Another Ace buy: low-miler sells at sub-market money

I’ve often raved about Aces and regularly tipped them as a clever buy. But the 1958 example sold at the same Bonhams April sale as the Facel (left) was perhaps the shrewdest Ace buy for a very long time. Just out of 54-year ownership with long history and a believed correct mileage of only 10,100 miles from new, it had been regularly and fastidiously maintained since purchase back in 1968. It was also one of only seven home-market-delivered Aces built in 1958. Our price guide values an Ac-engined Ace at £225,000 in mint condition and £285,000 for a concours or dealer-sold example. But being so original with such a long continuous ownership and the fact that had never been restored should have pushed its value beyond the hammer price of £200,100 including premium.

To put that price into context, in March at H&H’S Duxford sale, the sorry, dismantled remains of a Ford-powered Ace with its chassis, suspension and major parts of the body missing was sold for a staggering £202,500. Aces have been creeping steadily up from around £150k in 2015 to over £200k in 2018 and, like many other classics, have flat-lined over the last few years. But to find a five-decade ownership, unrestored, tiny-mileage Ace for less than Price Guide money was truly remarkable. The moral here is when you see unmolested, original, sympathetically maintained, long ownership classics at less than market money, snap them up. Because you’re buying condition and provenance that can never, ever be replicated – no matter how much you spend at the restoration shop. Mint, unrestored survivors will become increasingly rare and valuable.

VALUE 2015 £175k VALUE NOW £285k