Recognizable by their “BE” chassis designation, only 466 examples of the AC Ace were completed featuring a more powerful 2.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine supplied by Bristol Cars. The powerplant—which was offered from 1956 and had roots tracing directly back to the motor found in the revered BMW 328—delivered a fine 128 brake horsepower via a four-speed manual gearbox. This helped the pretty, John Tojeiro-designed British roadster onto a top speed of 116 mph.

According to the May 2016 edition of the AC Ace Bristol Register, chassis number BEX 275 offered here left the factory on 19 March 1957. Finished in the elegant shade of Bright Blue Metaline over complementing Blue trim, the car was exported to Virginia to be sold by AC Imports of Arlington.

The AC was next noted as owned by a D.V. McKeel in 1962. Remarkably, he is believed to have retained the Ace all the way through to the turn of the millennium. Then presented as a restoration project, the car was acquired by renowned marque authority and collector Jim Feldman, the AC Owners’ Club US Registrar.

Mr. Feldman carefully preserved BEX 275 in an unrestored state for the next decade or so before, in June 2014, the car was acquired by the East Coast-based consignor. He swiftly tasked Feldman’s own JWF Restorations of Portland, Oregon with a painstaking total cosmetic and mechanical rebuild that was undertaken in conjunction with Kevin Kay Restorations of Redding, California. The work carried out between 2016 and 2019, has been documented via accompanying invoices and over 450 photographs. The 1,971-cubic-centimeter engine has reportedly been finished to 100 D2 specification, gaining a ported and polished cylinder head, uprated pistons, connecting rods, plus a crankshaft supplied by INRacing of Nottingham, United Kingdom.

The completed car, wearing its beautiful dark blue hue with complementing soft-top roof over a terracotta interior, has since been enjoyed on a variety of road rallies for which it is highly eligible. This includes participation in the Going To The Sun Rally, the Copperstate 1000, Mountain Mille, and New England 1000. As a further testament to its restoration quality, the AC has won concours awards at the Greenwich Concours and Misselwood Concours.

Notably and desirably equipped with an overdrive, this glorious AC Ace-Bristol would make for a fantastic open-road cruiser, ideal rally competitor, and a beautiful addition to any classic sports car collection.