1957 AC Ace-Bristol
- Engine
- 1.97L inline-six, BMW 328-derived, ported and polished head with uprated internals, ~128 bhp
- Colour
- Dark blue metallic
One of only 466 Bristol-engined AC Aces built, chassis BEX 275 left the factory in March 1957 finished in Bright Blue Metaline and was exported to Virginia. After decades of single ownership, it passed to AC marque authority Jim Feldman before undergoing a meticulous full mechanical and cosmetic rebuild between 2016 and 2019. The engine was brought to 100 D2 specification with uprated internals, and the finished car has since earned concours awards and participated in several prominent road rallies.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$291,000
- 1957-03-19 →Factory deliveryAC Imports of Arlingtonpartial documentation
Virginia-based dealer that received the car as a new export from the factory, finished in Bright Blue Metaline over Blue trim.
- 1962 → 2000Acquisition unknownD.V. McKeelpartial documentation
Believed to have kept the car for roughly four decades, through to approximately the turn of the millennium, after which it was offered as a restoration project.
- → 2014-06-01Private saleJim Feldmanpartial documentation
Well-known marque specialist and AC Owners' Club US Registrar who acquired the car as a project and chose to maintain it in unrestored condition for roughly a decade before selling.
- 2014-06-01 →Private saleEast Coast-based consignorfull documentation
Commissioned a full cosmetic and mechanical rebuild carried out between 2016 and 2019 by JWF Restorations and Kevin Kay Restorations, documented with invoices and over 450 photographs.
Competition
- —Going To The Sun Rally
Road rally participation by the consignor following completion of the restoration.
- —Copperstate 1000
Road rally participation by the consignor following completion of the restoration.
- —Mountain Mille
Road rally participation by the consignor following completion of the restoration.
- —New England 1000
Road rally participation by the consignor following completion of the restoration.
- —Greenwich ConcoursConcours award winner
Award recognizing the quality of the completed restoration work.
- —Misselwood ConcoursConcours award winner
Award recognizing the quality of the completed restoration work.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2019RestorationJWF Restorations and Kevin Kay Restorations
Full mechanical and cosmetic rebuild carried out over several years, with bodywork refinished in dark blue and the interior retrimmed in terracotta. Engine brought to 100 D2 specification with ported and polished cylinder head, upgraded pistons, connecting rods, and a new crankshaft sourced from INRacing in Nottingham.
Work performed jointly by JWF Restorations of Portland, Oregon and Kevin Kay Restorations of Redding, California between 2016 and 2019; supported by accompanying invoices and more than 450 photographic records.
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