Pics of the AC factory in Thames Ditton UK

[KevinW]

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.

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.