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New AC(s) / New Owner?!

Started by duggan, March 06, 2012, 18:16:49

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TLegate

So - no badge on the nose of the red car then? (may be banned...)

nikbj68

No badge, but unless I`m mistaken, Alan Lubinsky is stood to the left of the group of 3 people in the Zagato pic.
   Chafford, where did you read the model range? It`s not on the AC Cars website, in fact there`s no mention of anything but the Mk6 (only in LHD, too, which is a shame if you live in England, although Wales, Scotland & Ireland don`t even get a MENTION!).

MkIV Lux

quote:
Originally posted by SunDude
   
So, did they simply repaint the ol' blue MkVI roadster red, or did they actually build a second car?
   
   
   ...
   

   
   interior trim (safety belts)and interior colour scheme (seats, leather trim around cockpit, steering wheel) of the red Mk VI differ from 2011 Geneva motor show car (blue Mk VI)
   
   official 2012 Geneva motor show website refers in its Exhibitor list to AC Automotive with a Swiss based website
   http://www.ac-cars.ch/
   
   no mention about anything new
   website still display pics of the 2009 Mk VI
   
   this subsection of the Swiss website shows a chassis in the background with front pushrod suspension (photo most probably from 2011 Geneva motor show)
   
   http://www.ac-cars.ch/ac-online-partner-ac-cobra-ac-switzerland.html

TLegate

The website might take a while to catch up. I suspect the ink ain't dry on some of the contracts? (just guessing - don't forget that AC doesn't have a factory so technically it builds nothing)

MkIV Lux

quote:
Originally posted by Gus Meyjes
   
......There is a lot of negativity on the forum regarding current AC affairs... legitimate or not...
   
   Gus
   
   

   
   I'ld rather qualify such as "critical analysis and questioning" by forum members.
   Moreover forum members are not necessarily ACOC members. This is an open forum.
   And opinions expressed here are not necessarily shared by the majority of ACOC members.

MkIV Lux

quote:
Originally posted by TLegate
   
The website might take a while to catch up. ...
   
   

   
   long while though from 2009 to 2012 [:)]

Chafford

quote:
Originally posted by nikbj68
   
No badge, but unless I`m mistaken, Alan Lubinsky is stood to the left of the group of 3 people in the Zagato pic.
   Chafford, where did you read the model range? It`s not on the AC Cars website, in fact there`s no mention of anything but the Mk6 (only in LHD, too, which is a shame if you live in England, although Wales, Scotland & Ireland don`t even get a MENTION!).
   

   
   
   Nick
   
   I just put together what AC had on their stand at Geneva with the news announcements on various sites - Car, Autocar etc.  No formal statement yet as to the exact range to be offered.
   
   
   Mark

Chafford

quote:
Originally posted by TLegate
   
So - no badge on the nose of the red car then? (may be banned...)
   

   
   If I were Jurgen Mohr, I'd be worried about this new arrangement. What's to stop the new company importing an AC badged GRP MK111 from 'Hi-Tech' and selling it at half the price of the Mk VI?


nikbj68

You`ll have to bring a caseful back, Terry, this time next year you`ll be a mirrionaire!

aaron

quote:
Originally posted by nikbj68
   
You`ll have to bring a caseful back, Terry, this time next year you`ll be a mirrionaire!
   

   
   Keep on smoking the weed Nik ! [:)]

Chafford

quote:
Originally posted by Mark IV
   
quote:
Originally posted by Chafford
   
From what I've read, the model range is:
   
   AC Mk VI built by Gullwing in Germany
   
   AC 378 Zagato built by Hi-Tech in South Africa for £89,990 (with composite body??)
   
   AC Mk II built by AC Heritage at Brooklands
   
   AC Ace Classic built by AC Heritage for under £50,000 with 4 cylinder engine (Will this have an aluminium or composite body?)
   
   AC Ace Bristol Zagato built by AC Heritage.
   
   Cars to be sold by 3 UK dealers.
   
   

   
   AC Mk II is also built by Hi Tech in Port Elizabeth with composite body. You will able to order an alloy version from AC Heritage
   

   
   Mark IV
   
   So to confirm, AC are commissioning Hi Tech to build a composite version of the earlier 289 Cobra (in US parlance the 'slabside') for sale in the UK? Or is this car a rebadged Superformance MkII?
   
   And interesting to see that the AC 378 GT is being distributed by no other than Superformance in the United States. Are you going to be selling it?
   
   http://www.superformance.com/ac378gt.aspx

Chafford

Further information in one of the press releases:
   
   'The four Show cars are:
   
   AC 378 GT Zagato – to be sold in the UK at a launch price of £89,990 and in Germany for €109,990.
   
   AC MkII Classic Aluminium - this hand-built car is being produced at a new AC Heritage Centre at the historic Brooklands Racing Circuit. The Centre will be a living museum where these continuation cars will be built for collectors off the original AC jigs. Price on application.
   
