Historic photos of AC's!

[Andrey1976b]

This is an early four-cylinder Anzani-engined AC car, sporting an open tourer body. It is one of the earliest surviving AC vintage cars and dates from 1921 (a couple of earlier Edwardian Fivet-engined cars survive which are older plus, of course, the three-wheeler Sociables etc).

The car is a 11.9hp (12/24), later cars of this design were called Empire models (with one-pane glass and imitation leather seats as standard). It is chassis number 6405 and was registered as MD 7093 in North-east London. It has sold a few times in the last thirty years and resided for a long time on display in the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, England.

About five years ago I saw the car for sale on one of the stalls at the Beaulieu Autojumble. It was still 'alive and well' a couple of years ago in France.

The register does not contain a car with the register number PE 7799 that V.A. Bruce drove. What is her chassis number?

[Old Crock]

This car, PE 7799, was the winning car of the 1926 Monte Carlo Rally driven by Hon Victor Bruce. It was an SFE Special, a factory model that included some tuning to the engine.
The vintage register records information on known cars and surviving cars. The chassis number of Bruce’s car is not known and its registration number was not in the register even going back more than 40 years. I fear it ‘went off to that great carpark in the sky’, not surprising considering all it went through during the 1920’s….

[Andrey1976b]

And who is this?

[Andrey1976b]

Is this chassis number unknown? 

[Old Crock]

And who is this?

The ACOC held its National Day at Thames Ditton in 2011 to celebrate the anniversary that 100 years before, in 1911, AC moved to Thames Ditton. It was a great day – open day at Ferry works, a plaque mounted there, a concours event on the green, plus many other things going on.

The photo here, taken at Thames Ditton, shows the son and daughter of Victor Bruce with the Monte Carlo cup and a car representing his win. The car is not the original but was used as a ‘copy’ for photo purposes and promotion of the centenary (and one of the most significant events in AC’s history). The same car then was displayed at the Techno Classica in Essen, Germany – that is where the photo you show was taken. It is not PE 7799 but actually is chassis number 12071 that carries registration number TO 2266. It is an Aceca model with a body similar to the Monte car.

[Old Crock]

Is this chassis number unknown? 

One of the AC works racecars, here being driven by John Joyce on the Brooklands Test Hill in 1925.

This is the same car that averaged 100mph for an hour at Brooklands driven by Joyce, (which means, at times, it was likely to have been travelling at around 115mph). The car also contested the Junior Car Club 200-mile racing in 1922 and ’24, finishing third on both occasions. It won the Brighton Speed Trials two years in a row and held the test hill record for many years.

AC sold the car in the mid/late 1920's and it was only used for a couple more years. From 1929 to the early 1960s it was left in storage before being dug out to go back racing again in the hands of Denis Jenkinson (the same, who co-partnered Moss in the Mercedes 300SLR in the Mille Miglia).

This was another car that was displayed at the ACOC centenary event in Thames Ditton.

I’ve never seen a chassis number so assume, as one of a small batch of race-cars, it was effectively a one-off (the chassis was far from being ‘standard’ anyway being drilled everywhere for lightness).

[Andrey1976b]

And who is this?

The ACOC held its National Day at Thames Ditton in 2011 to celebrate the anniversary that 100 years before, in 1911, AC moved to Thames Ditton. It was a great day – open day at Ferry works, a plaque mounted there, a concours event on the green, plus many other things going on.

The photo here, taken at Thames Ditton, shows the son and daughter of Victor Bruce with the Monte Carlo cup and a car representing his win. The car is not the original but was used as a ‘copy’ for photo purposes and promotion of the centenary (and one of the most significant events in AC’s history). The same car then was displayed at the Techno Classica in Essen, Germany – that is where the photo you show was taken. It is not PE 7799 but actually is chassis number 12071 that carries registration number TO 2266. It is an Aceca model with a body similar to the Monte car.

Super! Thank you!

[Old Crock]

The postings above make reference to the ACOC centenary gathering at Thames Ditton in 2011.
Here's a photo showing some of the pre-1930 vehicles at Ferry Works:

[Andrey1976b]

Thank you. I did not find a car with the number 1-OAF-752 in the registry. What is this car?

I have a photo of a similar one, but it has a different number and is also not in the registry

[Old Crock]

Thank you. I did not find a car with the number 1-OAF-752 in the registry. What is this car?

I have a photo of a similar one, but it has a different number and is also not in the registry

This is an Anzani-engined 1921 AC 12/40 Sport, one of only two surviving cars. It is chassis number 6582 (the second car is 7350). The number plate when in the UK was HL 1183. It was sold to Belgium where the number plate system is different, I believe issued to a driver and not the car or year (?) In Belgium it has had GJD-876  (ACOC register entry incorrect) and also 1-OAF-752, so both photos above are the same car.

[Andrey1976b]

Thank you!

[Andrey1976b]

Can I ask more stupid questions? 

[Old Crock]

The first photo is an AC four-cylinder that resided in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) up to the 1960’s. Another photo, same car below. Not sure what happened to it subsequently. The colour scheme of cream-and-black was quite popular and a couple of vintage cars still carry this combination. The family had a Morris and Austin dealership in Bulawayo and the father and son raced cars. They owned also a couple of Aces, an Aceca and a Greyhound,. Exporting from Zimbabwe had its own difficulties but some cars were successfully removed to South Africa. A 1930’s AC and the two Aces got away (one, MSV 512, still racing?) but no news on the vintage car. I believe some went then further, and on to Australia where the family settled. This car might just might be one of the those recorded from South Africa or Australia?

The second is an excellent period photo, taken by Bill Brunell, well-known photographer of the 1920-30’s who accompanied Victor Bruce on the Monte Carlo Rally. It shows an AC open-tourer on the Brighton and Hove Motor Club Trial, probably 1924 or 1925. The number plate identifies it being a local car, registered in West Sussex, so the lady competitor was likely a club member.

[Andrey1976b]

The first photo is an AC four-cylinder that resided in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) up to the 1960’s. Another photo, same car below. Not sure what happened to it subsequently. The colour scheme of cream-and-black was quite popular and a couple of vintage cars still carry this combination. The family had a Morris and Austin dealership in Bulawayo and the father and son raced cars. They owned also a couple of Aces, an Aceca and a Greyhound,. Exporting from Zimbabwe had its own difficulties but some cars were successfully removed to South Africa. A 1930’s AC and the two Aces got away (one, MSV 512, still racing?) but no news on the vintage car. I believe some went then further, and on to Australia where the family settled. This car might just might be one of the those recorded from South Africa or Australia?

Owned by Eric Glasby, Formula 1 driver in 1962 from Rhodesia. In your photo he is driving with his sons

[Andrey1976b]

The second is an excellent period photo, taken by Bill Brunell, well-known photographer of the 1920-30’s who accompanied Victor Bruce on the Monte Carlo Rally. It shows an AC open-tourer on the Brighton and Hove Motor Club Trial, probably 1924 or 1925. The number plate identifies it being a local car, registered in West Sussex, so the lady competitor was likely a club member.

12HP or 16HP?