Makes › AC › Ace-Bristol · Rare specification · 1956–1962 Very Rare
AC
Ace-Bristol
Bristol 2-litre six-cylinder engined version of the AC Ace
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 466 Built
- Years
- 1956–1962
- Engine
- Inline six (Bristol D2), front-mounted · 1,971 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,971 cc
- Power
- 95.4 kW / 130 PSFactory: 128 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 187 km/hFactory: 116 mph · converted
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- John Tojeiro
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Ace-Bristol is the Ace fitted with the 1,971 cc Bristol six, an engine derived from the pre-war BMW 328 unit. It was a successful racer, and when Bristol stopped making the engine in 1961 AC's search for a replacement led to the Ford V8 and the Shelby Cobra.
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 Ace-Bristol (Wikimedia Commons: AC Ace Bristol)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
AC Ace-Bristol (Wikimedia Commons: AC Ace Bristol)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
AC Ace-Bristol (Wikimedia Commons: AC Ace Bristol)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
AC Ace-Bristol (Wikimedia Commons: AC Ace Bristol)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factory package productionAce-Bristols built 1956–1962 ('One of just 466 examples of the Ace-Bristol hand-built in England from 1956 to 1962'); Gooding also gives 466 | 4661 | 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
AC introduced the Ace at the London Motor Show in 1953, with a light tubular chassis and a hand-formed aluminium body designed by Tojeiro. The Bristol six became an option in 1956, giving 120 hp with three downdraft carburettors and later 128 hp in Stage II or D2 tune. Ace-based cars competed at Le Mans in 1957 and 1958 and in SCCA racing in the USA.
RM catalogues give differing build totals: 466 with the Bristol engine between 1956 and 1962 in one entry, and 463 or 686 between 1954 and 1963 in others.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Ace-Bristol.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Inline six (Bristol D2), front-mounted2 Independently researched |
| Cylinders | 62 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 1,971 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,971 cc2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | 9:1 (D2); 8.5:1 earlier3 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | Three downdraft Solex carburettors2 Independently researched |
| Power | 95.4 kW / 130 PSFactory: 128 hp · converted2,3 Independently researchedStage II/D2 figure; 125 bhp at 5,750 rpm initially (RM 2019), 120 hp (RM 2016). |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | 42 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Light tubular chassis2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Independent, transverse semi-elliptic leaf spring2 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Independent, transverse semi-elliptic leaf spring2 Independently researched |
| Brakes | Front disc (option), rear drum2 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 2,290 mmFactory: 90 in · converted2 Independently researched |
| 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 | 748 kgFactory: 1,650 lb · converted2 Independently researchedStated as "light weight of only 1,650 pounds". |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 187 km/hFactory: 116 mph · converted4 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| 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 Ace-Bristol has the Bristol D2 six with three downdraft Solex carburettors, a four-speed gearbox (overdrive optional), front disc brakes as an option, and 16-inch wire wheels. A curved windscreen was an option on the last cars. Chassis numbers carry a BEX prefix, for example BEX 1054 and BEX 1087.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1957 AC Ace-Bristol – RM Sotheby's Milan 2025 Level B
- 466 Ace-Bristols built 1956–1962 ('One of just 466 examples of the Ace-Bristol hand-built in England from 1956 to 1962'); Gooding also gives 466
-
2
1960 AC Ace-Bristol, Amelia Island 2016 Level C RM Sotheby's
- Bristol six-cylinder engine
- Bristol six-cylinder
- 1,971 cc D2 Bristol six-cylinder
- three downdraft Solex carburetors
- 128 horsepower in Stage II spec
- four-speed close-ratio Bristol manual transmission with overdrive
- light, tubular chassis under hand-formed aluminum body
- independent suspension with transverse semi-elliptic leaf springs
- front and rear independent suspension with transverse semi-elliptic leaf springs
- front-disc and rear-drum brakes
- Wheelbase: 90 in.
- light weight of only 1,650 pounds
-
3
1956 AC Ace-Bristol, Amelia Island 2019 Level C RM Sotheby's
- compression from 8.5:1 to 9:1
- 125 bhp at 5,750 rpm, 128 hp in D2
- 4
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