Frequently Asked Questions about Classic AC

Who founded AC Cars and when?

AC grew out of the work of engineer John Weller and his backer John Portwine, a butcher, in West Norwood, south London. Sources date the start to 1900 or 1901. A 20 hp Weller car was shown at the Crystal Palace motor show in 1903 but did not go on sale, and the firm turned to a three-wheeled delivery vehicle instead. Its first four-wheeled car followed in 1913.

What does AC stand for in AC Cars?

AC is short for Auto-Carrier, the name of the three-wheeled delivery vehicle designed by John Weller that the company built in its early years. A passenger version called the Sociable followed, and the initials came into use as the marque name. The firm was trading as Auto Carriers Ltd when it moved to Thames Ditton in 1911, and it was renamed AC Cars Ltd in 1922.

Where were AC cars built?

AC cars were built at Thames Ditton in Surrey, England, for most of the company's history. The firm began in West Norwood, south London, and moved to the Thames Ditton works in 1911. The Ace, the Cobra and the chassis of the 428 all came from there. Production at Thames Ditton stopped in 1984, when the mid-engined 3000ME passed to a separate company, AC (Scotland).

What engine did AC cars use before the Cobra's Ford V8?

For decades AC relied on its own 2-liter, overhead-camshaft six-cylinder engine, designed by company co-founder John Weller. It originated in 1919, stayed in production until 1963 and powered the first Ace. A 2-liter AC driven by Victor Bruce won the 1926 Monte Carlo Rally, the first win there for a British car. From 1956 AC also offered a six-cylinder engine supplied by Bristol.

What was the AC Ace?

The AC Ace was a two-seat sports car introduced in 1953 and built until 1963, based on a twin-tube chassis design by John Tojeiro. It started with AC's own 2-liter six, gained the option of a Bristol six in 1956 and was offered with a 2.6-liter Ford Zephyr six from 1961. Sources count 36 or 37 Ford-powered cars. An Ace-Bristol finished seventh overall and first in class at Le Mans in 1959.

Did AC build the Shelby Cobra?

AC built the Cobra's chassis and body in England, and Carroll Shelby's operation in California fitted the Ford V8 to cars bound for America. The car was an AC Ace reworked at Shelby's prompting. The prototype, chassis CSX2000, was made at Thames Ditton and air-freighted to California without an engine in February 1962, where it received a Ford 260 V8. The first 75 cars used the 260, later ones the 289, and a 427 version followed.

What was the AC 428 Frua?

The AC 428 was a V8 grand tourer with a body by Pietro Frua of Turin, first shown at Earls Court in 1965. It used a Cobra chassis with the wheelbase stretched by six inches and a 7-liter Ford V8. Chassis were sent from Thames Ditton to Italy for bodywork, then returned to England for finishing. Most sources put production at 81 cars, though some count 80, and the last was built in 1973.

Who owned AC Cars over the years?

AC passed through several owners. By 1922 racing driver Selwyn Edge had taken charge from founders John Weller and John Portwine. After the company went into liquidation, brothers William and Charles Hurlock bought it in 1930, and their family kept control until selling its holdings in 1986. The AC name then went to Brian Angliss, whose Brooklands-based Autokraft built the Cobra Mk IV.