[Steve Cassani]

The rivets are a relic from the competition cars. Beginning with the Le Mans model cars manufactured for competition by AC in '64 the aluminum adjacent to the body support tube at the front of the hood was rivited to the tube. The competition cars showed evidence of strain in this area as air buffeting from under the car pushed against the closed hood. The aluminum was pulling away from the supporting tube. The rivets reinforce the join.

Several of todays replics repeat the rivet pattern, including cars that are manufactured in fiberglass and have no need for reinforcement. The 'rivits' on my Superformance are purely cosmetic and a buyer has the option to delete them from the completed body.