Quote:
Originally Posted by marcocsx3121
I made a pilgrimage to Thames Ditton while on one of my business trips to the U.K. in 2000. It's a quiet, picturesque little village on a bend in the river, replete with ducks and water lilies. I had to ask three people where the AC works had been before a gent pointed me to a nondescript red brick structure. I did find a small, bronze plaque on a wall telling of the site's glory days.
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Marco - your pic is, erm very british!
To give the AC factory story a bit more depth, the AC R&D department was (please correct me if Im wrong Trevor) located at Tagg's Island.
Here is the modern website of the island, named after Tagg's boat building business about a century beforehand....
TAGGS ISLAND
and some interesting stuff here if you scroll down.....
Tagg's Island 2
- which is now largely residential, but if visiting the UK you can indulge yourself with Bed & Breakfast on the island if booked in advance.
As for the Thames Ditton factory, here you go:
Thames Ditton Virtual Village - ac2Towards Post Office
and the pre-Ace tojeiro special here
Thames Ditton Virtual Village - AC Showroom forecourt
with more AC Thames Ditton stuff here
Thames Ditton Virtual Village - AC Factory and Cars
Here is the aforementioned factory plaque
AC Cars Thames Ditton | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
and a photo gallery of the AC lineage
AC_Cars
the Ferry works factory was somewhere near here
KT7 0QJ - Google Maps
by coincidence, I knew this road very well, as a shortcut i used to drive through it everyday as a student in Kingston-upon-Thames in the 80s.
but Giggs Hll Green factory i beleive is now a housing estate.
and finally, i think you'll like this
http://www.automotivearticles.com/up...00andstaff.jpg
taken very shortly before final closure and the disastrous move to Malta.
I hope to attend the Thames Diton AC cars anniversery do later this month. Hopefully i will get some pics then - fingers crossed.