Description
Based on the two-seat AC Ace Cabriolet, the Aceca was a hand-built GT, in the British tradition, constructed with tubular steel and beech wood. A notable feature of the car is the rear hatch, which makes it the second car to be equipped with this element after the 1953 Aston Martin DB2/ 4. In total, 151 Acecas, 169 Aceca-Bristols and 8 models equipped with a Ford engine were produced until 1963. The main difference between the Aceca and the Aceca-Bristol lies in the engine fitment; in both cases an inline six. The Aceca’s engine was taken from the AC Ace, a 1, 991 cm3 home-built unit with a cross‑flow head delivering 90 bhp, while the Aceca-Bristol was fitted with Bristol Cars blocks, the “D‑Type” 2. 0L (1, 971 cm3 and 125 bhp) or the “B‑Type” (105 bhp). Compared with the base specification (priced at £1, 722 in Britain and $5, 400 in the United States), the Bristol specification carried a $1, 000 premium. The styling of the Ace and Aceca’s front end would trace back to a drawing by Pinin Farina for AC at the end of the 1940s. The car is fairly light thanks to a tubular chassis, an aluminium engine block and aluminium body panels. Large 16‑inch wire wheels and a near‑50/ 50 weight distribution allow exceptional handling on mediocre road surfaces. Later Acecas are equipped with front disc brakes (added in 1957), while all feature IRS with transverse leaf springs, pivoting rear half‑axles, worm and nut steering, optional overdrive on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears, a curved windscreen and leather‑trimmed bucket seats. The suspension is independent at the front and rear thanks to transverse leaf springs. This 1955 AC Aceca is one of 328 examples built between 1954 and 1963 and would have been registered in the United Kingdom before spending much of its life in Australia. Chassis AE547 was originally fitted with an AC engine, which was replaced in the 1980s, under the ownership of Bristol specialist Geoff Dowdle, by a 2. 0‑litre Bristol 100B2 inline‑six that was rebuilt to D2 specifications. The car then spent 26 years under the stewardship of a New South Wales owner from whom it was bought in a partially restored state by the seller in 2011. The project was completed with a new red repaint and a grey leather interior re‑organisation. Optional equipment includes three Solex carburettors, a Bristol four‑speed manual transmission with an unsynchronised first gear and an overdrive, front disc brakes, independent suspension with transverse leaf springs, and 16‑inch painted wire wheels with a matching spare housed in the boot. This Aceca is today offered with various documents and notes from the previous owner, owner’s manuals and a toolkit. The body of this example was not painted when it was purchased by the seller and was later finished in red. Features include tubular front and rear bumpers with rubbers, a forward‑hinged bonnet with rear slats, rear fins, an external fuel filler cap, a tall‑mounted driver's door mirror and a roof‑mounted antenna. The wheels are fitted with Michelin X 5. 50R16 tyres, plus a matching spare in the boot. Front discs were installed replacing the original drums, while the drums are retained at the rear. The right‑hand‑drive cockpit was rearranged during the renovation work carried out by the current owner and features fixed‑back bucket seats trimmed in grey leather with black piping. A wear area is visible on the piping at the outer edge of the driver’s seat. Other features include colour‑matched door panels, black carpet, wood door caps, front and rear quarter light windows, a lockable glovebox with a wood door, black inertia reel seat belts and AC‑branded pedals. The banjo‑style steering wheel sits in front of a wood‑trimmed binnacle housing Smiths instruments, including a 220 km/ h speedometer, a 6, 000 rpm tachometer and a coolant temperature gauge. The five‑figure odometer reads 8, 000 kilometres (~5, 000 miles), of which around 3, 000 have been added by the current owner. The true mileage is unknown. The gauges to the left of the driver monitor fuel level, amperage and oil pressure. An evolution of the Bristol version of the BMW M328 engine...
