Makes › AC › 3000ME › 3000ME · Rare production Extremely Rare
AC
3000ME
Mid-engined Ford V6 AC coupé built in tiny numbers at Thames Ditton and later Scotland.
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 73 Built
- Years
- Not yet verified
- Engine
- mid-mounted transverse V6 · 3,000 cc / 3 LFactory: 3 L
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Peter Bohanna and Robin Stables (Diablo body design, carried over to the 3000ME)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The AC 3000ME was the production form of the Diablo mid-engined project shown in 1973. AC kept the Diablo body but built its own chassis, suspension and gearbox around a transverse Ford Essex V6, so the car is largely new under the skin. Type approval and tooling took about five years before production began.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
AC 3000ME (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
AC 3000ME (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Vauxford · CC BY-SA 4.0
AC 3000ME (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Kyle Gordon · CC BY-SA 3.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionmain-run production cars, chassis ME301R80000110 to ME301RE0000182 (excluding prototypes and two rolling chassis) | 731,2 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The 3000ME used a body that was virtually that of the 1973 Diablo show car on an entirely different, newly developed chassis; the five years of development meant first sales came only in 1979. Prototype cars were built in 1973-74 and broken up, so surviving cars begin at chassis ME 00104. A second source puts total sales at about 80 cars by 1986.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 3000ME.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine manufacturer | Ford3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Engine family | Ford Essex V63 Independently researched |
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | mid-mounted transverse V64 Independently researched |
| Cylinders | 64 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 3,000 cc / 3 LFactory: 3 L4 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | five-speed manual, AC-designed, chain-driven from engine4 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | 54 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | steel perimeter chassis4 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | all-wishbone, fabricated by AC4 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | all-wishbone, fabricated by AC4 Independently researchedThe source describes the all-wishbone suspension without separating front and rear. |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) body4 Independently researched |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| 0–60 mph | 8.5 s4Manufacturer claim as quoted by Motor Sport in 1983. |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
The registry lists two AC 3000 prototypes (ME101, ME102), seven ME 3000 prototypes (ME00100 to ME00108), the first production car ME00109L, a main run of 73 cars numbered ME301R80000110 to ME301RE0000182, and two rolling chassis supplied to AC Scotland.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
AC 3000ME chassis numbers and factory terminology Level B AC 3000ME register · 2023-04-08
- terminology used for all 73 units
-
2
AC 3000ME Chassis Numbers and Factory Terminology, ac3000me.com Level B
- 73 main-run production cars, chassis ME301R80000110 to ME301RE0000182 (excluding prototypes and two rolling chassis)
-
3
AC Cars history (Development and History, Production Run) Level D ac2litre.com
- AC kept faithful to Ford power
- utilised the V6 Ford Essex unit
-
4
Two AC 3000MEs Level C Motor Sport · 1983-12-01
- A Ford 3-litre V6 sits transversely in a steel perimeter chassis
- A Ford 3-litre V6 sits transversely
- Ford 3-litre V6
- AC's unique tailor-made five-speed gearbox ... driven by a triplex chain
- AC's unique tailor-made five-speed gearbox
- steel perimeter chassis of very neat design
- all wishbone suspension is fabricated by AC
- a GRP body of flawless quality
- AC claim 8.5s from 0-60 mph
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