1958 AC Ace Roadster Review and Buyer's Guide

This car sold for $49,500 at RM’s Monterey sale in August, 2002, and was then sold again for $49,820 at RM’s Novi, Michigan, sale November 5, 2002. No explanation was offered as to why the car reappeared on the block so quickly, but these things happen in the auction world.

It is said by some that appreciation of the original AC Aces is an acquired taste, like the appreciation of a single-malt scotch. Certainly, more enthusiasts prefer the Shelby Cobra than one of the AC-, Bristol-, or Zephyr-powered Ace roadsters that preceded the Cobra. But then, judging from TV ads, more people drink Budweiser than the smoky distillations of Scotland.

The AC Aces were marvelous cars. Though with an outward appearance not dissimilar to Austin-Healeys and MGAs, Aces actually had almost nothing in common with those burly road warriors beyond the steering wheel and signal assembly they shared with the Healeys. Healeys and MGAs were constructed around four-inch square frame rails, with solid steel superstructures and load-bearing panels. By contrast, AC Aces were built like sports racers, with delicate tubes carefully welded to form a minimal chassis around which lightweight aluminum was hand-formed into graceful curves that somehow suggested high-speed performance.

Also, by contrast, the Aces gained their superb road-holding ability with transverse leaf springs at front and rear fastened at their center and supporting independently mounted wheels at their ends. Healeys and MGAs, on the other hand, used huge coil springs at the front and a solid-axle cart-spring rear suspension to keep their wheels on the road.

There were, of course, some limitations. The six-cylinder AC engine was almost 30 years old when the Ace was introduced. With three SU carburetors, it produced 85 bhp in the early cars, though judicious changes in cam and tuning added 30 more horses by 1963. No wonder that Ken Rudd and other racers instead chose the Bristol, and later the Ford Zephyr, engines for competitive versions.

Nonetheless, lighter and more responsive, even the AC-engined cars could outperform most other sports cars. Unfortunately, they also cost much more. By the time Carroll Shelby decided to drop a Ford V8 into the capacious engine compartment, the company was desperate enough to accept his offer and the English-engined ACs were rendered obsolete.

The sale of an unmolested and unrestored AC Ace is quite unusual. With only 223 ever produced and many of those lost to club-racing accidents or ill-fated Ford conversions, there aren’t many original roadsters left. Of those few, most have already benefited from full-bore restorations. The fortunate buyer of this car has found a piece of history and might simply check the seals, replace the brake shoes, renew the fluids and drive it for a few years in its original state while deciding when, if ever, a full restoration is appropriate.

This car was well bought. At the low end of the SCM Price Guide, there’s lots of room for cosmetic and safety upgrades without financial risk. Had he been in the audience when the gavel fell, this writer would have had his paddle up and been mentally clearing a space in his garage.—Gary Anderson