1958 AC ACE Bristol

-Vineyard Green with Black leather interior, Black carpeting, Black convertible top and weather equipment as well as an unrestored factory hard top, 4-Speed Manual, Original LHD and United States delivery, Recent mechanical restoration. One of ACs most prominent post-war sports cars, the athletic and sleek Ace was first presented in 1953 and was purportedly the most photographed car of the 1953 London Motor Show. The thoughtfully engineered and lightweight tubular chassis with four-wheel, independent suspension, and a spartan aluminum two-seat roadster body was an immediate hit. Initially powered by ACs 80 horsepower two-liter straight-six, Ken Rudd, owner of the tuning shop Ruddspeed of Worthing, UK, convinced the AC factory to install the significantly larger, more powerful 120 hp Bristol engine beginning in 1957. These new Bristol engines were easily tuned, producing more power for both the road and the track. The new Bristol-powered Aces ran successfully at Le Mans between 1957 and 1962, with a 2.0-liter class victory in 1959 at the hands of Ted Whiteaway and John Turner. Approximately 680 AC Aces and Ace Bristols were produced prior to being used as the platform for the famed Ford V8-powered Shelby Cobra, hence earning the AC Ace its well-deserved nickname of the Cobras older brother. This AC Bristol left the factory on 21 November 1957, delivered to Precision Autos of Houston, Texas. Original finished in ACs Bright Blue, with a light Beige interior, and a Blue top. Further history shows 1965-66 correspondence between AC Cars and early owner, Mr. E. Arthur McClish of Palo Alto, California. A 1980 registration card records Mr. Walter A Feldmann, Hillsborough, California as a subsequent owner. It is thought that the AC was later sold to Mr. David Maron, France and sent back across the Atlantic, reportedly in need of engine repair. Under Marons ownership, the original damaged engine, 100D 734 was replaced with 100D2 941. This engine which remains in this car to date. In 1989, well-known and respected collector and vintage racer Tom Mittler, Mishawaka, Indiana acquired this AC Bristol. It was returned to the United States, has remained an exceptional example, straight and proper throughout being one of only 463 Ace Bristol engine cars produced. During 2016, the car was sent to Abingdon West Ltd. Of Fallbrook, CA where it was subject to a thorough mechanical review. It received attention to its drivetrain and electrical components. A few years later in 2019, the car received a further restoration by Fast Cars Ltd. of Redondo Beach, CA, over the course of two months addressing all major systems of the vehicle. In total, approximately $50,000 was spent. In its most recently ownership, a well-known collector and collection from Southern, California, this Ace-Bristol is offered with a factory instruction handbook, records, documentation, tonneau cover, side curtains, convertible top, as well as its unrestored factory hardtop. It is turn-key and ready and eligible to be used on some of the worlds best motoring events.