1959 AC Ace & Aceca

This 1959 AC Ace is said to have been delivered new in February 1959 in London, where it was sold to its first owner before spending much of its life in the UK and later residing in a private Japanese museum for two decades. Power is provided by a 2.0-liter Bristol 100D2 inline-six that was installed in lieu of the car’s original AC engine under previous ownership and is paired with a four-speed manual transmission with overdrive. Finished in black, the car also features triple Solex carburetors, front disc brakes, 16” wire wheels, a black soft top, and red leather interior upholstery. The car was purchased by the selling dealer in May 2024 and listed on BaT the following month. This AC Ace is now offered with transferable New York registration describing it as a 1957 model. The Ace’s ladder-style tubular steel chassis was a derivative of English engineer John Tojeiro’s design and carried a barchetta-style aluminum body over steel tube framework. After debuting at the 1953 London Motor Show, the model entered production the following year with propulsion from an AC inline-six, which was joined in 1956 by the option of a more-powerful Bristol engine. The Ace remained in production until Bristol’s discontinuation of its six-cylinder engine, after which the chassis design was carried on as the basis for the V8-powered AC Cobra. This example is said to have been originally finished in bright blue before receiving a color change to its current shade of black under previous ownership. Features include front and rear bumperettes, wind wings, AC Bristol badging, an external fuel filler cap, dual exhaust outlets, and a black convertible top. Silver-painted wire wheels are secured by two-eared knock-offs and are wrapped in 165/80R16 Avon TurboSteel tires showing 2005 and 2006 date codes. A matching spare is housed in the trunk. Stopping is handled by Girling disc brakes up front and finned drums at the rear. The right-hand-drive cockpit houses a pair of fixed-back bucket seats trimmed in pleated red leather with color-matched door pockets, dash trim, and rear bulkhead trim. Additional features include color-keyed carpeting, black lap belts, a dash-mounted rearview mirror, a lockable glovebox, and a passenger-side grab handle. The banjo-spoke steering wheel is trimmed in black leather and sits ahead of Smiths instrumentation including a 200-km/h speedometer with an inset clock and a 6k rpm tachometer, while gauges to the driver’s left monitor oil pressure, coolant temperature, fuel level, and amperage. The five-digit odometer shows 46k kilometers (~29k miles), approximately 25 of which have been added under current ownership. An evolution of Bristol’s version of the pre-war BMW M328 engine, the 1,971cc 100D2 inline-six was installed in place of the original AC powerplant under previous ownership. The aluminum cylinder head features hemispherical combustion chambers and two rows of inclined valves operated via pushrods driven by a single in-block camshaft, while induction is through triple Solex carburetors topped by Vokes air cleaners. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission with electric overdrive. Independent suspension incorporates transverse leaf springs and tubular shock absorbers at each end. The car does not have a title, as it is registered in a state that does not issue titles for a vehicle of its age. It is being sold on its registration, which is expired.