Description
Details:
Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this very rare and highly desirable Australian delivered 1936 AC 16/ 80 Sports Tourer.
It is understood that AC built only 42 16/ 80’s to special order from 1935 to 1939.
These cars were purchased in period by wealthy customers who were more often than not ‘weekend racers’.
This particular car was delivered new to its first owner Richard Wilkinson from South Yarra in Melbourne. The car was originally black in colour and it was first registered on the 21st November 1936. Wilkinson entered the car in the 1936 South Australian Centenary Grand Prix, retrospectively referred to as the 1937 Australian Grand Prix (even though run in 1936!). The event was held at Victor Harbour in South Australia on the 26th December 1936.
Wilkinson, who lost a leg in a motor racing accident at the 1932 Australian Grand Prix was intending to drive the car, but ended up handing the reins to George Martin. Interestingly, Martin is noted in the event catalogue as driving a supercharged Alfa Romeo, but that car was withdrawn with a mechanical issue.
Racing with number 26, the AC driven by Martin was understood to have diced for the lead for the majority of the race before spinning off the track and ultimately finishing twelfth.
Wilkinson didn’t keep the AC for long and it is noted as being advertised by Select Used Cars in Melbourne in December 1937. The car passed through a number of owners over the forty years before being acquired by well known classic car enthusiast Geoff Dowdle.
Dowdle acquired the car in May 1977 and restored the car over a 16 year period.
The current owner acquired the car some 24 years ago. Back in 2003 the engine was rebuilt by the Delage Garage in Cremorne, Melbourne. There are detailed receipts and a number of photographs on file of the work undertaken.
This car has a huge history file with documented ownership from new. Dowdle restored the car to a very high standard with a number of sympathetic upgrades. The upgrades included fitting hydraulic brakes on all four wheels, 16” wheels running 205R16 tyres (for safety) in lieu of the original 19” wheels running 4. 75 – 5. 00 – 19 tyres, an upgraded steering box from a Jaguar MkV, upgraded rear axle and differential as well as other improvements. It is also understood that when the body was restored the original timber frame was replaced with a steel frame.
Today this fabulous AC 16/ 80 Sports Tourer presents resplendently. The dark blue paint work is in very good condition, with some very minor blemishes here and there. The trademark tall AC grill and ‘greyhound of the road’ mascot are a real feature. These, along with the headlights and horns are all in very good condition. The painted wire wheels with chromed AC embossed wheel spinners are in similarly good condition and subtly compliment the dark blue paint.
The interior is simplistic but very businesslike. The polished aluminium dash fascia looks fabulous and houses a well laid out cluster of instruments and switches. The upholstery and carpets are all in good condition, showing light patina.
Under the bonnet everything is neat, clean and tidy. AC’s 1, 991cc six cylinder engine along with ancillaries takes up most of the space. There is also a timber covered compartment that sits against the firewall which houses the battery and provides two storage compartments for tools.
The devil is in the detail and on this car you will find AC logos everywhere. In addition to the wheel spinners, they are on the pedals (like the early Alfa Romeos), the gear lever and on different parts of the engine.
Once you fire the car up the car’s competition pedigree is obvious. The engine and exhaust note are fabulous. Our recent test drive around inner suburban Melbourne streets was a far cry from how George Martin would have been driving the car between the seaside towns of Port Elliot and Victor Harbor back on the 26th December 1936. But, we did manage to find a few quiet streets where the car could stretch its legs. The engine pulled strongly through the rev range and the gear changes up and down the box were relatively smooth. The car felt surprisingly firm on the road and the hydraulic brakes give the car far better stopping power than you would expect.
The documentation on file includes a list of all AC 16-80’s built and it confirms that this car retains its original matching numbers engine.
Accompanying this car is an exceptional history file which includes some fabulous period photos of the car at various events, an owner’s manual, the original 19” wheels and drums brakes as well as many spare parts.
It is noteworthy that a 1937 AC 16/ 80 Sports Tourer was exhibited in the European Classic Sport Class at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. A very similar car to the example we have on offer was exhibited in the British Prewar Sports Late class at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Price AUD $289, 950.
Background:
The AC story is a fascinating one. In 1903 a 20hp four cylinder motor vehicle, known as a Weller, was built. It was the brainchild of John Weller, a talented engineer and designer, and John Portwine, a butcher and talented businessman who financed the venture. The Weller never made it into production and the duo decided to focus their attention on building a cheap and reliable three wheeled commercial vehicle. The Auto-Carrier as it was known was powered by a single cylinder 631cc engine, it had chain drive from the engine to the single rear wheel and it had tiller steering. The Auto-Carrier proved to be more efficient than the traditional horse and cart of the day and the vehicle was a resounding success.
In 1907 a passenger version of the Auto-Carrier was built and it was called the Sociable. The Company was renamed Auto Carriers Limited in 1911 and had to relocate to new bigger facilities in Thames Ditton in Surrey. The company went from strength to strength and whilst the First World War temporarily derailed the car business it was post war that really defined AC. Weller designed a six cylinder alloy overhead cam engine that with ongoing development remained in production from 1919 to 1963.
AC continued to grow and it built some wonderful cars throughout the 1920’s, 1930’s and 1940’s. During this time AC’s cars achieved a number of significant time and distance records as well as race results.
AC built around 850 cars throughout the 1920’s, with the 16/ 40, 16/ 56 and 16/ 66 models offered at that time. Their cars evolved into the 1930’s, spawning the 16/ 60, 16/ 70, 16/ 80 and 16/ 90 models. It is understood that AC built just over 600 cars in that time.
Perhaps AC’s most significant prewar model was the AC 16/ 80. It is understood that AC built only 42 16/ 80’s to special order from 1935 to 1939. Of these 42 cars, 28 were fitted with the ‘slab tank’ body with the squared off back and two spare wheels attached to the fuel tank. The other 14 cars were fitted with a ‘sloping tail’ body. The AC 16-80 was built on a relatively short chassis of 8’ 10” designed for competition use. They are light and nimble to drive and in period always very competitive in their class in motorsports events.
Subsequent AC models that were introduced post the Second World War were the AC 2. 0 Litre, AC Petiti and the John Tojeiro designed AC Ace that as first introduced in 1953. Powered by AC’s proven two litre overhead cam straight-six engine now good for 100 hp, this elegant aluminium bodied two seat sports racing car proved to be a huge success. It was soon joined by a coupe or hard top version called the Aceca and later a 2+2 version called the Greyhound. By the mid 1950’s the AC power plant was seen as inadequate and by 1956 AC offered the car with the option of Bristol’s two litre six cylinder engine with triple carburettors giving significantly improved performance. In the early 1960’s American automotive icon Carroll Shelby needed a new platform to race and approached AC with the idea to install a big American V8 engine in their AC Ace. Ford came to the party and agreed to supply their Windsor V8 engines for the car. The rest, as they say, is history and the Shelby Cobra went on to become a legend.
