Searching for Pellandini Ace- "Beware1"

[AC Ace Bristol]

.
   Louism.
   
   Interesting observation, Not sure where the picture originated, but Caption read Riverside 1961.
   
   However, On checking through some photocopies of 1950s/1960s American race programmes, I note the following:-
   
   Southern California Amateur Championships at Riverside International Raceway, Entry list dated Saturday October 15th 1960.
   
   Ronnie Bucknum...31Dp....Ace Bristol.. entrant....Team Pellandini.
   
   Peter Haywood....106Dp...Ace Bristol...entrant....P Haywood.
   Ace Bristol Register has Peter Haywood in Chicago, Race programme has him in San Clemente, Sorry but my USA geography is..[?]
   
   Thank you Louis for confirming ID of Ace Bristol BEX1063..[;)]
   Will cross reference with Tim Isles when he gets back from France.
   
   See You, Bertrand, Christian & the French Party at GoodWood Revival in September, Lunch..13.00 in GRRC Hospitality on Lavant Straight [?].
   
   Keith..[:)]

[jrlucke]

Trying to cross reference the RSC web site with Tam McPartland's site, it appears that Peter Haywood was quite active on the west coast in the late 1950's to early 1960's (primarily California but also one race in Las Vegas).
   
   The RSC page shows 3 Bristols, Haywood, Skip Horney and Al Norman at Santa Barbara in 1960.
   
   Comparing these two pages, I suspect that A.C. #206 from Tam's page is in reality the #6 listed on the RSC page.
   
   Tam's photo pages for the 1950's show several photos of A.C.'s at Riverside as early as the opening in 1957 and Paramont (in the hills near Malibu).
   
   http://www.racingsportscars.com/entry/Santa_Barbara-1960-09-04s.html
   http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/DonW004SantaBarbara1960Start.htm
   
   Finally here's a photo showing Lew Spencer in the Pellegrini A.C. at Santa Barbara in 1960.
   
   http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/PeterCulkin3.html
   
   John

[nikbj68]

From Tim Isles:
   
   "Research continues on the Pellandini Ace-Bristol but in the meantime here are a couple of period pictures to keep the thread going. The driver in the picture is Ronnie Bucknum, who went on to race F1 with Honda, and the advertisement shows Barbara Windhorst in the car with her # 145."
   
   
   
   

[AC Ace Bristol]

quote:Originally posted by AC Ace Bristol
   
Jay.
   
   Re:  Stu Haggard
   
   Please find below, Extract from email sent to Tim Isles earlier this year.
   .
   .
   
   Tim
   
   Whilst reading through AC General Instruction Supplement ( The ACOC Ltd .  American Centre ,  3630 East 56th Street. Tulsa 35, Oklahoma)
   
   Amongst nine addresses was the following:
   
   Stu Haggard Automotive
   10429 Washington Blvd.
   Culver City.
   California
   
   Not sure if this might help with Pellandini  research.
   
   Cheers
   
   Keith.
   
   Maybe someone  on the West Coast or better still in the Area can follow up this lead and post on the Forum or email Jay. .[;)]
   
   Keith..[:)]
   

   
   
   20th November 2013
   
   update from Jay:-
   
   Gentlemen,
   
   After continuing to try and find recent contact information for Stuart L Haggart, I believe I have found the reason for it not being available. Last night I found a web site that stated he passed away in 2003. I am still not sure this is the same Stuart Haggart we have been looking for, but maybe one of you can confirm the middle initial. He certainly looks like the correct person as he was from Culver City, and was 84 when he died, but I found no obituary that gave any background history.
   
   Regards
   
   Jay
   
   In reponse...[;)]
   
   
   There must be more data/Photos/ Race reports and Photos in the Archives of some of the Old Timers or their relatives,  Please keep digging..[:)]
   Some one on the West Coast must have information leading to establishing / confirming the ID and possible where abouts of this Ace Bristol with attitude and true racing Pedigree..[;)]..
   
   Keith..[:)]

[tim isles]

A quick update. Contact has been made with Bob Cole, who kindly briefed us on his racing activities.
   
   Bob did own a road going Ace at the same time as 'Beware 1' was on the race track. However, Bob never raced his Ace, and he also informed us that he not buy his, or any other Ace, from Rene Pellandini.
   
   So we are able to close the line of inquiry that Bob Cole bought 'Beware 1'.
   
   Hopefully further research will bring some more information to light.
   
   Tim

[aex125]

Tim,
   Thanks for the update and I am glad you made contact with Bob Cole even if it did not yield the hoped for information.
   
