AC Ace RETURNS with 300bhp Ford Focus ST power – but it’s not cheap

AC Cars Classics division reveals a new AC Ace that looks much like the original but with a new powertrain and underpinnings.

Ask almost anyone what they know about AC Cars and the answer will almost certainly be the AC Cobra and nothing else. 

But the AC Cobra—recently recreated by AC—had an immediate predecessor in the AC Ace, and now AC has brought that back to life with a new AC Ace, looking much like the original but brought into the 21st century with new materials and a modern powertrain.

The original Ace – built from 1954 to 1964 – featured a trio of engines in succession from the original old-school AC engine followed by a 2.0-litre Bristol lump and finally a 2.6-litre from the Ford Zephyr.

AC is sticking with Ford power for the new AC too with a 300bhp take on the engine you find in the Ford Focus ST with a new exhaust, manual ‘box, new fuel injection and engine management, said to be enough for 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds.

The new Ace is built with a new steel tubular frame and covered in carbon fibre panels which conspire to keep its weight down to 1100kg, although that’s 100kg or so more than the original.

AC is offering both the Ace Classic and the Ace Bristol to reflect changes to the ACE through it’s 10-year life, and all models will be given a chassis number confirming its status as a ‘Real’ AC.

David Conza, CEO AC Cars, said:

The new AC Ace and Ace Bristol Classics prove that a classically styled car can have outstanding performance and handling. Returning to the themes of light and powerful, the work of AC Cars Classics in the engineering of these cars demonstrates our ability to delicately blend grace with modern ability.

When the AC Ace went on sale in 1954 it cost a bit over £1,400 (around £32k today), but AC is saying prices start at £175,000 – about the value of a better-than-average original AC Ace would cost you now.