No one who has ever watched (with the ground trembling beneath his or her feet) a 427 Cobra thunder past will ever forget the experience. Automotive icons, products of Carroll Shelby's "big idea"--a marriage of American V8 power and English sports car sophistication--the muscular, purposeful Cobras dominated U.S. sports car racing in the mid '60s and beat Ferrari to win the 1965 World Sports Championship. But even Cobra owners have been confused when first laying eyes on an AC Ace, one of a trio of AC offerings in the mid '50s, not realizing the first Cobra wore much slimmer bodywork.
AC Cars got its start in 1902 (or so) when a young butcher shop manager teamed up with the young automotive engineers who had set up shop just down Norwood Road, West Norwood, Surrey, England. Though the details are vague, it seems John Portwine, whose name would eventually grace a nation-wide butchers chain, provided the financial support for the prototype Weller 20-bhp automobile constructed by brothers John and Harry. Partially finished, the car was shown in February 1903 at the Crystal Palace Motor Show with press reports on the completed car showing up by June.
The 20-bhp Weller never went into production and the brothers closed their business, but in 1904 the Portwine-Weller venture, Autocars and Accessories introduced a three-wheeled, tiller-steered light goods delivery vehicle called the Auto-Carrier. They were soon sold as far away as South America. When a passenger seat replaced the goods box over the front axle the 'cyclecar' (defined as less than 1100cc and 10cwt) was born and the AC (note the name change) Sociable proved another success. John Weller's inventive mind continued to innovate, designing a series of 'light' cars, now four wheeled, with bodies mounted on a patented lightweight chassis made from u-shaped pressed-steel. A slipper spring cam chain tensioner and a single plate clutch numbered among a host of elegant mechanical details but his 'wet' cylinder liners pressed into a light-alloy crankcase, made his sohc Light Six, patented in 1919 and in production until 1963, a reality.
Around this time, S.F. Edge invested in the company, eventually taking control in 1922. Fit, driven and abrasive, Edge had a long history with Napier and had set several important automotive world records including a 24-hour run at over 60 mph in 1907. In May of 1922, Edge's 24-hour record fell to an AC special. Next, as time literally ran out on the 1922 season at Brooklands, John Joyce averaged 101.39 mph over an hour-long sprint, the first 1500cc car to break the mark. Portwine left to found his chain of butcher shops while Edge and Weller continued to develop the in-line six and ever better cars. In 1926 a six-cylinder AC won the Monte Carlo rally.
Effects of the Crash of '29 hit England in 1930 and demand for the expensive AC cars crashed as well. William and Charles Hurlock purchased the company at the Receivers sale, initially building cars from leftover stock. The Hurlocks produced a number of lovely custom-bodied -"Thames Ditton, The Seville Row of Motordom"--tourers, saloons and drop-head coupes throughout the '30s. The "Aristocrat of Modern Cars" kept its sporting flavor intact introducing a competition two-seater just before the outbreak of WWII.
After the war, and some strong debate, the Hurlocks decided to offer standardized versions of a new Two-litre Saloon and Drophead (as well as building 70 or so sporting variants call the Buckland) built on the underslung chassis used in the 30s. The bulky cars were successful if not overly pretty but by 1952 it was clear their market was fading. The last Two-litre, virtually hand-built, was delivered in 1958. The Hurlocks, persuaded by Engineering Director E.H.Sidney, decided to abandon the luxury touring sedans that had served the company so well and concentrate their automotive efforts (the company was also building several narrow-gauge railroads around the world among other ventures) on a simple, two-seat sports car.
In the early '50s, sports car racing on the many abandoned WWII airfields littering the English countryside was becoming quite popular. Hampered by the modest output of the available engines, designers like Colin Chapman and Charles and John Cooper answered with lightweight racing specials. So did John Tojeiro, designing an elegantly simple chassis made up using two 3-in. tubes tied together at each end with stout built-up steel boxes designed to carry transverse leaf and lower wishbone independent suspensions and drive assemblies adaptable to most of the day's powerplants. Tojeiro was subcontractor for Buckland Motor Bodies, an AC supplier, and one of his specials soon came to the attention of Sidney.
Being built by Vin Davison and sporting a body by local panel-beaters Bill Rich and Eddie Gray much resembling a Ferrari 166 Barchetta, the would be racer wound up instead gracing the AC stand at 1953 London Motor Show. Now with a full interior of Bridge of Weir leather and Wilton pile carpets, a windscreen and fitted with the ubiquitous AC six, the Ace transformed the public's impression of AC cars overnight.
