Fantasy Junction

Description

1957 AC Aceca-Bristol
s/n BE603, Engine no. 100 D2 9907
Red with Red Interior

In 1953, AC Cars introduced their Ace roadster, which was followed shortly thereafter by a closed variant, the Aceca. Featuring the same lightweight chassis and handsome aluminum bodywork, the cars were powered by AC’s venerable 2.0 liter inline-6. The closed version featured a useful hatch type access to the generously sized luggage compartment, which made the car surprisingly practical. Thanks to their excellent roadholding and light weight, the cars were quite successful in competition. With only 328 examples of all types built, they are also quite rare.

This particular example has been restored and outfitted for event use, both on and off the race track, and has been extensively and reliably used in a variety of races and tours, including the Monterey Historics and the California Mille. The car left the factory on 19 March 1957 and was sold to a Jack Fernandez in Venezuela. The car returned to the United Kingdom in October of 1958, where it was registered VXW 26. The car remained in the United Kingdom for the next 35 years, and was restored in 1990. It was owned by Adrian Hall and participated in the Carrera Panamericana in 1991, and was also raced in historic events in the United Kingdom at venues like Silverstone until 1994 when it was purchased by American collector Bruce McCaw. Since 2000, the car has participated in the Copperstate 1000 (2000), the California Mille (2002), and extensive vintage racing in California including the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival, Monterey, HMSA, CSRG, and LSR events.

The car’s specification reflects its event preparation, and it is equipped with a non-matching Bristol D2 motor that makes approximately 145hp. The transmission is a 4-speed Bristol unit with overdrive. The car has a full complement of racing equipment including:
- A Traqmate racing telemetry system with integrated HD video
- Current racing belts (Hans compatible)
- Complete and current fire suppression system
- Current fuel cell
- Full roll cage
- Original front disc brakes
- Perspex windows throughout (except front screen)
- Flow through air cooling system for rallies
- 15 and 16 inch wire wheels with tires
- Low noise muffler and race muffler
- Electronic rev limiter and Stack tach system
- Complete triple Solex carb set up AND triple Weber set up
- Electric cooling fan
- Full racing log books
- All maintenance receipts, pictures and dyno reports
- Spare long range fuel tank
- New and improved/strengthened design rear uprights
- New multi-spline stub axles

The car has been fastidiously maintained in a no-expense spared fashion and has a thick binder of carefully organized invoices from the last twenty years. Since 2010, the car has been maintained by Virtuoso performance to include a full engine rebuild, carburetor rebuild, MSD ignition, rebuilt rear suspension, new clutch, and a cylinder head overhaul in December of 2014.

The car comes with FIA papers in addition to the invoices, as well as a workshop manual and a copy of the AC Bristol-Aceca Register entry for this car. It was also featured on a TV interview session at the Monterey Historic races with Jay Leno for his \"Jay Leno's Garage\" series in 2011.

The car displays very nice racer cosmetics, with a high quality paint job over straight body. The panels fit well, other than the rear deck lid, which is mounted a bit too far aft. Several vents have been added to improve ventilation. The paintwork is in very good condition overall, with some chips to the front end from use, as well as some cracks around the tow hook. The rest of the paintwork has only minor flaws. The lights and glass are very good, with full lights for event use and to permit street registration. The front windscreen has light wear from use, and the rear screen is lexan. The chrome is in good condition, with some pitting and scuffs but it remains presentable. The wheels are excellent.

The interior is purposeful with roll cage, leather-trimmed bucket seats, and no carpets. The leather seats have nice patina and a purposeful thick-rimmed Moto Lita steering wheel gives a stout but vintage appearance to the dash. The gauges are all Smiths items except for the tachometer and fuel gauge. The dashboard is trimmed in alcantara to eliminate glare. A plumbed in fire system and fuel cell are also present, which add further to the purposeful character of the interior.

The engine compartment is clean and well-prepared, showing plenty of evidence of recent maintenance and event preparation for vintage racing. Catch cans are in place, as is an optima battery, and various other functional updates. Triple Weber carburetors with high performance air filters sit atop the Bristol motor.

The car is extensively documented and comes with a sizable spares package that includes extra wheels, a nose piece, muffler, various engine parts, braking components, hardware, trim, throttle linkages, Solex carburetors, the original tachometer, and many other items.

This is a very rare opportunity to acquire a fully event-prepped AC Aceca. A rare car to begin with, it’s even rarer to find an Aceca prepared in this manner, and its owner believes it is the only one of its type in the United States. The car is fully sorted and widely even eligible for vintage racing and touring events including the Mille Miglia, California Mille, and other prestigious touring events. Its fixed head design makes it ideally suited to these events, and the car is massively documented.

The above vehicle information is complete and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time it is posted to this website. Corrections or additional information is always appreciated. All advertised prices exclude government fees and taxes, any finance charges, any dealer document preparation charge, and any emission testing charge. Vehicles are subject to prior sale. All advertised to be true but not guaranteed. We assume no liability for errors or omissions.

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Fantasy Junction  •  510-653-7555  •  1145 Park Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608