1957 AC Ace Bristol Le Mans Roadster by J.A. Ackley
Aug 1, 2023
Photography Courtesy Bonhams
Certainly, the AC Ace is a special car. However, this might be one of the most special examples among them. Noted tuner Ken Rudd turned this AC Ace into a race car and competed with it in the 1957 Le Mans 24 to finish second in class.
Rudd “modified or improved just about every element of the car” to compete at Le Mans, according to the seller. That included installing a race-prepped Bristol 100D2 engine, a Bristol gearbox, a low-ratio differential, a bigger fuel tank and front disc brakes, among many other changes. Rudd would field the car as AC’s factory entry.
After living much of its life on the racetrack, the Ace served as a daily driver. The current owner bought it in 1963 and commuted from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore to work on the Apollo program and other space and radar projects. The owner then relegated it to his basement in 1972. The Ace came out of the basement to undergo an extensive restoration between 2019 and 2021.
Find this 1957 AC Ace Bristol Le Mans Roadster up for auction at Bonhams, with an estimated winning bid of $750,000-$950,000.
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Price
$0
Color
AC Works Green
