Lot details
Registration No: 215 ARK
Chassis No: BEF2555
Mot Expiry: Sept 2011

The history of AC is one of the most fascinating of all automotive stories. From invalid carriages to trains and golf trolleys to the mighty Cobra, the company has spanned a uniquely broad and challenging technological spectrum since its formation in 1901.

The initial post-war fare was relatively staid, but the Ace and its descendants were to put the company on a whole new footing. Designed by John Tojeiro, the alloy-bodied Ace was based around an advanced tubular chassis frame equipped with all-round independent suspension. When introduced in 1953, the model was powered by AC's own 100bhp 2-litre straight-six engine. However, this was now rather long in the tooth, and from 1956 there was the option of the more modern and powerful (120bhp) 2-litre Bristol unit, the effect of which was to raise the top speed by some 15 mph and knock no less than four seconds off the 0-60mph time. The final iterations of the model - some 40 or so cars - were equipped with a `hot' version of the 2.6-litre engine from Ford's MKII Zephyr, further boosting the Ace's already respectable performance. Then came the Cobra....The two-seater Aceca was effectively a Coupe version of the Ace and was made from 1954 to 1963. The structure was basically the same, though in addition to having a roof, the Aceca featured a hatchback tail similar to that of the pioneering Aston Martin DB 2/4. The Greyhound that followed in 1959 can be considered as a 2+2 big brother version of the Aceca.

The Greyhound's alloy body on separate chassis structure was much the same as the Ace and Aceca's. The suspension differed, however, featuring wishbones and coil springs at the front and semi-trailing links and coil springs on the rear. The engine options were the same, though of the 84 examples produced between 1959 and 1963 most were fitted with the straight-six Bristol unit in either 2.0 or 2.2-litre form. Only three Greyhounds are thought to have been powered by the 2.6-litre Zephyr unit.

`215 ARK' (chassis number BEF2555) is the 56th Greyhound made and is well known to the AC Owners' Club (ACOC). A right-hand drive car (only three Greyhounds were built in LHD form), it is powered by a 2.2-litre Bristol engine driving through the standard four-speed manual gearbox with optional overdrive operating on the top ratio. This AC first saw the light of day in 1961 and was delivered new to the vicar of Wakefield. It apparently benefited from a `ground up' restoration by Mitchell Motors of Chicklade, Wiltshire between 2006 and 2008, during which time the interior was refurbished by Shawn Allen of SCA Classic Restoration and the mechanical parts tended to by Spencer Lane-Jones of Warminster. At this time it was fitted with Weber carburettors and an electric water pump. Finished in Pearl Black complemented by a black leather interior, this stunning Greyhound was featured in the Classic Cars issue of December 2006 and comes complete with bills dating back to 1972, FIA papers and an MOT into September 2011.

The ACOC consider `215 ARK' to be a "fine example" of this increasingly sought after grand tourer, while the vendor tells us some enthusiasts consider it the best of all remaining Greyhounds. Its presence in this sale certainly represents a golden opportunity for aficiandos of the Greyhound, which now rarely come to market - especially in this condition.