AC Ace History

The Ace, launched at Earls Court in 1953, was built on a tubular steel ladder chassis derived from a design by engineer John Tojeiro, with all-round independent suspension and a graceful hand-beaten aluminium body. It was first powered by AC's own Weller six (approximately 100 bhp, ~103 mph top speed), then offered from 1956 with the much stronger Bristol 2.0-litre six (120 bhp, ~116 mph), which became the most popular option with approximately 466 built. Late in production a tuned 2.6-litre Ford Zephyr unit producing up to 170 bhp was offered; only 37 Ace 2.6s were made.

The Ace earned genuine competition prestige — class wins and high overall finishes at Le Mans in the late 1950s — and roughly 689 cars were built in total across the three engine variants, making it a small but significant piece of British sports-car history.

Its lasting importance is what it became. In September 1961 American racing driver Carroll Shelby contacted AC's Charles Hurlock, proposing to fit a Ford V8 into the Ace's light chassis. The first prototype — chassis CSX2000 — was completed at Thames Ditton in January 1962. It was the first AC Cobra, and it transformed the company's history.