Coming up Aces
Brit group plans to sell Smarts with AC badges
By JULIAN RENDELL
AutoWeek | Published 12/11/06, 3:24 pm et
Smart’s Roadster and Coupe may be saved from oblivion by a British group call Project Kimber that plans to build and sell the cars with the AC Ace badges.
U.S. sales are part of the revival plan, which hinged on a recently completed deal with Mercedes-Benz for the rights to the Smart Roadster, and financing that the group says is “in the final stages.”
Kimber plans to build up to 7000 Aces annually starting in autumn 2007. The cars will be built in either Great Britain or in Asia, depending on investor requirements.
Key personnel already lined up include Gordon Murray, former technical director for McLaren Cars, as technical advisor, and Keith Helfet, ex-Jaguar designer, as styling consultant. Murray’s knowledge will be vital in designing the scissors doors, which will be used on high-end Ace models (shown). Pricing is expected to range from £12,000 ($23,000) to £19,000 ($37,000).
Kimber’s plan calls for using a Mitsubishi 0.7-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine making around 100 hp, the same output as the Brabus Roadster.
Kimber will use the AC name under license from Al Lubinsky, who says his own plans for an AC factory in Connecticut are on ice. Lubinsky had hoped to build and distribute three models (“Pond Hopping, Ambitious AC plan calls for U.S. factory,” June 13, 2005).
“We still have an offer on the table from Connecticut of some funding and a factory, but we have to keep our options open,” Lubinsky says.
Once again, please tell me why anyone would pay a royalty for the AC name? "factory plans on ice"...yeah, that's a nice way to put it.
But maybe it's just me.....
Rick
