AC Cars has revived the Ace, the precursor to the V8-powered Cobra roadster.
The new model is visually inspired by the original Ace of 1953 but underpinned by all-new mechanicals.
It's based on a new steel tubular frame chassis shod with carbonfibre bodywork, which the company will manufacture itself in the UK.
That helps to contribute to a kerb weight of 1100kg – not far off the 989kg of the Ace road tested by Autocar in November 1958.
Whereas the original Ace was powered by a range of naturally aspirated straight sixes (first a 2.0-litre unit of AC’s design, then a Bristol 2.0 and finally a modified Ford Zephyr 2.6), the new car uses the turbocharged four-cylinder 2.3 from the Ford Focus ST.
It’s fitted with a new exhaust, fuel injectors and engine management system, taking its power output from 276bhp in the hot Focus to more than 300bhp.
Mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, it enables the Ace to dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in a claimed 4.6sec. For reference, AC claims 3.4sec for the new Cobra GT Roadster.
Two versions of the reborn Ace will be offered: the Ace Classic, taking visual inspiration from the late Zephyr-engined Aces, made until 1963; and the Ace Bristol Classic, drawing on the earlier, Bristol-engined car.
Prices start at £175,000 and deliveries are scheduled to begin in summer 2025.
Every new Ace will be granted a chassis number “denoting it as a true AC” and reflecting its forebears, the Donington-based company said.
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Since when was the Ford Focus ST fitted with a 5.7 litre engine? That's what FJ74 ACO is listed on the DVLA records as!
And the Ace-Bristol, YGN 607, is an original Thames Ditton car from 1960, not the new 'Ace Bristol Classic' as noted above!
Charlie Martin, you need to do some 'due diligence' as this article has more holes than a colander!
@289No you are incorrect. This is the right body for a late model AC Ace with the Ford 2.6 engine. When the 289 Cobra was built it used the Ace bodywork from the 2.6. It was the same. But I agree that a 4 cylinder engine is a huge mistake because of the dull four-cylinder blare sound which won't suit the car.
Sorry, HiPo, but you are incorrect in your correction of 289! The body of the Ace 2.6 was nothing like the first Cobras, and was certainly nothing like this! It did not have flared wheel arches, it did not have sidevents, and it did not have the ugliest hood scoop known to man! The only feature common to the 'Ruddspeed Ace & Cobra (260, not 289 to start with) was the shape of the nose! Also, there is a bit of false advertising going on here as the Ace on the left is an original Ace-Bristol, and the 'Ace Classic' in the renderings above show it with flared arches!
AC have totally lost the plot, and haven't made a truly desirable car since the Superblower/CRS over 20 years ago!
Err No, I am not incorrect (as Nikbj68 has pointed out).
The first Cobras (260's) didnt even have side vents for example, and no Aces, including the 2.6 had flared wheelarches or bonnet scoop.