ONE of the most iconic models in the history of the great British sports car is being relaunched after an absence of more than 60 years.
AC Cars is reintroducing the AC Ace and AC Ace Bristol, two of the all-time great sports cars which were first launched in 1953 and only produced for ten years during which less than 700 were built.
Now the company's newly formed AC Cars Classics division is bringing the legendary models back with prices starting from £175,000 - a price which many sports car enthusiasts will consider something of a bargain.
Originally famed for its lightweight engineering and competition pace, as well as it traditional looks, the AC Ace was hugely respected around the world as a quintessential British roadster.
The new AC Ace Classics feature unique designs which capture the halcyon days of roadsters, but are being built using cutting edge construction techniques with carbon-fibre bodywork and a modern powertrain.
Under the bonnets of the new AC Ace Classics there's a Ford EcoBoost 2.3-litre power unit developing more than 300bhp and around 375Nm of torque with a six-speed manual gearbox. Acceleration from standstill to 60mph is achieved in around 4.5 seconds.
Each car will bear an official chassis number, denoting it as a true AC and as descendants of their respective historic models. The company is taking orders now and deliveries are expected to start next summer.