AC 428s in the States & Canada ?

[Classicus]

Hi Kelly thanks for replying.
   
   First off assuming you're unfamiliar with the AC 428 Frua, perhaps when you get a few moments could you possibly have a quick look at the "AC 428 Frua Register and Archive" which I put together starting in about 2007/8 and more less finishing in 2011 as per the link below....
   
   http://acfrua428.activeboard.com/
   
   Whilst quite a few of the cars on this side of the pond have been traced and the Register is more or less up to date as of about a year/ 18 months ago, for some reason there's always been very little information about the cars in the States (and Canada if there are any ?) and why unfortunately it's nearly always well out of date.
   
   This is why I wondered, in order to try and keep the Register as up to date as possible, that in the course of your presumably daily activities of buying and selling Aces etc. (?) you've ever come across or heard of any whether up for sale at auction or simply in passing ? If you haven't not a problem but perhaps if you ever do hear of one or more in the future, especially if it's up for sale, could you possibly post something about it into this Frua forum ?
   
   Any thoughts or suggestions much appreciated....
   
   Thanks again
   
   Paul

[Cargirl]

Paul,
   
   Thank you for turning me on to these awesome little cars.  I've spent a lot of time researching Arnolt Bristols - putting together a database of all of the cars in a Google Drive format that eventually will be open to everyone.
   
    I was on your site and only got through a few of the cars.  They are pretty exciting because, like the Arnolt Bristols, there are so few of them. With some research and digging you have a very good chance to actually get history and background on every one that still exists.  And what I love the best about them is that many of the owners are still alive.
   
   I just finished doing a full history search for a client's AB and out of the seven owners (in four different countries) I was unable to speak personally to only the first owner as he had passed away. You can't do that with a 1929 Alfa Romeo! Living histories I call them.
   
   I volunteer at the Simeone Museum www.simeonemuseum.org and will be there all day today.  Fred Simone has an incredible collection of literature (original sales brochures, articles, etc.) on hundreds and hundreds of car makes and models. I will see what we have on the Ac Frua and post it on the site.  I guarantee he has something.
   
   In the meantime, if there is anything specific you are looking for - a car you just have to know about but can't find any information on - let me know and I will look into it for you.  Research is about 90% of my job.  You can't sell a car you don't know and thankfully I am good at it and I love it.  So I am up for the challenge.  Please let me know if there is anything specific you would like me to start with and let me help you put these cars on the map.
   
   Kelly

[Classicus]

Hi Kelly
   
   Wonderful I see you've got the research bug as well lol ! Switching on the computer at 3 AM in the morning if you're ever going to get a decent night's sleep and so on....[8D]
   
   Firstly thank you indeed for your extremely kind and generous offer of help also the fascinating and interesting details of your work, especially delving into the living history angles as it must obviously bring the car to life. Presumably this being something that auction houses are particularly keen to include in their presale brochures as well as private owners anyway ?
   
   Hopeless at all things mechanical I'm afraid but one small point they certainly are awesome but not little at all as they have an American 7 litre V8 under the bonnet and a chassis lengthened by 6 inches that came from the original AC Cobra. However I'll leave all that side of things to the many experts on here to clarify if you should ever need....
   
   Not being familiar with things your end I would have thought therefore the best way to start would be to check through all those cars in the Register which show the last and most recent entry as being located in the States or Canada; then starting in-depth research as to each one's current whereabouts etc. beginning with the oldest entry dates finally finishing with the most recent. How do you feel ?
   
   Finally talk about a huge slice of luck ! Trying again for the umpteenth time an hour or so ago to find one particular red coupe that was at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2013, I suddenly found a webpage that listed it as being CF 40 owned no less than by Jim Feldman who's the Chairman (?) of ACOC in the States and who's been involved with ACs for years ! I'll add it later on into the Register.....
   
   http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/galcar/36007/AC-428-Coupe.html
   
   Certainly the 428 is a very rare car these days with from memory I think some 20/25 or so cars known as being active, the rest probably being in museums or private collections. As for current values at the beginning of the year they were somewhere around the £150 - £175k mark but since then none have been advertised for sale so it's anyone's guess what they are now.
   
   Finally the best person to speak to about all aspects of 428s is Andy Shepherd who's both President of the ACOC as well as the Registrar of the 428 and has owned 2 cars for years.
   
   Thank you again for your very kind offer of help and interest....
   
   Paul [:)]

[nikbj68]

Oh well, just to start the ball rolling, Rob Krantz spotted THIS ONE in California, but didn`t get the chassis number.
   
   I`ve found it, but don`t want to make things too easy for you! [;)]

[Classicus]

Lol thanks Nik! One for Kelly then [;)]

[Classicus]

Hi Kelly, just remembered the most important 428 of all to begin with, CF 1 the first prototype last heard of in 2003 in Canada....
   
   Can you help ?
   
   Thanks
   
   Paul [:)]
   
   http://acfrua428.activeboard.com/t15997972/cf-01/

[Cargirl]

Back from the Simeone with pictures of the brochures on the 428 that Dr. Simeone has in his vast research files.  You may have all seen them before but I will post them nonetheless.  Have some nice ones from Cobra, Aceca and AC as well that I will post to their respective sites.
   
   It will take me awhile to get caught up on what Paul has on his site for history on the cars but is there an excel sheet or something that is a bit easier to refer to that actually has past owners names even if they are not the current owner?  I will contact Andy but it will have to wait until after Lime Rock Historics where my schedule opens up a bit.
   
   In the meantime - who's site is this?
   
   http://www.chronomaddox.com/motorin/frua/frua_list.html

[nikbj68]

Aah, Chuck Maddox. He was a great contributor to this site many years ago until he sadly passed away.
   Lovely guy, wish I`d got to meet him.