To Be OFFERED AT AUCTIONEstimate:
£110,000 - £130,000
- Interesting 'Special' built in the 1970's around an original AC
engine and chassis
- Used in vintage racing events with a previous Italian
collector
Please note that this lot will need to be collected from
Brusaporto, Italy.
According to information provided by the the AC Owner's Club,
chassis number L282 left the factory on March 12, 1935 with the
British registration number CPE 73. Sporting engine number UBS 236,
it was bodied as an Aero saloon with grey paintwork and a beige
interior. It was partially built to its present form in the early
1970s utilizing its original chassis and engine, as well as correct
lights and instrumentation.
In 1974, the car was bought by David Hescroff. By that point, the
saloon body had been discarded and replaced with its current
boattail bodywork, albeit in primer, and the car was largely
unfinished as being built as a special. The chassis had also been
shortened, this was done by cutting the back of the chassis off and
relocating the rear axle and suspension accordingly. Hescroff
completed the car and ran for several years in various races and
hill climbs. In 1982, the car was sold to Nigel Phillips. Phillips
sold the car through a dealer and the car was subsequently passed
own to a gentleman in Hampshire. Throughout this time the car was
regularly modified and upgraded to improve its overall
competitiveness, such as replacing the original engine block with a
rebuilt unit, and relocating the pre-selector transmission from the
steering column to a floor shift.
The car would remain in the U.K. still wearing its original
registration number of CPE 73, until at least 2002. A previous VSCC
certificate issued in 2000 states that the car was owned by John
Gilbert Reeves at that time and was listed for sale in the U.K.
that year. Sometime thereafter, the car was exported to Italy where
it was purchased by Roberto Farneti of Ravenna. A well-known
gentleman driver, Farneti had a respectable international career in
vintage racing and entrusted the restoration of the car to an
Italian specialist of British racing cars. It is important to note
that the current engine at this time was restamped with the
original number. Importantly, the original engine still remains
with a previous owner in the U.K., and can be acquired via separate
negotiation following the successful purchase of the car.
During Farneti's ownership, he obtained a FIVA Passport in 2002 and
in 2006, the AC obtained an ASI certificate. Farneti sporadically
used the car as he was increasingly racing Formula cars and later
purchased a March, which lead him to selling this car. The
consignor acquired the car in 2017 and it has remained within his
collection in Florence ever since.
Period-built specials have always maintained a loyal following, as
they provide excellent performance, driving pleasure, and remain
competitive in events like hillclimbs and time trails. This AC
would surely be a thrill to drive and enjoy.
Should you want more information on the condition of this lot and
or discuss the possibility of an in-situ inspection, please contact
our office at
+44 (0) 20 7851 7070 or email Britta Buchmann
at
[email protected]To
view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lf20.
