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LOT 246

1960 AC Aceca Coupé Registration no. 2331 PX Chassis no. BE785

Sold for £80,500 inc. premium
Lot 246

1960 AC Aceca Coupé
Registration no. 2331 PX Chassis no. BE785

1960 AC Aceca Coupé
Registration no. 2331 PX
Chassis no. BE785

*Desirable Bristol-engined model
*Present enthusiast ownership since 2000
*An older restoration
*Exceptionally well maintained

Footnotes

The success of independent racing car builder Cliff Davis' Tojeiro sports-racer prompted AC Cars to put the design into production in 1954 as the Ace. The Davis car's pretty Ferrari 166-inspired barchetta bodywork was retained, as was John Tojeiro's twin-tube ladder frame chassis and Cooper-influenced all-independent suspension, while the power unit was AC's own venerable, 2.0-litre, long-stroke six. Designed by AC's founder John Weller, this overhead-camshaft engine originated in 1919, and with a modest 80bhp (later 100bhp) on tap, endowed the Ace with respectable, if not outstanding, performance. A hardtop version - the fastback-styled Aceca coupé - debuted at the Earls Court Motor Show in October 1954, its name – like that of the Ace itself – recalling that of a previous AC model of the 1930s.

Extremely shapely and attractive, the Aceca's two-seater hatchback body was constructed in hand-formed aluminium over a tubular steel framework, while the tubular chassis was more substantially built than the Ace's. To reduce noise levels within the cabin, AC mounted all major components on rubber bushes. Unlike the flat windscreen of the open Ace, that of the Aceca was curved to blend into the cabin, while the luggage space behind the seats was accessible either from within the cockpit or via the large hinged rear window panel. The result was a well-engineered, light in weight, and extremely pretty GT car in the best AC tradition.

Very few alterations were made to the Ace and Aceca apart from a change of engine for 1956 when the more powerful (up to 130bhp) 2.0-litre Bristol six-cylinder engine became available, while towards the end of production the 2.6-litre Ford Zephyr engine was on offer also.

The combination of a fine-handling chassis and a decent power-to-weight ratio - in Bristol-engined form the car could touch 120mph - helped the Ace to numerous successes in production sports car racing, arguably its finest achievement being a 1st-in-class and 7th overall finish at Le Mans in 1959.

Originally finished in blue and first registered on 25th March 1960, this Aceca left the factory fitted with Bristol engine number '100 D2 1023' but less than a month later had been fitted with engine number '100 D2 1059', as currently installed (see original logbook). Nothing is on file explaining why the engine number differs; presumably it was either incorrectly listed when the car was first registered, or failed within a month of its life and was replaced by the factory. It is interesting to note that engine no. '1059' is correctly stamped on the chassis plate.

The AC was first owned by a Mr Price of Hove, East Sussex, who kept it for a year before selling the car to a Mr Hodge, its owner until 1967. The present owner acquired the Aceca in June 2000 from AC enthusiast, Alistair Hacking. Since then, the present owner has actively used the car on AC Owner's Club and other organised events. Set-up for fast road use, the Aceca was formerly registered with FIVA (Class X/3) and FIA Historic (Class GT6) papers. The FIVA papers state the car was fully rebuilt in 1978-1980 with suspension and brakes rebuilt in 2000 and the engine/transmission in 2001 incorporating an overdrive unit (an original factory option). An electric fuel pump replaces the mechanical original.

The car comes with two box files containing the aforementioned paperwork and much besides, including: a continuation logbook; owner's handbook; manufacturer's publicity material and other literature; magazines and ACOC literature; research notes; and numerous invoices for work carried out by notable respected specialists such as Spencer Lane-Jones and TT Workshops. The most recent comprehensive service was carried out by SL-J in June 2021. A photographic record of the bare metal re-spray is on file also, as is the purchase invoice when the present owner acquired the car.

This Aceca appears to have been exceptionally well maintained and wants for nothing. Sensibly and attractively priced as a house move and resultant downsizing means it is time to pass the car to a new home.

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