PRODUCTION RUN

of AC's post-war 2 Litre Saloon, Drop-Head and Buckland.

Production Run/Modifications in Brief

1946: Prototype chassis L800, fitted with pre-war style DH body, first registered in April.

1947: Prototype Saloon L801 first registered in January. Model officially launched in March. First production cars appeared on the roads in October. Approx. 15 cars produced by the end of the year, mostly exported. Various detail features of the prototype were dropped after the first few cars were built (such as early type hub-cap design, and trafficators moved from behind doors, to behind side windows).

1948: Rear wheel spats dropped early in year. Louvres added to front inner-wings. First Drop-Head Coup (DHC) appeared, complete with fixed side windows. Another DHC (without the side windows) was also built and appeared at the Geneva Motor Show, sporting the newer design of windscreen with metal frame. This windscreen was adopted for general production later that year. ENV axle (instead of Moss) was tried out on chassis EL922 (EL prefix indicates that ENV axle was fitted from new). First Buckland Tourer appeared.

1949: ENV axle was gradually phased into general use. Rear track increased to 4ft 8in (from 4ft 7in) and axle ratio changed from 4.625:1 to 4.55:1. Side and tail lamps changed to the Lucas L488 style in the mid/late part of that year (around chassis EL1200).

1950: Tubular dampers replaced the Girling lever-arms from chassis EL1307 (many earlier cars then received this mod.). Rear side windows could be opened from chassis EL1318. Tyres changed from 5.50 x 17 to 6.70 x 16 (giving them about the same rolling radius) from chassis EL1403 (DH Coup cars had this change earlier). Bonnet vents increased from 2 to 3 on each half. In September, scuttle vents were introduced, just above the wings. DHC production (export only) ceased.

1951: Pistons changed from Specialoid to Wellworthy, indicated by a "W" suffix to engine numbers. Metalastic damper added to front end of crankshaft from engine UMB1802-W. Dials and switches changed from black to cream coloured. Prototype 4 door Saloon was built.

1952: Rear brakes changed to hydraulic from chassis EH1807 (the AC manuals state EH1806), indicated by the "EH" prefix. 4 Door Saloon and new type of DHC launched in October. The new Drop-Head had much larger window area, a fully fold away hood, and boot enlarged by omitting the usual fuel tank, and fitting two smaller tanks under the front wings. Both of these new cars had a revised design of quarter-light window with plated surround, and conventional catch/operation for opening the window. The DHC never went into production after the prototype was built.

The 4 Door Saloon started to appear late in 1952. About a dozen 2 door Saloons built during late 1952/early 1953 were not registered until about 1954/55, and so they still retain early features (such as vertically ribbed seats). Perhaps the 2 door model was hard to sell once the 4 door was available?

1953: More detail changes to passenger compartment fittings including a cheaper aluminium doorstep plate instead of the chrome-plated brass plate. Buckland ceased building their version of the 2 Litre, but AC constructed a small number with the same body style (both cut-away and straight topped doors) during the year, known as the 2 Litre Sports Tourer. 4 Door Saloons made up most of the rest of that year's production.

1954: Mostly 4 Door Saloons built that year.

1955: Later CL prefixed series of AC engines started to be fitted to the Saloons, from chassis EH2082. Fewer than 20 Saloons produced (2 and 4 Door). By this time, they were only built to special order, now that the factory was in full swing with Ace and Aceca sales.

1956: Production down to single figures for the year. Many of the final Saloons had lights, dials and other fittings from the Ace/Aceca.

1957: Just one Saloon registered at the start of the year - a 4 Door.

1958: Final two Saloons were completed, both 2 Door examples.


Production numbers

1296 chassis produced. Chassis numbers L800 to EH2095.

Approx. 1125 to 1130 2 Door Saloons (including 1 experimental over-slung chassis and 1 later converted to split-axle IFS).

Approx. 45 to 50 Four Door Saloons.

Approx, 15 Drop-Head Coup s.

Approx. 70 Bucklands.

Approx. 15 Two Litre Sports Tourers.

Approx. 20 chassis supplied to other companies.

1 prototype improved drop-head (1953).

1 experimental drop-head (prototype chassis), 1946.

Precise numbers of each body style are not clear, because records are sometimes conflicting (or conflict with surviving chassis).


Chassis prefixes/suffixes

"L" prefix denotes chassis with Moss rear axle (although some early chassis were later converted to ENV axle) and hydro-mechanical brakes.

"EL" prefix denotes chassis with ENV rear axle and hydro-mechanical brakes.

"EH" prefix denotes chassis with ENV rear axle and full hydraulic brakes.

"X" included in prefix (or suffix) indicates left-hand drive. Some early examples were converted to right-hand drive. Cobra articles usually claim that "X" simply means "export", but it was AC's standard practice for many years to use "X" for left-hand drive.


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Website started 29th December 2006