1954 A.C. ace AE 01
The First Ace
Details & History
Chassis number 'AE 01', is the first Ace built by AC Cars.
An influential and widely imitated design, the AC Ace (and its Cobra derivative) could trace its origins back to a one-off sports-racer built by chassis engineer John Tojeiro for Cliff Davis in 1952. The success of Davis' Tojeiro sports-racer prompted AC Cars to acquire the rights to the design, which was put into production in 1954 as the Ace. The Davis car's pretty Ferrari 166-inspired barchetta bodywork was retained, as was Tojeiro's twin-tube ladder frame chassis and Cooper-influenced all-independent suspension, but the power unit was AC's own venerable, 2.0-litre, long-stroke six.
Designed by AC co-founder John Weller, this overhead-camshaft engine had originated in 1919. Nevertheless, in tuned form the Ace enjoyed great success in production sports car racing. Only 223 cars were delivered with the 2.0-litre AC engine compared with 463 Bristol-engined cars and a further 37 Ford-powered examples.
On loan from the Miller Family Automobile Foundation.
Race History
1956 Race Season
Track: Silverstone Circuit
Place: 5th
Driver: Bob Jennings