Here's YET another car I love...
A sexier Cobra, IMHO. The Bristol version is the fast one, and getting expensive, well into the $100K range for the last ones I saw. Nice history/write-up here of a car that has been sold: http://www.fantasyjunction.com/cars/738-AC%20Ace-Bristol-Inline%206-Cyl
The Ruddspeed Aces are the quick ones...up to 200hp. The Bristol isn't slow but I wouldn't call it fast. John Tojeiro...to give credit where credit is due...
37 Ruddspeed cars were built by AC between 1961 and 1963. Power was from the UK Zephyr 2.6L inline 6 with custom heads, intake and exhaust manifolds. Some info copied and pasted from a write-up on another website... "When Bristol announced that 1961 would see it cease making six-cylinder engines for its own or anybody else's cars, AC was left in a quandary. A hugely accomplished Ace exponent and the proprietor of competition preparation specialist 'Ruddspeed', Ken Rudd soon persuaded the Thames Ditton factory to adopt Ford's Zephyr MKII powerplant as a replacement. With its 'oversquare' dimensions (bore 82.55mm x stroke 79.5mm) and such design niceties as an individual water jacket per cylinder, the 2553cc unit proved durable, free revving and surprisingly potent. Notably shallower than its Bristol predecessor, the Ford engine allowed AC to re-craft the Ace's nose giving greater separation between the grille aperture and front wings (not to mention a reduced frontal area). Some chassis strengthening and repositioning of the steering box aside, the metamorphosis from Ace Bristol to Ace 2.6 had a commendably minimal effect on the two-seater's kerb weight. An acknowledgement of Ken Rudd's involvement, the Zephyr powered cars carried 'RS' prefixes to their chassis numbers and could be had in five levels of Ruddspeed tuning. By utilising such 'goodies' as a Raymond Mays twelve-port aluminium cylinder head and triple Weber carburettors, a 'Stage 5' converted Ace 2.6 reputedly developed 170bhp and 154lbft; outputs that at least one source claims were sufficient for 0-60mph in 6 seconds, a standing quarter mile time of 16.3 seconds and 135mph flat out. Only in production for thirty months or so (mid 1961 - late 1963), the 2.6 was the final development and rarest derivative of the iconic AC Ace. A mere thirty-seven Ace 2.6s were built of which twenty-five were to right-hand drive specification (including the prototype). The immediate success of the now legendary AC / Shelby Cobra (of which approximately 1,000 were made in all) resulted in the sudden demise of the Ken Rudd-inspired Ace 2.6 and thereby guaranteed its exclusivity. The Ace 2.6 came about, just as its progeny the Cobra did, via an eclectic mix of people and the cooperation of the AC factory. In the case of the Ace 2.6 the very talented key players were John Tojeiro, Alan Turner, Ken Rudd and the Hurlocks (plus input from the staff at AC Cars Ltd). "
100k? I wish! Try 2-300 if you're trying to find one with an original engine! The problem is that a lot of the cars in the 60's and 70's had their engines swapped....out of interest, does that TOTALLY devalue the car?
I'm pretty sure this is the Tojeiro that inspired the AC Ace, inspired by Ferrari Touring barchettas, and inspiring the later Cobra. http://www.flickr.com/photos/autoidiodyssey/6862227429/in/photostream
There were three original Tojeiro Sport cars built. Here is another... http://www.bankoboev.ru/images/MzM5Mzgw/Bankoboev.Ru_tojeiro_bristol_sports_racing_car_dom.jpg
A.C. Bristols, so I can't figure out why they would make that announcement when they had a lot of spare engines. Also the ref. quoted here says that they made the A.C. Zephyr 2.6 through 1963--wasn't there a helluva lot of demand for Cobras from Shelby at that time? I am surprised they would still be making six cylinder Zephyrs when they could sell every Cobra they could make? Also those prototypes that led to the original Ace, couldn't open the first picture but the green car must be some other Tojiero chassis. The two that led to the Ace looked like miniature Ferrari Barchetta spyders, one had license plate JOY500, the other LOY500. One of the owners of these Tojiero specials was hired by A.C. to shepherd their development of the A.C. Ace. Also interested in hearing if anybody's got an interview of the Hurlock family members, who owned A.C. to see what they thought of Shelby during the Cobra period?
