Two Aces-Bristol at auction

[ANTOINE PRUNET]

Artcurial has two Aces-Bristol on his catalogue for the Rétromobile auction, Paris on 7 February 2014:
   BEX211 Estimate € 250,000-300,000
   BEX222 (converted to rhd). Estimate € 190,000-210,000

[AC Ace Bristol]

BEX222.
   
   
   The official ACOC Ace Bristol register has BEX222 having been cloned many years ago, Both owners were duly informed,  Could a club member or AC enthusiast please inspect BEX222 and ascertain the chassis number on the engine mount, the chassis plate, door and boot hinges.
   
   This would enable the registrar ( Tim Isles ) to conclude which Ace Bristol is the correct Car and which is the clone. .. []
   
   Thankfully only two or Three Aces are known to have been cloned. lets nip it in the bud and not go along the lines of the dozens of Cloned  Thames Ditton Cobras..[]
   
   Keith..[]

[Jim A]

Find these offerings here, "222" first.  That will be an impressive price for 211, if it happens.
   
   http://www.artcurial.com/en/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=2400+++++406+&refno=10467483
   http://www.artcurial.com/en/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=2400+++++416+&refno=10459067

[nikbj68]

quote:Originally posted by AC Ace Bristol: The official ACOC Ace Bristol register has BEX222 having been cloned many years ago

..And here from Keith`s archives are 2 photos and an advert which appears to be from November 1993 of one of the BEX 222`s, to compare to the BEX 222 coming up for auction:
   
   
   
   On the Isle of Man, as mentioned above:
   
   
   
   And again, the photo from the advert:
   
   
   
   And this is BEX222 from the Artcurial site:
   
   
   
   Interior:
   
   
   
   Chassis plate & Engine number:
   
   
   
   Odd that it`s a non-period chassis plate, and that the engine number quoted on it, and in the auction description(1038) is still listed as fitted to an Aceca, AND is different to that on the engine block (1039) which according to the Aceca Bristol register was fitted to BE751 until 1985.

[French Frie]

Hi Keith,
   
   I can make a detailed inspection of this car at Artcurial's stand if you wish [] ...

[bex316]

Actually the photo of the engine number (1039) is not the one on the block but on the cylinder head of which there are two on the left hand (distributor) side of the head. I know it has happened that blocks and heads having the same number went their own separate ways during life but 1038 engine block and 1039 cylinder head ending up together would be extremely unlikely but not impossible. On the other hand, you would not expect a typo on a chassis plate even if it's a non original one, would you?
   Whatever the number, the engine is a later example than the car itself which would have had a 100D instead of 100D2 prefix.
   Unless of course this is the clone in which case there really are no rules to go by.
   
   Jerry

[nikbj68]

Thanks for that clarification, Jerry. The auction decription does say that the D2 engine was fitted by the 1st owner.
   Engine 1038 is in the Aceca register as being fitted to "a very original Aceca", but engine 1039 is shown as coming from an Aceca that had a Daimler V8 fitted in 1985.

[Aceca Bristol]

Consequent on this topic and as Aceca Bristol registrar, I can say that the register entry for BE 751 (specifically the Subsequent History) has remained unchanged for years - way before my tenure.  However, the date for the engine swop is clearly incorrect for on checking the file there is a letter dated October 1978 from a previous keeper, who states that he has owned the car for some years, it having been acquired as an unfinished project complete with the Daimler V8 engine and Jaguar gearbox.  It is reasonable to suppose that the original engine 100D2 1039 had suffered some major catastrophe during the late 60'/early 70's - who knows!  As at the time of writing, Antoine Prunet has confirmed that the cylinder head fitted to this "Ace" is 100D2 1039, but as yet there is no evidence as to whether it is still united with the original block; possibly not; perhaps Antoine will investigate further.
   
   As to that fake BEX 222 chassis plate with engine number 100D2 1038, I can confirm that that engine was originally fitted to and still is with BE 752

[HMG]

Just to calm the confusion of the engine number, it's 100D2 1039. Agreed, under the paint last digit may have looked more like an 8 than a 9.