AC ACECA FORD V8 260 1955

Lot 127
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Estimation :
160000 - 200000 EUR
AC ACECA FORD V8 260 1955
Original left hand drive Powerful Ford V8 4.3 l 21 000 € of invoices in 2019 French registration as historic vehicle Chassis number: AEX542 The competitive success of Cliff Davis’ Tojeiro Sport pushed AC Cars to put the model into production in 1954 under the name Ace. The bodywork of Davis’ car, very much inspired by the Ferrari 166 MM barchetta, was taken over, as well as the ladder chassis and Cooper-inspired independent suspension designed by John Tojeiro, but the engine remained the venerable 2-litre long-stroke six-cylinder AC engine. This overhead camshaft engine dated back to 1919 and with its modest 80hp (later 100hp) gave the AC respectable, if unspectacular, performance. Very few modifications were made to the Ace and Aceca apart from the engine change in 1956, when the more powerful 2.0-litre six-cylinder Bristol (up to 130 bhp) was available, or towards the end of production, when the 2.6-litre engine of the Ford Zephyr was also offered. The combination of a road-holding chassis and an interesting power-to-weight ratio - with the Bristol engine, the car reached 190 km/h - enabled the car to achieve many race successes, its best result being its seventh place overall and first in its class at Le Mans in 1959! According to AC in details by Rinsey Mills, AEX542 is one of the few Aceca delivered new to the United States on the 30 December 1955 by the importer Michell & Pauli. Originally Ford Opal Blue with a black leather interior, we know that it was stored after a collision in the early 1970s. Entirely dismantled and repaired with parts remanufactured by the Thames Ditton factory, its restoration was completed in 1976. However, it is only in 2012 in Arizona that it reappears in its current colour (Sterling Metallic Gray) with a Ford 260 V8 engine (4.3l). In terms of performance, the car easily accommodates this extra power, without distorting the car’s handling thanks to its similar dimensions and
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