1959 AC Ace #29
Pilots: T. Whiteaway, J. Turner
Team: Rudd Racing Ltd.
Race: 7th overall (1st in GT 2.0 class) at Le Mans in 1959
Spark - S9493 (resin)
Published 05/28/25
The history of AC Cars began in 1903, with the Weller brothers of West Norwood, London. In the Crystal Palace motor show that year, the brothers displayed a 20 hp touring car, under the Weller name. However, they thought the car would be too expensive to produce, so they switched to a little delivery three-wheeler. The delivery vehicle was a hit, and they soon followed it with a passenger car. In 1911 their company was renamed to Auto Carriers Ltd, producing mainly the commercial 3-wheeler tricars. Their first four-wheeled car came out in 1913, the “AC Light Car”. Production stopped during WWI, yet with the war over regular operations resumed. By 1919 John Weller designed a new 1.5 l inline-6 engine, an engine that stayed in production until 1963. In 1921, with a management change, the brand entered motorsports. Moreover, the following year the company was renamed AC Cars Ltd.
After WWII, AC was doing pretty well, with all their cars using versions of their 1919 inline-6. Yet, that engine did not offer a “sportscar performance”. So, in 1953, designed by John Tojeiro, AC released the Ace. The Ace had a light ladder-style frame with independent leaf spring suspension, covered up by an alloy body. The body was a two-seater, some say inspired by Ferrari’s 166 MM barchetta. Though the Ace spyder looked sporty, AC’s regular engine was not good enough. Therefore, AC partnered with Bristol to produce a more powerful power plant. In essence it was the same 1919 original SOHC inline-6, though now beefed up to 1971 cm³. That could deliver up to 93 kW (125 hp), allowing a top speed of 187 km/h. With its 4-speed manual gearbox and weighing only 871 kg, the Ace was a good platform for racing.
And racing AC went. In 1957, at Le Mans, their Ace #31 finished in 10th place overall and first in the S 2000 class. The following year the factory team was back with two cars, and finished in 8th and 9th places. Despite the good results, for the 1959 24 Heures du Mans, AC did not participate. However, a duo of privateers, Ted Whiteaway and John Turner, enrolled their Ace in the race. AC Ace #29 (chassis #BE 214), with registration 650BPK, finished in seventh overall, and first in the S 2000 class. Highly impressive, since that year 53 cars started yet only 13 finished the race. So, a privateer that not only finishes Le Mans but also wins in his/her class? HIGHLY commendable.
As I said elsewhere, I’m a big fan of the Shelby Cobra. Since the Shelby Cobra is nothing else but a souped-up AC Ace, of course I needed an Ace in the W-143 Garage. Spark released other versions of the Le Man’s Aces ages ago, yet those are currently impossible to find. Consequently, when my dealer asked if I wanted to pre-order this AC Ace #29, I answered not yes but HELL YES! Being honest, however, though the model is a duesy, it’s rather plain looking. Looks a lot like many other British sportscars of the era, specially in British Racing Green. In fact, it reminds me of an Aston… Nonetheless, being the father (uncle?) of the Shelby Cobra, AND a gem of a model, for me it was a must buy.