AC's A98 Coupe

Specialk · #1 (**permalink**) 08-04-2003, 03:24 PM

I was sent some good photos of AC's coupe, A98. I put them here: A98 Photo Gallery I don't know much about them, so I won't be any help answering questions! I hope you enjoy!

PDHse · #2 (**permalink**) 08-12-2003, 09:49 PM

Great pictures, the modern ones look like they were taken at the back of the A.C. factory in Vickers industrial estate near Brooklands. I visited there once just before the boss Brian Angliss left. That truley is a gorgeous looking car, i saw it once in 97 at Goodwood.

Excaliber · #3 (**permalink**) 08-12-2003, 10:20 PM

Hey, isnt this the "interpretation" of the Shelby Coupe done by AC designers without "input" from Shelby? I think it is.

....not sure what it all means, but the possibilities could "really" open a can of worms on the subject.

Ernie, the hell rasier

nikbj68 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-12-2003, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Excaliber

Hey, isnt this the "interpretation" of the Shelby Coupe done by AC designers without "input" from Shelby? I think it is.
....not sure what it all means, but the possibilities could "really" open a can of worms on the subject.

I`m not quite sure what can of worms this 'opens', but it certainly did open one back in`64! When it was tested at 183mph on the M1 motorway which at that time was unrestricted(no speed limit) there was outrage in the national press, questions asked in the House of Commons, etc. and people STILL blame it for the introduction of the 70mph speed limit that we still have to this day.(Note: It may have been a nail in the coffin, but wasn`t THE reason the limit came in.)OK, it was going fast, but it was driven by Jack Sears, at about 2 in the morning,on a deserted stretch of road.
The car is now fully restored by Barrie Bird, one of the most highly respected AC restorers & gets occasional trips out to important events such as Le Mans a year or 2 ago.

Excaliber · #5 (**permalink**) 08-13-2003, 12:31 AM

OK,,,,I'll just open the can a little bit. The stying is pretty close to the Coupe. I wonder what the internal (suspension, engine, etc.) components were like? I'm also wondering what Shelby thought of the whole deal, at the time. Being as he was partnered with AC, I guess it was no big deal?

I had heard rumors about that speed limit thing linked to one car. Interesting!! So I guess it was THIS car.

Ernie

Jamo · #6 (**permalink**) 08-13-2003, 02:00 AM

I have always loved that car. Thanks for da pics.

computerworks · #7 (**permalink**) 08-13-2003, 04:19 AM

yes, Ernie.... it...was...no big deal.

Excaliber · #8 (**permalink**) 08-13-2003, 08:30 AM

Thanks Ron,,,,I needed that.

So, what kind of running gear did they use?

Ernie

nikbj68 · #9 (**permalink**) 08-13-2003, 10:42 PM

A98 was a nearly standard 289 Leafspring chassis, but the design for the body has more 'influence' from the likes of the Ferrari 250 GTO (as this was the car they wanted to beat at LeMans)& Mercedes(check out those air deflectors over the wheel arches). There was no direct Shelby involvement, unlike on the Willment Coupe. Willment actually had designs from Shelby & I think John Olsen came over here 'on loan' to give his input.

nikbj68 · #10 (**permalink**) 08-13-2003, 10:48 PM

....It seems hard to believe now of a factory team, but A98 didn`t arrive back from being bodied until just before the LeMans practice session, so it was registered & taxed for road use then driven to Le Mans, unpainted,with I think, dummy headlights! AAAaahh. The Good ol` days!!! I know that 39 PH was one of the last cars EVER to be driven TO & FROM LeMans, Geez, even my Dad trailered it to & from every race.

Jim Holden · #11 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 06:22 AM

Spec:

Beautiful car.

Am I correct that it looks like they have now substituted 427SC style wheels for the original FIA's?

Jim

pderouss · #12 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 09:17 AM

The recent pictures outside the factory were almost certainly taken in mid 2001 when it was being prepared for the the historic Le Mans race. The BMW X5 in the background was being used at that time by Allan Lubinsky. I saw it there at the time but stupidly did not take any photos as the disc drive in my camera was full.

There is a full section on the car in Simon Taylor and Peter Burn's book "AC Heritage" with some nice mid 90's photos of it. In these it still wears FIA style wheels. I presume these were changed for the 2001 Le Mans race. I don't think I'd want to race for any extended period on magnesium wheels that could be almost 40 years old.

All the other facts in this thread are, I believe, correct, including the connection with the speed limit. I can remember as a kid reading about it in the papers - maybe that's where my passion started.

Jack Sears still farms in the UK and keeps in touch with one of my farmer neighbours. His sister used to live just up the road from us and sold her house to a close friend of ours who used to head up Ford of Europe's product planning.

nikbj68 · #13 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 10:41 PM

I think the wheels are harder to identify due to the 'better than new' restoration, they are now polished to a mirror finish, whereas originally they would have been the more familiar dullish mag finish (and rarely even cleaned....let alone polished?)

Jack Sears is still quite active in the Historic Racing scene, having run the Galaxie he drove so succesfully in `63 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed & (I think) in the Goodwood revival earlier this month.
His son David runs a succesful Formula 3 team I think.

pderouss · #14 (**permalink**) 09-21-2003, 04:40 AM

I took a closer look at the pictures in the book and in fact the front wheels were FIA pattern but the rears are 427. They are all painted black - including the rims. The fronts on the later photos on this site look like 427 spokes to me and I presume that magnesium would not polish up that brightly. Can't find any trace of Jack Sears in the Revival program but he may have been one of the T.B.C. drivers in the St Mary's Trophy.

blip · #15 (**permalink**) 11-19-2015, 06:24 AM

I know this is a very old thread, but I just thought I'd post this video I made a couple of years ago. It actually features Nik (nikbj68 in previous posts on this thread) at the wheel of my Ram Shelby Cobra. Little did he know, 10 years later, after his last post on this thread, he would be chasing down AC A98, on a Scottish Highlands road:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOSz6PAGkAU&feature=iv&annotation_id=534eb c7f-0-2410-a3ba-1a113a8c20&src_vid=wycXEQjMGjE[/ame]

cycleguy55 · #16 (**permalink**) 11-19-2015, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Specialk

I was sent some good photos of AC's coupe, A98. I put them here: A98 Photo Gallery I don't know much about them, so I won't be any help answering questions! I hope you enjoy!

That link didn't work for me - some kind of Japanese divorce detective site!

Here's one that did work - it has a number of photos, including a couple showing body bucks. A 98

I like the Daytona Coupe, but also like the look of the A98. To my eye the nose shows Ferrari GTO influences, is slightly longer and lower, as well as a bit less rounded than the Daytona Coupe - I like that.

The 'eyelids' above the wheel arches show MB SLR influences, and I'm less keen on their look - though perhaps I'd warm up to them if I had that car in my garage!

Perhaps one of the Coupe replica manufacturers could tweak their offering to include an A98 option. Doubtful, but deserving.

Some more photos here: https://www.facebook.com/ZGTcar/posts/1578393725715812

crenbbf · #17 (**permalink**) 11-19-2015, 02:16 PM

Brings back fond memories

cheers

Thor maine · #18 (**permalink**) 11-19-2015, 02:29 PM

I always liked the AC coupe A98 design better than the Shelby Daytona.

blip · #19 (**permalink**) 11-19-2015, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crenbbf

Brings back fond memories

That was a great day – Must do it again, soon.