AE 65

[AEX 31]

Does anybody know if this car actually had the single round tail lights from new?
   
   It seems that some earlier cars have the rectangular tail lights, AE 64 and AE 61 have these if I'm not mistaken.
   
   It would be interesting to find out when the change was made, or if there was an inconsistency from AC's side?
   
   This is the first time I've managed to log in to the forum, I'm based in Sweden and I'm the proud owner of AEX 31 since 12 years!
   
   Regards
   
   Jonas

[bex316]

Hello and welcome Jonas,
   
   It might be there was no fixed changeover point, i.e. no specific chassis number. The change could have taken place more or less gradually which happened ofter.
   On the other hand, some early Aces might have been converted to the later rectangular lights.
   Wouldn't the shape of the hole in the body be different on a round taillight car? This would be round I suppose?
   I don't think any cars with reactangular lights would have been converted "back" to the earlier round lights, unlike the other way round.
   I had planned to go and see AE 65 so I could probably find out more about its details but the seller didn't have time to see me this weekend and in the meantime the car seems to have been sold already.
   I hope I can still view it this coming week but I have my doubts.
   Surely Tim Isles can tell you more about this subject.
   
   Jerry

[AEX 31]

Hi Jerry,
   
   And thanks for your reply. I would expect that you are right about this. However if there is anybody else out there with any info (or period photographs!) about this it would be interesting to hear.
   
   If you do see the car it would be interesting to hear if there are
   any traces of any previous rectangular rear lights.
   
   Thanks.
   
   Jonas

[tim isles]

Jonas,
   
   Following up on Jerry's point, it's my belief this car is quite possibly, numerically, the last one fitted with the round tail lights; this despite the fact that some earlier (by chassis number) cars were fitted with the rectangular items. This came about because AE 65 was ex-works in January 1955, whereas AE/AEX 55-64 all left the factory at least two months later, and I know that some of these had the later lights.
   
   Like Jerry, I believe the same goes for all the other changes - long boot to short boot, optional discs, chrome on brass radiator grill to alloy etc. It appears the changes took place by date, not chassis number, and as above, this is because the cars did not leave the factory in strict chassis number order. To illustrate this point it's worth noting that the last cars to leave the factory in 1957 (20 December) were AEX 221 and BEX 389. Despite the difference in the chassis numbers, both cars would have been finished to the same specification and, for instance, the optional disc brakes could have been fitted to both cars.
   Tim

[AEX 31]

Tim,
   
   Thanks for the very interesting information. Do you know if any list revealing the actual delivery dates of the different chassis numbers have ever been published?
   
   Regards
   
   Jonas

[tim isles]

No, not delivery dates, only ex-factory dates. Some cars went direct to owners, other were kept in showrooms until sold. Tim

[ACOCArch]

quote:Originally posted by tim isles
   
No, not delivery dates, only ex-factory dates. Some cars went direct to owners, other were kept in showrooms until sold. Tim
   

   
   Further to Tim's response, for some cars the Factory Ledger includes an invoice number and a second date, which it is believed was taken as the start of the guarantee period. This could be the date the car was taken by the first owner.
   
   Unfortunately, for AE65 this information was lost in the copying process.