Historic photos of AC's!

[Old Crock]

I came across a great website. The Stilltime Collection is a photographic library with 'photographs from the 20th century preserved as a British historic record and resource'.
   
   I put in a search for AC under the 'car' category and there, to my surprise, some 65 photos, most in fabulous focus, and many I'd never seen before. Certainly some have come from the AC factory, as Thames Ditton is featured in some shots, and they are clearly for marketing purposes.
   
   These photos are a treasure. There are many prewar AC's in the archive and below are just a few to show the quality and rarity. The library sells copies (http://www.stilltimecollection.co.uk)
   
   1928 AC Aceca
   
   I wonder who this lady is waving at?
   
   A four-cylinder, probably in Thames Ditton
   
   Notice the AutoCarriers signage behind..
   
   A Sociable, about 1914
   
   What about the rear of this one? What is that all about? Maybe for a van attachment?
   
   I think this is an AC from about 1914 (but someone may correct me?)
   
   
   There's also the early '20's race cars, AC's armoured vehicle for the War Office, the Montlhery-bodied car and more. For anyone interested in motoring history I recommend some browsing....

[ACOCArch]

quote:Originally posted by Old Crock
   
The Stilltime Collection is a photographic library with 'photographs from the 20th century preserved as a British historic record and resource'.

   
   This collection is a treasure trove! Many of the AC images were published in period magazines such as LightCar and Cyclecar.
   Copies of the ACs  photos have been purchased along with the rights for ACOC to publish them one-time in ACtion. The photos will appear progresively in Archive articles, in period context.

[Jam2]

Another great site for photos
   http://www.austinharris.co.uk/car/ac

[ACOCArch]

quote:Originally posted by Jam2
   
Another great site for photos
   http://www.austinharris.co.uk/car/ac
   

   
   Some superb shots of ACs in all manner of events in the 1920s.
   
   This site, based on the LAT Archive, has been privately assembled by Austin Harris over a number of years. Sad to say, I have yet to get a response to many requests regarding the purchase of hard copies. It seems too that AH is not funded by LAT, either directly or by commission.

[Jam2]

Surprised to read of your lack of success in obtaining photos, I passed on your comment and Austin suggested I give you his address. - I have emailed you with Austin's email address ,
   The web site was relaunched a couple of months back,  I don't know when you tried to get photos, perhaps it coincided with his web site changes.

[Andrey1976b]

This is AC Sociable?
Photo 1971

[Andrey1976b]

1926 AC Six. Brisbane. Photo 1974
Belonged to a certain M Michaels

Who knows the serial number of the car and its fate?

[Old Crock]

This is Chassis Number 13335. A very interesting car historically. It was exported to Australia in 1926 for use as a demonstrator. It was supplied new with aluminium cylinder head, high compression pistons and three carburettors (but it is not however an S F Edge Special as recorded in the Vintage Register - this car being a high-performance 2/3 seater). The photo shows the owner at the time, Cameron Millar, I believe.

This AC would have been a flyer in its day, a 'wolf in sheep's clothing', with a top speed in excess of 75 mph and, dependent on axle ratio, possibly more than 80 mph.

The car came back to the UK, was registered as SV 4587, and was sold by Bonhams in England December 1996 (again the model type was described incorrectly). Since then, it went to ground for many years, the DVLA showing it had not been taxed, nor recorded for historic exemption, between 2000-2018 but, there is good news in that it is now taxed for the road so hopefully we shall see this very interesting car soon.

[Andrey1976b]

Thank you very much!!!

[Andrey1976b]

Who knows the serial number of the car and its fate?

[Old Crock]

This special-bodied racecar is on display at the Louwman Museum in the Netherlands. It was built by an Englishman, Gordon Rossiter, who used his 21st birthday present (= money) on converting a 1924 AC six-cylinder into this racecar. In 1937 he competed in a number of hill climbs and raced at Donington Park and was clocked at 105mph. It was still racing in the 1960's when purchased by the museum.

Vehicle not produced, as such, by the factory. The original chassis used not known, engine number F2MB3093 (sometimes recorded as simply 3093).

[Andrey1976b]

Thank you very much!!!

[Andrey1976b]

Again my stupid question  :)

Who knows the serial number of the car and its fate?

[Old Crock]

This is an early four-cylinder Anzani-engined AC car, sporting an open tourer body. It is one of the earliest surviving AC vintage cars and dates from 1921 (a couple of earlier Edwardian Fivet-engined cars survive which are older plus, of course, the three-wheeler Sociables etc).

The car is a 11.9hp (12/24), later cars of this design were called Empire models (with one-pane glass and imitation leather seats as standard). It is chassis number 6405 and was registered as MD 7093 in North-east London. It has sold a few times in the last thirty years and resided for a long time on display in the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, England.

About five years ago I saw the car for sale on one of the stalls at the Beaulieu Autojumble. It was still 'alive and well' a couple of years ago in France.

[Andrey1976b]

Thanks a lot as always