AC (England) 1908 to date
The original AC was the 5/6 hp Sociable with a passenger chair replacing
the box body. The single rear wheel was driven by a one cylinder
air-cooled engine with two-speed epicyclical gearbox in the hub
of the back wheel. These three-wheelers were made up until 1914.
In the previous year AC announced their four-wheeler, having an
1100cc Fivet engine with gearbox fashionably placed in the rear
axle. This reappeared after the First World War, though by this
time powered by a 1 1/2 litre Anzani engine; which remained in production
until 1927. At the 1919 Motor Show, AC displayed a 1991cc overhead
camshaft wet liner six- cylinder engine, though it did not go into
production until 1922. Nevertheless the engine was produced up until
1963, by which time output had been boosted threefold, from 35 to
103 bhp.
In 1921 S. F. Edge became chairman and governing director and his
influence was no doubt responsible for the company's active participation
in long-distance record work. Unfortunately all was not well with
the company's finances and it went into voluntary liquidation, no
cars being built between I929 and 1931.
In 1930, William and Charles Hurlock bought the company and production
restarted with the 2 litre six. The designs were intelligently updated,
the rear- mounted gearbox being replaced by a Moss box in unit with
the engine, while underslung chassis frames were introduced. These
good-looking sports cars attained some popularity in the 1930s,
the handsome coachwork originating from the company's Thames Ditton
factory.
After the Second World War an AC saloon appeared, though rather
surprisingly it retained a leaf sprung front suspension until it
ceased production in l957. Much more significant was the Ace of
1954, having an all independent tubular framed Tojeiro designed
chassis with the 2 litre six, then replaced by 2 and 2.2 litre Bristol
and 2.6 litre British Ford power units. In 1963, the car received
an American Ford 4.2 (and later 4.7) litre V8: it was the Cobra.
Then, the Cobra 427 was fitted with a 7 litre Ford engine. Later,
in 1966 a Ford V8 of 7016cc was fitted, this model was the 428,
with a bodywork by Frua.
1937 AC 16/70 4 seater Drop Head 2 door
1959 AC Bristol
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