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1957 AC BRISTOL 

  • LHD

  • Road registered in France

  • Entirely restored

  • Eligible for Le Mans Classic, Tour Auto, Mille Miglia, Goodwood etc ...

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A restored AC Bristol from 1957

This particular chassis was built on April 4th, 1957, and was sold new to Mr. WG Dunn of Orlando Florida, having been imported to the US though Jarrard Motors of Pensacola, FL. It was originally finished in Svecia Red with red interior and a black tonneau and top. As part of its restoration, it was painted yellow and fitted with tan interior in 1992. It appears that this car has remained in the United Sates throughout its life with past owners residing in Florida, Illinois, and California. It has been imported in France in 2012.

 

BEX 278 has been the subject of a body off restoration by Ashcraft Restorations in Phoenix, AZ and is in excellent condition. The stunning, high quality yellow paintwork is nearly flawless, done over an extremely straight body with excellent door, bonnet, and boot fit. Photos exist of the body in bare metal during the restoration which depicts an original and extremely straight shell. The chrome and stainless trim was included in the restoration work and is also excellent, with minimal hazing and no weathering to speak of. The car sits on beautiful chrome wheels and AC knock-offs with period style Dunlop tires.

 

The interior was also restored, and has been trimmed in very high quality, soft, tan leather on the door panels, seats, dash, and rear firewall. The tan carpets are in very good condition. All the gauges have been restored, and are original Smiths units. This example is fitted with Simpson racing style safety belts and a nice wood rimmed steering wheel which has a period appearance.

 

The engine compartment has also been restored, and could be casually shown with pride. The inner fender well aluminum has been replaced, and body supports, suspension pieces, radiator, and valve cover all painted correct semi-gloss black. The headers have been freshly ceramic coated, and are pristine. A new wiring harness was fitted as part of the restoration work, along with new water hoses. Nordic air filters sit atop the triple carburetors.

 

The underside shows every sign of a relatively fresh body off restoration, and is free of rust or obvious damage repairs. Correct finishes are applied where appropriate, and the results are very impressive.

 

Mechanically, the car in very good condition. During the current ownership period, from late 1993 onward, the car was used in several prestigious events such as the Colorado Grand and California Mille, among others, and kept in careful storage at Fantasy Junction when not in use. The engine was rebuilt by Apex Automotive Engineering, and records are present to confirm this work. The engine starts easily and makes excellent power with minimal smoke. The clutch and transmission both operate as they should. This example is fitted with the much more user friendly front disc brakes which came into mainstream production in 1957, an impressive engineering achievement for the era.

 

This example has participated in the Italian Retro Mille Miglia, and as a 1957 year of production, remains eligible for this and many other prestigious events around the globe.

 

With the car comes the restored top and frame, side curtains, tonneau, spare wheel with Dunlop tire, reprinted manuals, grease gun, paint code, AC Cars Ltd built sheet, photo and written documentation of the restoration work, FIA papers, and information for ownership changes back to the late 1980s.

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SOLD

Technical specifications

: AC

: BRISTOL

: 1957

: BEX 278

: Tubular Steel

: Aluminum

: Bristol 6 cylinders, 2 liters

: 140  horses @ 6,800 rpm

: Britol 4 speeds

: 965  kg

Make

Model

Year        

Chassis number

Frame

Body

Engine

Power

Gearbox

Weight

Eligibility (click on the links)
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