Three Variants · 1954 – 1963

One silhouette,
three engines.

Across nine years of production the Aceca was offered with three quite different straight-sixes. The chassis prefix on each car tells you which: AE for the AC engine, BE for Bristol, RS for the Ford unit — with an added X (AEX, BEX, RSX) marking a left-hand-drive export car.

Caption — The original Aceca — powered by John Weller's Light Six, a design conceived in 1919 and built with continuous development until 1963.

1954–1961 · 151 built · Chassis prefix AE

Aceca

The original — the most vintage-feeling to drive.

The original Aceca used AC's own 1,991 cc Light Six, a remarkable overhead-camshaft aluminium straight-six designed in 1919 by company founder John Weller and still in production more than four decades later. Producing around 90 bhp and good for about 103 mph, it is torquey, characterful, and unmistakably pre-war in feel — the most vintage-driving of the three.

Engine: AC Light Six (Weller, 1919 design)
Displacement: 1,991 cc
Power: ≈ 90 bhp
Top speed: ≈ 103 mph
0 – 60 mph: ≈ 11 s
Built: 151 cars

Read the full Aceca history

1956–1963 · 169 built · Chassis prefix BE

Aceca-Bristol

The most celebrated and sought-after.

The Aceca-Bristol is the connoisseur's choice. Its 1,971 cc Bristol six — descended from the pre-war BMW 328 with hemispherical combustion chambers and its curious transverse-pushrod valvetrain — produced roughly 105 to 128 bhp, lifted top speed to 116 – 128 mph and cut the 0 – 60 mph sprint to around nine seconds. It transformed the car from a charming coupé into a genuine continental grand tourer, and remains the most celebrated of the three.

Engine: Bristol two-litre six (BMW 328 derived)
Displacement: 1,971 cc
Power: ≈ 105 – 128 bhp
Top speed: ≈ 116 – 128 mph
0 – 60 mph: ≈ 9 s
Built: 169 cars

Read the full Aceca-Bristol history

1961–1963 · 8 built · Chassis prefix RS

Aceca 2.6

The rarest and the fastest.

The final version used a 2,553 cc Ford Zephyr six — a Ford unit, not an AC engine and not an enlarged AC engine — extensively reworked by Ken Rudd's Ruddspeed concern with triple carburettors. In the hottest states of tune it produced as much as 170 bhp, was good for around 130 mph, and reached 60 mph in roughly 8.1 seconds. Only eight Acecas were built this way, making it comfortably the rarest and the fastest of the three.

Engine: Ford Zephyr six (Ruddspeed-tuned)
Displacement: 2,553 cc
Power: up to ≈ 170 bhp
Top speed: ≈ 130 mph
0 – 60 mph: ≈ 8.1 s
Built: 8 cars

Read the full Aceca 2.6 history

Side by side

At a glance.

Specification	Aceca	Aceca-Bristol	Aceca 2.6
Years built	1954–1961	1956–1963	1961–1963
Number built	151	169	8
Chassis prefix	AE	BE	RS
Engine	AC Light Six (Weller, 1919 design)	Bristol two-litre six (BMW 328 derived)	Ford Zephyr six (Ruddspeed-tuned)
Displacement	1,991 cc	1,971 cc	2,553 cc
Power	≈ 90 bhp	≈ 105 – 128 bhp	up to ≈ 170 bhp
Top speed	≈ 103 mph	≈ 116 – 128 mph	≈ 130 mph
0 – 60 mph	≈ 11 s	≈ 9 s	≈ 8.1 s

Aceca

Years built: 1954–1961
Number built: 151
Chassis prefix: AE
Engine: AC Light Six (Weller, 1919 design)
Displacement: 1,991 cc
Power: ≈ 90 bhp
Top speed: ≈ 103 mph
0 – 60 mph: ≈ 11 s

Aceca-Bristol

Years built: 1956–1963
Number built: 169
Chassis prefix: BE
Engine: Bristol two-litre six (BMW 328 derived)
Displacement: 1,971 cc
Power: ≈ 105 – 128 bhp
Top speed: ≈ 116 – 128 mph
0 – 60 mph: ≈ 9 s

Aceca 2.6

Years built: 1961–1963
Number built: 8
Chassis prefix: RS
Engine: Ford Zephyr six (Ruddspeed-tuned)
Displacement: 2,553 cc
Power: up to ≈ 170 bhp
Top speed: ≈ 130 mph
0 – 60 mph: ≈ 8.1 s

Common to all

Shared architecture.

Whichever engine was fitted, every Aceca that left Thames Ditton shared the same essential structure and running gear.

Body: Hand-formed aluminium over an ash timber frame
Chassis: Tubular steel ladder frame
Kerb weight: ≈ 895 kg
Wheels: 16-inch wire
Suspension: All-independent, transverse leaf springs and lower wishbones front and rear
Brakes: Drums to 1957; front discs optional from 1957 and standard from 1958
Steering: Worm and Bishop-cam (frequently converted to rack-and-pinion in period and later)
Gearbox: Four-speed manual, overdrive optional

A note on figures: exact numbers vary slightly between historical sources, and individual cars differ by state of tune. The values here reflect the most widely accepted period and marque-specialist figures.

The AC Greyhound — a four-seater sister car.

Built at Thames Ditton in parallel with the Aceca-Bristol from 1959 to 1963, the Greyhound shared the Bristol two-litre six on a longer, coil-sprung chassis with room for four.

Read the AC Greyhound story

Comparison

AC Ace vs AC Aceca — roadster and coupé.

The Aceca shares its Tojeiro chassis and engine options with the better-known AC Ace roadster. See how the closed coupé and the open sports car compare on weight, performance and practicality.

Read Ace vs Aceca