   AC MkII Classic - this is a composite recreation of the small bodied AC MkII 289.It will have a Ford V8 engine for the UK and a Corvette LS3 engine for Europe. This will be priced from £67,500 in the UK.
   
   AC MkVI – this continuation model of the AC classic follows the lines of the legendary Cobra family and is produced by AC Automotive GmbH. It combines a 430 bhp V8 engine unit as used in the Corvette with outstanding German build quality. The design incorporates a host of up to the minute features while sustaining all the dynamism of a shape which has inspired motoring enthusiasts for more than five decades. The car is on sale in Continental Europe at a launch price of €109,000 plus taxes.'

   
   'This outstanding line-up is by no means the end of 'new' AC Cars' ambitions. It plans – in association with Zagato – to recreate a strictly limited number of AC Ace Bristol Zagato models. Also, in mid 2012, it will re-introduce the AC Ace Classic, a continuation of the 1950's car, the forerunner to the AC Cobra, which will initially have a four cylinder engine and be priced at under £50,000 in the UK.'
   
   http://www.automotivepr.com/news_detail.php?AC-returns-to-Geneva-with-four-car-line-up-including-a-new-supercar-1064
   
   No UK price quoted for the Mk VI and the sub £50,000 price quoted for the Ace Classic suggests this will be composite bodied and built in South Africa.

1984MkIV

When I first heard about and saw the Perano I was flashed by the beauty of the car and when I realized that the price was announced at € 50.000,--, I immediately applied for one on the Zagato webside. When the new price was announced later - € 80.000,-- - my ambitions immediately cooled down. My understnading at that time was that they struggled to get the cars homologated for certain markets - including the german market.
   
   This is the text from the last newsletter (6. Sept. 2011):
   
   "Perana Z-one  Perana Z-one  Perana Z-one
   
   
   Dear Michael,
   
   October 2011 will go down as memorable and as a watershed in the annals of Perana history. This is the month that will be remembered as the month when the first Perana was delivered to an enduring and deserving Perana Enthusiast. We will include some photos of the occasion in our next newsletter as we are extremely proud to share this special moment with you.
   
   Furthermore, Perana will be hosted on the Proudly South Africa stand at the Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS) from 06 to 16 October 2011. We look forward to your visit at JIMS.
   How have we progressed?
   
   Since we last communicated, further technical enhancements have been made with the biggest single improvement being the design of a bespoke and inclusion of a CAN-BUS system. CAN (Controller Area Network) BUS allows for the integration of many vehicle sub-systems where a state of the art host processor interprets and decides on priorities for a multitude of messages in an integrated platform so that vehicle sub-systems can communicate without a host computer. This integration allows for greater functionality through improved specification and relative weight reduction via fewer harness wires. The introduction of CAN-BUS offers enormous value to Perana drivers, without incremental cost, a wonderful enhancement whilst we endured the frustration of waiting for an emission compliant engine package. Unfortunately, our launch into European markets continues to be delayed until we are able to supply engines that meet with Euro V emission standards. Until this hurdle is crossed we are not able to complete homologation for Europe.
   Where to from here?
   USA
   
   Lance Stander and his Team at Superformance Distributors are also eagerly awaiting their first cars which are currently in build. Deliveries can be expected during November.
   UK
   
   A demonstration unit is expected to be in the UK by the end of October for viewing and evaluation by prospective Dealers.
   South Africa
   
   Mike Bruce and his Team at Investment Cars receive their first cars this week. One car will be on display at JIMS from 06 October to 16 October 2011. Orders can be placed with Investment Cars with delivery times at present being approximately three months. Production for South Africa is limited, so we recommend that you place your order.
   
   Stay in touch with developments and our progress by visiting Perana.com.
   
   Until we next meet.
   
   Yours sincerely,
   Andreas Walker
   
   
   Information you provide is used by Perana Performance Group to improve the services we provide you. Please be assured that we will never sell your personal information to any other company. Perana Performance Group, PO Box 28394, Sunridge Park, Port Elizabeth, 6008, South Africa
           Perana Z-one logo
   
   
   
               Perana.com Home        |         Unsubscribe        |         Forward to a friend"
   
   
   It was clear from the beginning that Superformance was the manufacturer of the Perana. The new price of € 110.000,-- is as astonishing as the the fact that the car has an AC badge. It would have been less surprising, when Carroll would have put his label on the car to make it the true and legitimite follower of the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe.
   
   Don´t miss to have a look at http://perana.com/ for the latest news and the webside of the best ever italian car designer: http://www.zagato.it/ukclassic.htm. Note press AC 378 GT press releases.

TLegate

The AC press release needs to be proof read. Also interesting to note it's unsigned, undated and offers no company details. If I'd invested in a company, such things would be of concern to me. Time to get the act together?