AC Goes Racing
Two Aces for Classic Le Mans
Britain's oldest car brand is going back to the racetrack. AC Racing is the name for AC's new factory-supported official racing venture. One of the first fruits of AC's decision to return to the track is active support for Brooklands Motor Company, a restoration business, which plans to campaign three AC models steeped in heritage in racing events this year.
The company is entering two AC Ace cars at the Le Mans Classic event at the French circuit in July. The cars - both exactly 50 years old this year - will battle for honours against a range of illustrious machinery on the world famous circuit. One of the two Aces is the original factory prototype used by the legendary Ken Rudd, AC's chief engineer at the time, to validate the lightweight Ace.
The Ace went on in the Sixties to form the basis of the famous AC Cobra when Texan racer Carroll Shelby shoehorned a Ford V8 into the little English sportscar to give the world its first - and arguably still best - supercar.
The third Brooklands race car is a 1998 AC 427SC, built by AC and raced since new by Brooklands' owner Steve Gray. "I'm delighted that AC is once again getting involved with racing and, in the process, supporting some of the genuine vehicles which have played such an important role in its developments", says Steve. "I'm really pleased by the progress AC has made in recent months and wish it every future success".
Earlier this year AC Motor Holdings Limited announced a strategic alliance with Shelby Automobiles of Las Vegas, bringing together once more two of the most famous names in motoring and motorsport. The company is building handcrafted aluminium bodyshells in its factory in Frimley, Surrey, for completion by Shelby in the US and sale there as Shelby AC Cobras.
It is also in the process of commissioning a plant in Malta to produce composite bodied AC models for sale in Europe and North America. The model line up will include a composite version of the 1950's AC Ace, inheriting all of the attributes of the cars being race-prepared by Brooklands Motor Company.
"Racing is at the heart of the undimmed appeal of the AC brand", says AC's Chairman Alan Lubinsky. "So its entirely appropriate that we should launch AC Racing to support the owners of new and old ACs alike - since competing our cars is so much part of the AC ownership experience. It is made more special by the fact that the AC Ace is fifty years old."
Mr Lubinsky went on to confirm that the Chairman of AC Racing will be Michael Hall. Mr Hall who has been a shareholder of AC for a number of years, was with The Coca-Cola Company for many years, reaching the position of President of Coca-Cola Japan.
I know a little bit about that car, through my connections to Gerry Hawkridge, who has done a kit replica of that particular car (and bits for originals).
Seen it at Goodwood Revival on a number of occasions, along with a whole range of it's stablemates.
Nice to see the cars being used, even though it has resulted in the occasional bit of rework required.
All the best,
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