AC Cars resumes production of Ace and Ace Bristol

AC Cars is working on a revival of the Ace, the sports car used by both AC and Shelby American in their respective Cobras, after giving the iconic Cobra a modern twist.

On Thursday, AC unveiled for the first time the design of the Modern Ace, which the 123-year-old company will offer in the form of the Ace and Ace Bristol.

The Modern Ace features a slimmer grille used on later versions of the original Ace and shared with the Cobra, while the Modern Ace Bristol features the larger grille used on earlier models of the original Ace.

The modern vehicle may resemble the original design, but the mechanicals have been improved to be more up-to-date. Both ride on a new 3.0-inch tubular steel frame chassis and are powered by a 2.3-liter turbo four sourced from Ford. The original was an inline 6-cylinder engine.

This turbo-4 has been used in several Fords, including the Mustang EcoBoost, making about 300 hp in the Ace and Ace Bristol, with drive sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. AC developed a new exhaust for this engine, and the car has a unique sound. The car is said to have a unique sound.

The turbo four, which weighs only about 2,425 pounds, will go from 0-62 mph in about 4.6 seconds, according to AC. A top speed has not been announced.

AC says it used original drawings and historic cars to shape the new body, which is made of carbon fiber. Instead of the somewhat flat original design, some subtle differences were added, including a more graceful rolling flanks. AC's modern version of the Cobra, known as the Cobra GT Roadster, was built larger than the original to comfortably accommodate taller drivers, but the dimensions were kept largely intact

.

The Hyundai Ace and Ace Bristol are still under development, but AC is confident that deliveries can begin by mid-2025. Reservations are open and AC expects them to start at 175,000 British pounds (about $228,500).

The company responsible for this development is AC Cars Classics, a new division that brings together AC's various classic car programs under one umbrella. AC Cars Classics will also be responsible for the production of the modern Ace and Ace Bristol at AC's factory in the UK AC Cars Classics will also be responsible for the production of the modern Ace and Ace Bristol at AC's plant in England.