   Jay

[tim isles]

Still no trace of 'Beware 1', but here is one of the 'Baby Doll' Morgans from the same stable.
   http://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1959-morgan-plus-4-baby-doll-lightweight/

[bex316]

On behalf of Keith and to keep the thread on this important yet still unidentified car alive here is a copy of a snippet of MotoRacing (and economy car news!) dated Nov. 11-18 1960 on the retirement of Beware 1. It is to be found on the bottom right hand corner of page 4 of this weekly journal.
   
   Jerry
   
   

[jrlucke]

Question, since Rene Pellandini was  the President of Worldwide Motors and an AC distributor has anyone researched the factory records to see what Ace's were sent to his dealership?
   
   Knowing that population and maybe the known history of some of the cars might narrow down the potential field of cars.
   
   I checked and found a Peter Kunkle in So. Cal. but he appears to be too young to be the Pete Kunkle mentioned in the ad.
   
   John

[AC Ace Bristol]

Good Idea John..
   .
   If only Life were that easy..  Tony Bancroft , Tim Isles and various other Ace Bristol enthusiasts have trod this path to no avail.[:(]
   We can eliminate some of the cars supplied direct to Rene but to date it has been impossible to establish which Ace Bristol was Beware 1 and where
        it is  now, assuming it still exists..[?]  we also know that Beware 1 was purchased second Hand from whom ?? who imported this Ace into USA.???
   
   It doesn't help when those racing our Aces in the 1950's are now 80/90 years old, either long departed, loosing their marbles or simply cant
        remember..   [;)].
   We can all remember the odd registration number, but can you remember the chassis /vin number of any of your earlier cars..[?]
   
   If any one had photos of the Beware 1 engine bay then we might justenlarge and possibly read the chassis plate..
        very long shot ,but you never know.
   
   Keith
   
   <b>Keith</b>

[jrlucke]

I thought maybe someone had already gone done that path.
   
   Has anyone talked to Ron Leonard about identifying Aces? I knew him in the mid 1960's in Tucson and know he was active in SCCA racing (with a Mustang at that time). I'm pretty sure he raced in various events in Arizona and California and maybe could provide additional contacts.
   
   In regards to the Babydoll Morgans, as I mentioned before I talked to a docent at the Riverside Raceway Museum who had owned one of the Morgans. Unfortunately even though he worked the races, etc., he had no memory of the Ace.
   
   John

[bbrown]

quote:Originally posted by jrlucke
   
Question, since Rene Pellandini was  the President of Worldwide Motors and an AC distributor has anyone researched the factory records to see what Ace's were sent to his dealership?
   
   Knowing that population and maybe the known history of some of the cars might narrow down the potential field of cars.
   
   I checked and found a Peter Kunkle in So. Cal. but he appears to be too young to be the Pete Kunkle mentioned in the ad.
   
   John
   

   
   It has been documented the Ace in question was purchased by Pellandini as a Used Car, so no use chasing down factory documents.  I have never been able to find any references as to where he found it or who he purchased it from.
   
   Bert

[nikbj68]

Well, it's been more than a year since the last entry on this thread, so it's looking like the trail is going cold on the Pellandini Ace.
   Tim Isles asked me to post this photo of Ronnie Bucknum in a great dice in BEWARE 1 with a Corvette and a Healey:
   
   
   
   ...so go check your neighbors' barns, people... It could still be out there somewhere!

[bbrown]

I think it is time to update Jay's original post with newly discovered information on Beware 1.

A number of months ago I ran into an advertisement in an old California newspaper publication entitled "MotoRacing" for a used race car that caught my eye.  The advertisement was dated Dec 12, 1961.  Offered for sale was Beware 1, by Dr. Ken Hayes.  Ken was a Hollywood veterinarian that happened to purchase Beware 1 from Rene Pellandini at the end of the 1960 racing season.  Ken raced the car a few times at Pomona, Palm Springs, and Riverside in early 1961 before he decided to leave the country and put the car up for sale. 

I also found a want ad in the Los Angeles Times dated Oct 23, 1961 offering the car for sale.  This time the California license plate number was listed, but now the car is listed as a 1958.  I don't find confusion over the year of the car to be unusual, this was at a time when Detroit went to great lengths to change every model year, while one year's Ace looked like next year's Ace.  (more or less)  The ad was placed by the same Dr. Ken Hayes as the phone numbers are the same. 

Now to find who bought Beware 1 from Hayes!