe version, the Aceca. In 1957, car dealer and racer Ken Rudd modified his personal AC with a pre-war BMW-designed, Bristol-produced 6-cylinder engine producing 135-hp. Later that year, AC put this combination into production as the AC Ace-Bristol. The car’s potential was proven in 1959, when Rudd drove an almost stock AC Ace-Bristol in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, not only winning his class, but driving the AC to and from the event!
Behind the Wheel
An early summer Sunday is a great day to enjoy an AC Bristol. Add an AC Aceca into the mix and the day becomes fantastic! Starting with the open car, you can see what drew Carroll Shelby to this machine. The tight flowing lines the purposeful shape, it has that “going fast” look even sitting still.
Even before Mr. Shelby breathed on these cars they were no slouches. The Bristol engine may only be putting out 120-hp, but with only 1679-pounds this adds up to great performance and handling. The engine is on the button and fires willingly. With a complement of Smiths gauges letting you know what’s going on, you take hold of the delicate three-spoke steering wheel and you are off on an adventure. The combination of an amazingly smooth gearbox, a torquey engine and a well-balanced chassis, makes for an exciting driving experience. There is some body roll in the turns, but the car just seems to pivot into the position you want. Knowing the brakes are up to the job, you push a little harder and get the feeling of how well this machine was set up. It is so light and balanced, it possesses none of the problems created by the big Ford engines that were shoehorned in later. This is a pure open sports car, that needs nothing more than an enthusiastic driver in the cockpit.
Going from the Bristol to the even more rare Aceca, you can see the family resemblance in the lightweight aluminum bodywork. From the nose to the cowl they are identical, after that you start to notice the differences. The Aceca’s larger doors flow into a downward angled rear fender, which is a counterpoint to the Bristol’s more sensuously shaped rear quarter. The Aceca’s fixed head, with very useful hatch, not only makes the car more practical, but also more aerodynamic.
In the driver’s seat it feels the same as the Bristol, with the same type of steering wheel and a similar small-topped shift lever right by your left hand, but the dash layout is much different. The speedometer, tachometer and oil pressure gauge are housed in a wood-accented binnacle, with the other gauges and controls on a separate wood-faced panel.
On the road, you the notice the differences too. The Aceca’s AC engine has less torque and the rpm needs to be kept up, so more shifting is required. The suspension is much stiffer, but not so much that you wouldn’t happily enter this car in a 1000-mile road rally. The Aceca does feel like it will step out on you if you go into a turn too hot, as it is running on pencil thin tires. Like the Bristol, however, it is wonderfully controllable.
The DNA runs deep in both of these machines and it is obvious why they are highly sought by collectors and rallyists.
Special thanks to Mike Bruno for opening the barn door to let these
thoroughbreds run. –Sean Smith
Driven Classics at a Glance:
SPECIFICATIONS
AC Bristol
Wheelbase: 90-inches
Track: 59-inches
Length: 151-inches
Height: 49-inches
Weight: 1679-lbs
Engine: inline 6
Bore: 2.6-inches
Stroke: 3.78-inches
Displacement: 1971-cc / 120-cu.in.
Horsepower: 120 horsepower
Fuel delivery: 3 downdraft carburetors
PERFORMANCE
0-60 in 9.1 seconds
Top speed: 118 mph
Torque: 123lb/ft
VALUATION
Price at launch: £2011
Price now: $286,000
SPECIFICATIONS
AC Aceca
Wheelbase: 90-inches
Track: 61-inches
Length: 159-inches
Height: 52-inches
Weight: 1962-lbs
Engine: in-line 6
Bore: 2.56-inches
Stroke: 3.94-inches
Displacement: 1991-cc /121-cu.in
Horsepower: 90-hp
Fuel delivery: 3 side draft carburetors
PERFORMANCE
0-60 in 13.4 seconds
Top speed: 102 mph
Torque: 110-lb/ft
VALUATION
Price at launch: £1439
Price now: $85,000 – $100,000
