Restoration of the original AC Ruddspeed Ace

This 1954 AC Ace, registered RPO 826, became the Rudd Racing Teams development car and demonstrator. It was the first Ace owned personally and tuned and raced by Ken Rudd. It was originally purchased and campaigned by Ken to support sales of this "New Model" as he was the West Sussex dealer for AC Cars.

The Ruddspeed Ace sat for many years in a Birmingham garden before going to 

auction. Even though the car was in a terrible condition, it was still very original 

and hadn't been modified since it's racing days. We could have very easily just 

made a new body for the car but we decided early on in the restoration not to over 

restored it, but instead repairing sections and trying to keep as much originality 

and patina as we could.

We discovered the engine acquired with the car was the works development AC engine which was fitted to the works prototype Aceca - later owned by Donald Campbell. The engine is the only surviving works unit and has a unique completion sump and cooling system.

Along with KWM 451 (the green competition Ace owned by John Arnold), RPO 826 was campaigning in 2004 to celebrate 50 years of competition AC Aces with "AC POWER". It was wonderful to revive the early days of the Rudd Racing Team, all this was done with the advice and blessing of Ken Rudd.

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