AC Aceca Bristol

Please the link to the listing below for full information on this gorgeous AC Aceca.

http://www.premiumclassiccars.com/car...

The Aceca (A-see-ka) is a fixed head coupe from the British AC cars company. The marque originally had an AC engine, but the similar Bristol engine AC-Bristol was made available from 1956 to 1963. The main difference between the Aceca and the Aceca-Bristol is the engine. Both used a straight 6 unit, but the Aceca shared its 90bhp overhead cam shaft AC engine with the lighter AC Ace. More desirable Aceca-Bristol used 125 BHP engine; a 1971cc unit sourced from Bristol cars. The Aceca was a hand built grand tourer in the true British tradition with Ash wood and steel tubing used in construction. A notable feature was the hatch back at the rear making the Aceca only the second car after the ’53 Aston DB2/4 to include this element. The front end styling of both the Ace and the Aceca can be traced back to a design from Pinin Farina for AC in the late 40s. The car is light owing to a tubular frame and aluminium engine block and aluminium panels. Near 50/50 weight distribution on 16” wire wheels provides for exceptional handling, even on substandard road surfaces. Aceca’s share transverse leaf springs IRS, articulated rear half axles and worm gear steering. The suspension is independent at the front and rear using transverse leaf springs.

The inline 6 Bristol engine fitted to the Aceca Bristol was based on a design from BMW. It has a single cam shaft with push rods running to a rocker shaft on the inlet side of the engine and further horizontal push rods running in 6 tubes over the top of the engine in order to reach the exhaust rockers. The 2 inclined rocker covers give the engine a similar appearance to an overhead camshaft arrangement. 3 inline Solex downdraft carburettors were bolted directly to the cylinder head casting using small adapter plates.

The car offered for sale here has just successfully completed the 2017 Mille Miglia having been the subject of a ground up restoration. This work has been meticulously carried out during the last 12 months and results in a full photographic record included in the history file supporting documentation from a period earlier in the cars life. BE576 is a matching numbers car, finished in its correct Princess Blue and trimmed in lovely period correct blue hide with matching carpets.

In restoring the car to its present condition, an opportunity has been taken to strengthen parts of the tubular chassis (historically known to be weak) and also to modify the rear bulk head so as to accommodate a slightly taller driver (the Aceca is renowned for not offering a great deal of leg room). The restoration has not only included a bare metal re-spray and a complete re-trim but of course also a full rebuild of the drive train which has included full strip down and rebuild of both the gear box and the engine. Engine work has been carried out by Coltec in Suffolk renowned specialists and the resultant exhaust note is fabulous. The car has been completely re-wired and fitted with belts, a Monit trip meter and importantly a map reading light which I understand helped a little in the night stages of the mille Miglia.