AC

AC (England) 1908 to date.
The original AC was the 5/6 hp Sociable with a passenger chair replacing the box body. The single rear wheel was driven by a one cylinder air-cooled engine with two-speed epicyclical gearbox in the hub of the back wheel. These three-wheelers were made up until 1914.

In the previous year AC announced their four-wheeler, having an 1100cc Fivet engine with gearbox fashionably placed in the rear axle. This reappeared after the First World War, though by this time powered by a 1 1/2 litre Anzani engine; which remained in production until 1927. At the 1919 Motor Show, AC displayed a 1991cc overhead camshaft wet liner six- cylinder engine, though it did not go into production until 1922. Nevertheless the engine was produced up until 1963, by which time output had been boosted threefold, from 35 to 103 bhp.

In 1921 S. F. Edge became chairman and governing director and his influence was no doubt responsible for the company's active participation in long-distance record work. Unfortunately all was not well with the company's finances and it went into voluntary liquidation, no cars being built between I929 and 1931.

In 1930, William and Charles Hurlock bought the company and production restarted with the 2 litre six. The designs were intelligently updated, the rear- mounted gearbox being replaced by a Moss box in unit with the engine, while underslung chassis frames were introduced. These good-looking sports cars attained some popularity in the 1930s, the handsome coachwork originating from the company's Thames Ditton factory.

After the Second World War an AC saloon appeared, though rather surprisingly it retained a leaf sprung front suspension until it ceased production in l957. Much more significant was the Ace of 1954, having an all independent tubular framed Tojeiro designed chassis with the 2 litre six, then replaced by 2 and 2.2 litre Bristol and 2.6 litre British Ford power units. In 1963, the car received an American Ford 4.2 (and later 4.7) litre V8: it was the Cobra. Then, the Cobra 427 was fitted with a 7 litre Ford engine. Later, in 1966 a Ford V8 of 7016cc was fitted, this model was the 428, with a bodywork by Frua.