Team AC on Facebook

[Old Crock]

Posted by Chafford on the General Forum, 13/05/13:
   
   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-AC/235955216529478

[Old Crock]

quote:Originally posted by SJ351 on the General Forum
   
       ....to keep the AC brand...in the public eye. It begins at the Brooklands Double Twelve event....unquote
   
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   When opening the Facebook page there are two vintage cars at Montlhéry, the site of the factory's greatest achievements in motor sport (probably!), namely in 1925 when Gillett broke the 24-hr record (2000 miles in 24hr 13m averaging 82.58mph) and later in 1927 when the Bruces smashed various records including breaking the world's 15000 mile record (real derring-do, with Victor Bruce nearly killing himself in the process). These were AC factory-entered cars and the results allowed incredible promotion and PR at the time, and still remain most impressive.
   
   I assume AC Heritage, and the current factory, will capitalise on the return of two vintage cars to this track. If the Montlhéry-bodied Six had been there, even better! They should elaborate on historical detail on the Facebook page, and now send out a press release with a title, something like, 'Two Vintage AC's return to Montlhéry, scene of the company's great track successes in the 1920's'. I have no doubt this would be picked up by the likes of Motor Sport, The Automobile, Classic and Sportscar and achieve that stated aim of 'keeping the AC brand in the public eye'.
   
   So, I would say the effort has truly started already (and not still has to begin).
   
   Incidentally, I don't believe AC Cars ever entered the Brooklands Double-Twelve (private individuals did), though they did enter the 200-mile race. At one time I was driving an Invicta 4.5 that was raced in the Double-Twelve in the early thirties – I wonder what happened to that (and what value now)?
   
   Here's a rare shot of Bruce at Montlhéry:
   

[Old Crock]

A correction to my posting above: A team was formed by the works to have a crack at the Double-12 in 1922 at Brooklands, with "Sammy" Davis among the drivers. AC did win their class (at a record average of 71.23 mph) although it was considered, at the time, that the team cars, in general, suffered from lack of adequate preparation.