Yep.
BA used as his guiding standard, the Aston Martin design, construction detail and workmanship. He would have loved to slip the new FORD all aly stroker 351 in some lightweights for us at a very fair price. Though, mind you, at the peak prices in about 1992 or so, he was getting £99K+ and a few much more than that amount. (And even a few much less.
) That quality standard shows in spades on the MKIV's. He was the best thing that ever happened to AC, subsequent to the wonderful Shelby cars of the sixties. The Hurlock brothers & son worked very hard to produce all those 289/427 cars from 1962 to 1967+. CS hasn't been able to do the same since, despite his derisive laughter at their rather archaic methods and apprenticed skills. But, maybe he can get it straight eventually. i would like to see it happen. i would bet on JP, though.
i have mentioned here previously that there were no tasks in the shop that Brian couldn't do himself, to a top standard. HE set the quality standard by showing people how he wanted it done and he did not suffer fool's chances very sweetly, either.
Why should he? He knew the customer wanted and knew they would pay for it crafted as perfect as is humanly possible... like an Aston Martin. He knew price was not the issue. He was not wrong.
His drive for design & mfg perfection would have dove-tailed nicely into Carroll's drive for race-team winning performance, but they were from two different generations, separated by a common language; a builder and a promoter. Brian's insufferance and Carroll's mouth doomed them to antagony. FORD's wishy-washy on-again off-again flip/flops screwed them both. Like GM, FORD is paying today's price for their long-ambivalent customer concerns.
But, Brian's perfectionisms and FORD's wierd flip/flop 302/modular engine availability was perhaps the principal causes of the real AC Cars Limited's demise with the new ACE, plus a viscious and irresponsible local bank
manager.
But, as even MKIV will tell you while you are shaving, Dr. Muck, all things come to an end, too frequently a sad end.
But, it was a great run, wasn't it? Carroll in the sixties and Brian in the eighties and nineties.
i think there is even more to come. But, Eleanore's?
Not for me, thanks.
Today, however, is a new day and there are new alligators to wrestle in the sunlight.
