One to Buy: ex-Henry Black 1959 AC Ace Bristol
Two years after the first production-ready Ace had emerged from AC’s Thames Ditton factory, renowned engineer and amateur racing driver Ken Rudd debuted his Bristol-powered example at Goodwood in April 1956.
That weekend, Rudd swept the rest of the field aside to take a dominant win and, within a few months, AC had decided to make the Bristol engine available to customers for use in both the Ace Roadster and Aceca Coupe.
During the years that followed, Bristol-engined Aces and Acecas went on to score myriad high profile victories in races and rallies to include a quintet of back-to-back SCCA Productions Sports Car Championships and a brace of top ten finishes at the Le Mans 24 Hours to include a class win in 1959.
Because it offered the perfect blend of usability and performance, a good number of Bristol-engined Aces and Acecas saw some degree of competition action, just like chassis BEX1044 which is currently on offer at the Thiesen Automobile showroom in Hamburg.
Ordered by Henry Black of Wilmette, Illinois, with practically all the competition options that AC offered at the time, BEX1044 was imported to the USA via Black’s local distributor, Imperial Motors also of Wilmette. Henry Black went on to race the car in a number of local SCCA events up until 1963, it then passed to the first of several subsequent owners (all documented) before winding up in the renowned Shelby American Collection.
BEX1044 returned to Europe in 2021, since which time it has undergone a major service in preparation for its next custodian.
Reprinted below is Thiesen Automobile’s description:
Chassis no. BEX1044
Outstanding original
Factory car with racing features
Carefully partly restored
1 of just 466 built!
Ex Shelby American collection
Description:
Introduced in 1953, the AC Ace was the first British production sports car with independent suspension all round. It dominated numerous international sports car races in the years that followed. Its successes grew in particular after the in-house engine was supplemented by a Bristol engine from 1956, which had previously been installed in the BMW 328. In 1962, the AC Ace served as the basis for the legendary AC Cobra.
Only 466 examples of the AC Ace Bristol were built between 1956 and 1964.
According to available documents, this AC Ace Bristol was originally equipped with the racing options still available at the time, including: Racing windscreen, extra spring leaves, oil cooler, aero cover for water cooler, second ignition coil, etc.
The car was imported to the USA by Imperial Motors of Wilmette IL. Its first owner, H.A. Black of Wilmette, was a member of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). He drove the car until 1963 and its subsequent ownership history is fully documented. In the meantime, the car was part of the renowned Shelby American Collection in the USA.
The car arrived in Europe in 2021 and was sold to its current owner in Germany in 2023.
The vehicle was recently extensively serviced in specialist workshops and received a new exhaust system. In addition to the existing sidepipes, it was fitted with a new exhaust system for road use.
With the Bristol engine, the AC is particularly well motorised. Its rarity, but also its sporty and powerful appearance make this vehicle an entry ticket for high-class events.
