Two exceptional vintage AC's to be sold at Hershey

[Old Crock]

Two exceptional concours vintage AC's, from the collection of John Moir, are to be sold by RM Auctions at Hershey, on 9/10th October.
   
   The first is a 1926 four-cylinder 12/24. A superb restoration, this car has an estimate of $60-80,000 (£37-50,000) excluding 10% buyers premium.
   
   http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1070534
   
   The second is a 1929 Six with a four-seater tourer body (one of only two known survivors). The restoration is remarkable, I can but imagine the time that has gone into getting this car in this show-winning condition. It will not appeal to everybody as it is in better condition, I think, than one leaving the factory at the time. Estimate is $100-150,000 (£62-93,000) excluding 10% buyers premium
   
   http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1070535
   
   To read the text there is a link to a digital catalogue on the RM site.
   
   More photos of the cars can be found on the Hemming's site. As an example:
   
   http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/ac/unspecified/1682834.html
   
   Plenty of photos are on both the above websites.

[Jam2]

What a lovely looking pair of cars.  However I find it interesting that there is no mention of mechanical condition for either,  I expect they both run but I would suspect that despite the lovely detailing of the engine compartments, one would have to budget on major mechanical rebuilds on both were you to actively drive them.  If all you want to do is 'show' them I don't suppose it matters.  Horses for courses.

[Jam2]

The 12/24 went for $45000, the 6cyl car for $70000 and the 16/70 dhc for $45000.  I assume buyers premiums on top.  Each of these seems not to have been driven for a long time.  They were all well under the estimates.

[Jam2]

I see that the 6cyl car (sold at Hershey for $77000 inc premium) is now for auction again with a guide of $127,000-. Said to have a 4 speed gear box,( I assume a misprint or did it have a non standard axle etc?)  http://hymanltd.com/vehicles/5346-1929-ac-acedes-magna-tourer/

[Old Crock]

An acquired taste for some but that is one exceptional car!

[Jam2]

I see Hyman are also advertising the 16/70 with an eye watering price uplift!
   http://hymanltd.com/vehicles/5347-1938-ac-1670-drop-head-coupe/
   I note in the description the following, "AC employees were kept on to service the cars already on the road and were extremely proud of the cars they produced. In an effort to convince their new owners to continue automobile production, they built William Hurlock a car using spares they had on hand. He was so impressed by the quality that he changed course and agreed to resume production of AC cars."
   Is the inference that the Hurlocks did not know the service dept were building up a car?

[Old Crock]

quote:Originally posted by Jam2
   
Said to have a 4 speed gear box,( I assume a misprint or did it have a non standard axle etc?)  http://hymanltd.com/vehicles/5346-1929-ac-acedes-magna-tourer/
   

   There's a few things wrong with Hyman's description:
   
   (1) it's not a Magna - it's full title when sold would have been 16-56 6-cylinder 5-seater and built by AC (Acedes) Ltd. It may well have the 66hp engine, sometimes called the Speed Model, an option for £50 at the time, as the carbs could be original (e.g. there's no warm choke feed through the block and it has an 80mph speedo). Another £5 would have got the first owner that nice Auster rear screen this car has also.
   (2) they say it has semi-elliptic springs, as per the Magna models, but clearly it has quarter-elliptic
   (3) they say a four-speed gearbox. It would have a three forward plus a reverse gear (= 4? Yet their advert for the 16-70 says four speed which, of course, are forward gears)
   (4) I've never heard there were Weller brothers, that were backed by John Portwine, surely it was John Weller only?
   
   

quote:Originally posted by Jam2
   
...in the description the following, "AC employees....In an effort to convince their new owners to continue automobile production....built William Hurlock a car using spares they had on hand. He was so impressed by the quality that he changed course and agreed to resume production of AC cars." Is the inference that the Hurlocks did not know the service dept were building up a car?
   

   A number of cars were assembled from parts, after the liquidation of AC (Acedes) Ltd, apparently to special order for customers. One was built for William Hurlock but the above story seems romanticised for the first true Hurlock car had a mated gearbox (not transaxle) and a chassis bought from Standard. Also, by then, a couple of years had passed.

[Old Crock]

The 1929 six-cyl. 5-seater is 'no longer available' (= sold?) If sold, it's gone quickly....

[ACOCArch]

Originally posted by Old Crock

Old Crock and other contributors to this thread have raised some interesting points about AC Cars' early history.
   
   The issues raised are addressed in a new thread entitled 'AC Cars' Ancestry'