The AC Aceca may look somewhat familiar to many of us. The reason is that the automaker's AC roadster served as the transplant car for the original Shelby Cobras. In the early 60s, Carroll Shelby approached the British automaker with the proposition to swap in a Ford V8. And the rest is history. But the Aceca was a closed coupe that was based off the two-seater built by AC Cars from 1954 until 1963. The Aceca debuted at the 1954 London Motor Show and was available with a variety of six cylinder engines during its life.
However, the hand-built Aceca grand tourer pressed on despite the popularity of its open-top counterpart. It had ash wood and steel tubing used in its construction and was easily recognizable for its hatchback feature, which it only shared with the 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 at the time. It also had an aluminum engine block and aluminum body panels along with near 50/50 weight distribution. Originally available with a straight-six 90hp AC engine, it could also be had with the similar Aceca-Bristol straight-six with 125hp. Both engines were mated to a four-speed manual. It also had an independent suspension at the front and rear using transverse leaf springs.
From 1961 to 63, a few Aceca's, dubbed the 2.6, were built with a Ford Zephyr engine. This 1958 AC Aceca was just sold on eBay Motors for $35,121 and is considered to be a project car in the truest sense. According to the seller, chassis number BE639's original engine was replaced with the period-correct Zephyr by an earlier owner. It was brought to the U.S. in 1978 and was changed from right hand to left hand drive and repainted red from its original yellow. As of now, the car does not run and the body suffers from a few dents, chipping and cracks, paint bubbling and fading.
Fortunately, everything is in place for it to be up and racing once again. The engine last ran in the early 90s and the car is also equipped with a roll bar. The seats also need to be redone and the seller included a new front and rear windshield as well. The interior wood frames are in solid condition and the floor boards are new. Also included were many parts (original, used, and new) that can be used in the restoration. Whoever won the bidding has an interesting project to work on, but the final result will be well worth it. Photos courtesy of 1323nirmal