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AC Ace
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{{about|AC Ace (1953-1963)|AC Ace (1993-2000)|AC Brooklands Ace}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}} {{Use British English|date=February 2018}} {{Infobox automobile |name =AC Ace |image = AC Ace.jpg |caption =1953–1963 AC Ace |manufacturer =[[AC Cars]] |production =1953–1963 <ref>Michael Sedgwick & Mark Gillies, A-Z of Cars 1945-1970, Haymarket Publishing Ltd, 1986, page 7</ref> |class = |body_style =2-door [[Roadster (automobile)|roadster]] |engine =2.0 L [[straight-6|I6]] (AC)<br>2.0 L [[straight-6|I6]] (Bristol)<br>2.6 L [[straight-6|I6]] (Ford) |wheelbase ={{convert|90|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} <ref name=Motor1954/> |weight =1920 lb (871 kg) |length ={{convert|152|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}<ref name=Motor1954/> |width ={{convert|59.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} <ref name=Motor1954/> |height ={{convert|49|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} <ref name=Motor1954/> |transmission =4-speed [[manual transmission|manual]] (With overdrive available) |related =[[AC Aceca]]<br>[[AC Greyhound]]<br>[[AC Cobra]] |successor =[[AC Cobra]] |designer =[[John Tojeiro]] }} The '''AC Ace''' is a sports car produced by [[AC Cars]] of [[Thames Ditton]], [[England]], from 1953 until 1963. About 220 AC Aces and 466 Ace-Bristol cars were produced during its 10 year run.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Covello |first=Mike |url=http://archive.org/details/standardcatalogo0000cove |title=Standard catalog of imported cars 1946-2002 |date=2002 |location =Iola, WI |publisher= Krause Publications |via=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-87341-605-4}}</ref> ==History== AC came back to the market after the [[Second World War]] with the [[AC 2-Litre|2-Litre]] range of cars in 1947, but it was with the Ace sports car of 1953 that the company really made its reputation in the post war years. Casting around for a replacement for the ageing 2-Litre, AC took up a design by [[John Tojeiro]] that used a light, ladder-type tubular frame, all independent transverse leaf spring suspension, and an open two-seater alloy body made using [[English wheel]]ing machines, possibly inspired by the [[Ferrari 166 S|Ferrari 166 MM barchetta]].<ref name=Motor1954/><ref name=DavisJr>{{cite magazine |author-last=Davis Jr. |author-first=David E. |date=March 2002 |title=Ferrari's Dreamboat |url=https://paulrussell.com/articles/FerrarisDreamboat+BoatBuilder.pdf |magazine=Automobile Magazine }}</ref> Early cars used AC's elderly {{convert|100|bhp|kW|0|abbr=on}} two-litre [[overhead cam]] [[straight-six engine]] (first seen soon after the end of the First World War), which, according to a 1954 road test by ''Motor'' magazine, gave a top speed of {{Convert|103|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|0|-|60|mph|km/h|-1|abbr=on}} in 11.4 seconds and a fuel consumption of {{convert|25.2|mpgimp|L/100 km mpgus}}.<ref name=Motor1954>{{cite journal |title = The AC Ace| journal =[[The Motor (magazine)|The Motor]]| date = 1 December 1954}}</ref> It was hardly a sporting engine however, and it was felt that something more modern and powerful was required to put the modern chassis to good use. Joining the Ace in 1954 was the [[AC Aceca|Aceca]] hard top coupé, which had an early form of hatchback rear door but used the same basic timber framed alloy body. From 1956, there was the option of [[Bristol Cars]]' two-litre {{convert|120|bhp|kW|0|abbr=on}} straight-six with 3 downdraught carburettors and slick four-speed [[Manual transmission|gearbox]]. Top speed leapt to {{convert|116|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} with {{convert|0|-|60|mph|km/h|-1|abbr=on}} in the nine second bracket. Overdrive was available from 1956 and front disc brakes were an option from 1957, although they were later standardised. [[File:1962 AC Ace 2.6 Ruddspeed front.jpg|thumb|left|1962 2.6-litre Ruddspeed-engined Ace]] In 1961 a new 2.6-litre ({{convert|2553|cc|cid|abbr=on}}) straight-six 'Ruddspeed' option was available, adapted by Ken Rudd from the unit used in the [[Ford Zephyr]]. It used three [[Weber carburetor|Weber]] or [[SU carburetor|SU]] carburettors and either a '[[Raymond Mays|Mays]]' or an iron cast head. This setup boosted the car's performance further, with some versions tuned to {{convert|170|bhp|kW|0|abbr=on}}, providing a top speed of {{Convert|130|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|0|-|60|mph|km/h|-1|abbr=on}} in 8.1 seconds.