The AC Ace and AC Bristol will hit the streets once again, this time with a Blue Oval-powered heart, thanks to the models’ 2.3L I4 Ford EcoBoost engines. AC Cars is a 123-year-old sports car builder established in 1901 by the Weller Brothers, specializing in ultralight body wrapped in classic styling.
AC Cars first joined competition 70 years ago, when the AC Ace took on the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1957 and 1958. The organization finally reached Victory Lane during the 1959 running of the event when the AC Ace Bristol scored the win in the two-liter GT Class and seventh overall, tailing six three-liter cars.
The AC Ace, meanwhile, found success in the world of U.S. sports car racing. The SCCA National Championships was the model’s proving ground, where it gained popularity among private owners and competitors. It cleaned house in the E Production class, winning three years in the 12 Hours of Sebring. The AC Ace was touted as being a track-ready sports car that was still completely street legal.
The AC Ace and AC Ace Bristol are being reintroduced by the AC Cars Classic division, and each boasts unique designs that “capture the halcyon days of roadsters,” according to the company. They feature an original-type chassis and carbon-fiber bodywork, along with a modern powertrain under the skin. They will be built in the U.K. before being delivered to the hands of their customers. The original Ace served as the basis for the Shelby Cobra, which famously stuffed a Ford 260 V8 into the chassis, albeit with significant modifications. Celebrities such as Herbie Hancock and Steve McQueen purchased Shelby Cobra coupes during its original run.
That modernized powertrain is propelled by the 2.3L Ford EcoBoost I4, boasting 375 Nm (267 horsepower) and 300 brake horsepower (roughly 304 horsepower). Power is routed via the six-speed manual transmission. The whole ensemble rolls on a three-inch tubular frame chassis, with 15-inch wire wheels and tires. Each roadster is able to gallop from zero to 62 mph in approximately 4.6 seconds. The engine is likely a modified version of the unit found in the Ford Focus ST.
The order books are now open, and interested parties should expect to shell out £175,000 (approximately $228,568 USD) for the AC Ace. It’s worth noting that AC Cars has sourced massive Blue Oval power in the past for the AC Cobra GT roadster and its counterpart, the Ford 5.0L V8-powered AC Cobra GT coupe.
Comment
Very coool, but at those prices, it will be interesting to know the number of sales.