Equipment
1971/120hp, 4-speed, painted wire wheels, Avon tires, side exhaust, banjo steering wheel, side curtains, tools, jack.
Condition
#3 Good
Runs and drives well. Flaws not noticeable to passersby. Most common condition.
Sold new in the DC area and remained there for years. In a family garage before being pulled out and put into the Jim Taylor collection in 2010. Mechanically sorted but kept cosmetically as original as possible. The finishes are all faded and the body is crunched in a couple of spots around the grille. Severe paint cracking behind the seats. Carpets are worn through to the floor in several spots. The seats are severely deteriorated and some rips are glued. Charming in its preservation, but you’d really have to be into unrestored cars to fall in love with this one.
Market commentary
This Ace-Bristol looks like a beater but drives like a fully done car. That combo isn't for everyone, but for those who appreciate originality it is a real treat. Broad Arrow sold the car out of the Jim Taylor collection, where preservation was a major theme, in 2022 for $252,500. It was more at home in that sale than among the many shiny coachbuilt European things at RM Sotheby's Monterey. Regardless, this is a modest but not cheap result.