1958 AC Aceca Coupe

" - AC Heritage , Simon Taylor & Peter Burn. The success of Cliff Davis's Tojeiro sports racer prompted AC Cars to put the design into production in 1954 as the Ace. The Davis car's pretty Ferrari 166-inspired barchetta bodywork was retained, as was John Tojeiro's twin-tube ladder frame chassis and Cooper-influenced all-independent suspension, but the power unit was AC's own venerable, 2-liter, long-stroke six.

This single-overhead-camshaft engine originated in 1919 and with a modest 80bhp (later 100bhp) on tap, endowed the Ace with respectable, if not outstanding, performance. A hardtop version - the fastback-styled Aceca coupé - debuted at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1954. The Aceca's hatchback body was constructed in hand-formed aluminium over a tubular steel framework, while the tubular chassis was more substantially built than the Ace's.

To reduce noise levels within the cabin, AC mounted all major components on rubber bushes. The result was a well-engineered, light in weight and extremely pretty GT car in the best AC tradition. The Aceca is also notable as being, along with the Aston Martin DB2/4, one of the first hatchback designs.

Very few alterations were made to the Aceca during its production life apart from a change of engines and in total just 151 were produced with the AC six. An original right-hand drive car, 'AE 650' left the Thames Ditton factory on April 23, 1958 in Bright Blue with beige upholstery, as confirmed by AC factory records. Formerly registered as '10FPG' in the UK, a copy of the old DVLA registration document in the name of David Still of Chichester lists Henry Moon of Bedford as the previous keeper.

In 1986 the car was offered at auction and subsequently advertised by well-known classic car dealer Nigel Dawes later that year. The Aceca then made its way across the Atlantic and underwent a comprehensive rebuild in recent years for the Texas-based owner, with invoices and photos on file showing the car stripped back to bare metal. Presented today in striking red with tan upholstery accentuated with blue piping and matching blue carpets, Acecas are increasingly sought after as vintage tour cars and are prized for their combination of spirited performance and good looks.

Included in the sale is a copy of the original Ace & Aceca Instruction Manual.