Alan Turner and Desmond Stratton were charged with turning the one-off into a production vehicle, redesigning the body to comply with international lighting regulations, giving it a practical hood, boot and sidecurtains and in the eyes of some creating "the most elegant British two-seater of its time." Inside there were deep pleated bucket seats, full instrumentation and as was often the case with AC cars even in the '30s, a fully adjustable steering column. Press reports of the day noted handling was "Something a normal driver of a mass-produced saloon could not imagine in his wildest dreams."
While the 60 or so Aces delivered the first year were being built, development started on the promised hard top variant, the Aceca, which debuted in 1954. It was soon obvious that just adding a removable fiberglass top was not the answer. A square-tube frame supported the new fast-back roof, a new fiberglass bulkhead helped insulate the cabin and the wood framed doors - with roll-down windows- were much larger. A large storage area was accessible through the hinged panel containing the rear window.
Both the Ace and Aceca were quickly entered in a number of competitive events. AC importer Hap Dressel finished fourth in the 1956 12-hour Grand Prix of Florida (Sebring). But it was obvious more power was needed, the 100mm stroke Weller six was showing it's age and development costs precluded an entirely new engine. Bristol had been given rights to produce a pre-war BMW six as war reparation. Developed and built to exacting standards by one of the biggest names in English aviation, the engine was making itself well known in competition and was a perfect fit with the fine handling AC chassis. In 1958, Harry Carter won the SCCA E Production title, in 1959 Aces won again and filled 14 of the top 15 spots, Elliot Pew won the 1960 D Production title and Pierre Mion won the C Production title in 1961.In Europe, Derek Hurlock, nephew to the company owners, drove a Ken Rudd prepared Ace-Bristol to the 1957 LeMans race. Rudd had modified the nose to incorporate a new air intake, setting the look for the Cobra and with Peter Bolton drove to a tenth overall, second in class finish behind the Testa Rossa of Bianchi and Harris. Hurlock then drove the car back to England! Rule changes in 1959 prevented the AC-Bristol prototype used in 1958 from entering, so Rudd convinced a Mrs. Waugh to let him use her Ace-Bristol and won a race that saw factory entries from Jaguar, Porsche and Ferrari all fail the test. The car was then driven home to England. In all, 773 Aces and 366 Acecas were built with both AC and Bristol engines.
Despite the success of their two-seat sports cars, AC's management knew they also needed to offer a larger car, perhaps a Grand Tourer in the 1930's tradition. Alan Turner stretched an Ace chassis, extending the wheelbase 10 inches and used a double wishbone front suspension and semitrailing swing arms with coil springs in the rear to allow room for four passengers. First shown in 1959, the car generated some interest but Turner redesigned the light alloy body's front and rear ends and smoothed the roof contour in time for the 1960 London show where the car was much better received. As befitted a luxury saloon the interior was exquisitely trimmed and sported a Nardi steering wheel. Never fully developed, only 82 were built from 1960 to 1964.
Once Carroll Shelby had backing for his "big idea" from Ford, he knew where to turn. AC Aces weren't Ferraris and he had already test-fit a 260 V8 in one racing on the West Coast. There was little the management in Thames Ditton could do resist the irrepressible Texan when he showed up at the factory door drawings in hand. The rest, as they say, is history. And another story.
John Whitney Payson's Trio
Smitten as a teenager with the Ace, John Payson purchased his in 1961 after his mother, having been told her son was in mortal peril, insisted he trade in the clapped-out Alfa he was driving. To keep the Ace running, he purchased a parts car, which turned out to have been made on the same day as his driver! He later purchased an Aceca but spent twenty years looking for the right Greyhound. Even his wife tried to purchase a car but negotiations broke down. The same car, originally purchased by an American architect working in Rome who later shipped it home to Massachusetts, turned up auction a few months later. Away on business, Payson sent his trusted mechanic, Ken Woodrun, to inspect and bid on the car. When Woodrun arrived, he found Mrs Payson with paddle in hand and was forced to call and say he had missed the car. Payson's disappointment was short lived though as he was soon presented the car as an early birthday present. The front seats have recently been recovered and the car needed a bit of mechanical attention before its first rally but except for the possibility of paint years ago, is unrestored.
Payson typically saves the Aceca for shows and drives the fuel-cell equipped Ace on lapping days at nearby Moroso Park. "I've always called is the 'poor man's Ferrari'. I love the sounds of it, the feel of it." He has also become quite fond of competing in vintage rallies with the Greyhound. " The bodies are heavy compared to the Ace and it takes a bit of energy to get the Greyhound off the line, but once you do the car will move right out and has a wonderful, long third gear. The steering is a little heavy at low speeds but she's great fun."
Much if the information for this story came from John McLellan's excellent (and hard to find) book, "Classic ACs, Auto-Carrier to Cobra," ISBN 0 7509 2042 4
The AC Owner's Club website at www.racecar.co.uk/ACOC/
The AC Enthusiasts home page at www.w2ec.com/ACOCindex.html