<ref>{{cite web|title=AC Ace 2.6|url=http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/47/|work=Motorbase|access-date=5 July 2012}}</ref> However, it was not long before [[Carroll Shelby]] drew AC's attention to the Cobra, so only 37 of the 2.6 models were made.<ref>{{cite web|title=Model specs: 1961-1963 AC Ace RS 2.6 |url=http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/front_website/octane_interact/carspecs.php/?see=3206 |work=Octane |access-date=5 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708202318/http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/front_website/octane_interact/carspecs.php/?see=3206 |archive-date=8 July 2012 }}</ref> These Ford engined models had a smaller grille which was carried over to the Cobra. For the Ace as well as the Aceca, AC used chassis numbers beginning with '''AE''' for AC-engined cars, '''BE''' for Bristol-engined ones, and '''RS''' for those equipped with the Ford unit. An "'''X'''" following the first two letters indicated an export model.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.w2ec.com/Ace50s.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110202013648/http://www.w2ec.com/Ace50s.html | archive-date = 2011-02-02 | title = Ace (1953-1962) | work = The AC Home Page | first = Paul R. | last = Vasek }}</ref> With the engine set well back in the chassis, the Ace handled well and was successful in competition. ==Motorsport== The car raced at [[Le Mans 24 Hours|Le Mans]] in 1957 and 1958. In the [[1959 24 Hours of Le Mans]], Ted Whiteaway and John Turner drove their AC Ace Bristol, registration 650BPK, to the finish, claiming top honours for the 2,000cc GT class and seventh overall behind six 3 litre cars. Few cars with this provenance have survived and are extremely valuable. They can range from $100,000 or more for an unrestored car, even one in pieces, to in excess of $400,000 for a restored AC Ace. ==AC Cobra== {{main|AC Cobra}} When Bristol ceased building their 6-cylinder engine in 1961, AC's owner, Charles Hurlock, was approached by Carroll Shelby to use a [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] [[V8 engine|V8]] in the Ace chassis, producing the [[AC Cobra]] in 1962. Production of the Ace ended the same year. The AC Cobra came in small block and later big block configurations. It was Ford's 289 that powered the winning car in the GT class at [[1964 24 Hours of Le Mans|Le Mans]] in June 1964.{{citation needed|date=October 2011}} At the time, the AC Cobra 427 was the fastest "production" car in the world.{{citation needed|date=October 2011}} ==AC Automotive== AC Automotive, based in Straubenhardt, Germany, built AC cars under the original name from 2010 to mid-2023. Cars were sold in Germany, France and England, with sales in Luxembourg, Holland, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, and Belgium slated for the future. Pricing for the standard ACGT model starts at £104,400 before options. The AC Automotive company went into [[liquidation]] on July 24, 2023.<ref>(Source: [https://www.northdata.com/AC+Automotive+GmbH,+Straubenhardt/Amtsgericht+Mannheim+HRB+711850 North Data])</ref> ==Replicas== As with the Cobra, some AC Ace replicas have been made, such as the Hawk Ace, but are much rarer. ==External reference== {{commons category}} *[http://www.hawkcars.co.uk/company/index.html AC Ace replica] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120129183946/http://www.ac-automotive.com/options-prices.html Prices and Options ENGLAND without VAT] (archived from ''www.ac-automotive.com'') ==References== {{reflist}} {{AC vehicles}} [[Category:Sports cars]] [[Category:AC vehicles|Ace]] [[Category:Cars introduced in 1953]] [[Category:1960s cars]] [[Category:24 Hours of Le Mans race cars]]
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