Equipment
RHD, 1971/130hp, 4-speed, painted wire wheels, Michelin tires, side exhaust, side curtains, woodrim steering wheel, Smiths gauges, SpeedPilot Rally timers.
Condition
Ex-Ken Rudd works Le Mans car with competition upgrades including high-compression Bristol engine, a close-ratio Bristol gearbox, a low-ratio diff, electric fuel pump, large fuel tank with special filler, oil cooler, Girling front disc brakes, Plexiglas windscreen, bellypan, and modified body with low-drag nose with a smaller, almost smile-shaped grille. Finished 2nd in class and 10th overall at Le Mans in 1957. Minor period race history on the East Coast. Beautiful paint and interior. Spotless underbody. Uneven gaps on the trunk lid. An important Ace restored to the standards it deserves.
Market commentary
The seller of this car, who bought it in 1963, used it to commute between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. while he worked on the Apollo program. He must have only had room for one car. He must not have had any friends with a truck, either, because he reportedly also strapped a 34-foot, two-man rowing shell to the Ace. No word on where the oars went, and this is probably the only Le Mans veteran to double as a daily driver and rowing transport. Eventually, the Ace with the smiley face got tucked away in his basement from 1972 till a full restoration followed from 2019-21. This is the most significant Ace to come to auction in quite some time and the fresh, correct restoration certainly helps. The bidders recognized it all and put up a fair but not excessive price for it. Given its history and special equipment, the fact that it brought less than half the price of a "regular" Ace-Bristol in this condition makes it a good value in our eyes.