AC - AC Ace
John Tojeiro was commissioned to build a spots car by car dealer and racer driver Cliff Davies, using the 2 litre Bristol engine, based on Tojeiros earlier MG engined car. The design was a twin tubed ladder chassis frame with transverse springs and wishbones at either end, giving independent suspension all round (much as the Fiat Topolino which John Cooper was also using). The bodywork of the car was based on a Ferrari Barchetta that was in England. The new Tojeiro was very successful throughout 1953, registered LOY500. Through contacts, AC decided it would be a good idea to make replicas of this sports car, but using their own AC 2 litre engine. The deal between AC and Tojeiro involved Tojeiro selling AC a couple of chassis to get things started, and then being paid an extra £5 royalty for every chassis AC built themselves thereafter to the Tojeiro design, up to a maximum of 100 cars. It didn't seem much, and put in context £5 was a weeks wages for a mechanic back then.
The new AC Ace sports car was available from 1953, with the Italian lines of the bodywork further Anglicised. From 1956 the Bristol 2 litre engine with 120hp was available as an option (these cars having a BE chassis prefix) which resulted in an improvement in performance but remember by now the Bristol engine had been around for a while, and the last time Bristol used the 2 litre in a car of their own was in 1958 (although Bristol continued building a variant 2.2 litre until 1961). But for 1961 the AC Ace ended up with a much larger capacity 6 cylinder Ford Zephyr engine (these AC Ace models having a RS chassis prefix), these engines also tuned by specialist Ruddspeed which produced a much healthier 170bhp that propelled these cars a 130mph top speed. Production of these Aces went into 1962.
AC Ace tyre size was 5.50x16, irrespective of engine (AC Ace, AC Bristol and Ford engined) and Blockley make the perfect 5.50x16 tyre for the AC Ace, far superior to anything else that could be fitted. You will not be disappointed! See full details of this tyre below:
