1957 AC Ace-Bristol

History

Lloyd Casner built a dynamic and ambitious career in international motorsport, marked by vision, innovation, and a relentless drive to compete at the highest level. As the founder of CAMORADI – the Casner Motor Racing Division, he transformed an independent American team into a respected global racing force.

Casner made bold moves to rally national support, reaching out to the U.S. motorsport community with a promise to showcase American talent and determination on Europe’s most prestigious circuits. His passion and persuasive leadership attracted some of the world’s greatest drivers – Dan Gurney, Graham Hill, Masten Gregory, Jo Bonnier and Stirling Moss among them — and secured valuable partnerships, most notably with Maserati, for whom CAMORADI campaigned factory-supported entries.

In 1957, Lloyd “Lucky” Casner, together with partners Jim Hunt Jr. and David Lane, took a decisive step into top-tier sports car competition with the purchase of a brand-new AC Ace-Bristol, chassis BEX 310. Dispatched from the factory on 28th May 1957 and shipped to Casner, the Ace-Bristol represented the pinnacle of 2-litre production performance — a proven front-runner in SCCA competition and the car to beat in its class.

Casner wasted no time in putting BEX 310 to the test. Entered in the 1957 SCCA Fort Pierce event, he secured victory in the ‘E’ Production Class in both races — an impeccable debut that established the car’s competitive credentials from day one. Further appearances at Fort Pierce soon followed, culminating in an entry to the prestigious International Nassau Speed Week that December.

The 1958 season proved equally active and ambitious. Casner, Hunt, and Lane shared driving duties throughout a series of SCCA events across Florida and neighbouring states, before finishing an impressive 2nd at that years Nassau Speed Week, highlighting American privateer talent among world-class competition.

1959 was a quieter year for the Ace, entering a few SCCA events early in the season before BEX 310 was sold to its next custodian. The experience, however, had far-reaching consequences: these formative seasons placed Casner and his emerging CAMORADI team firmly in the spotlight, and establishing Casner’s reputation as a visionary leader in international motorsport.

Over the following years, the Ace transitioned into a different form of motorsport, participating in several Autocross events before being fitted with a V8 engine and competing on the drag strip. In 1973, BEX 310 was placed in storage, where it remained until it was purchased by its current owner in 2019.

Once repatriated to the United Kingdom, the decision was taken to restore the Ace to its original 1957 SCCA specification, as raced by Casner. The restoration was entrusted to marque expert Nigel Winchester. All modifications introduced during the car’s later competition life were reversed, including the removal of the solid rear axle fitted during its drag racing years and the reinstatement of the correct original suspension tower and leaf spring configuration. A period-correct 100D Bristol engine, originally from an Ace-Bristol exported to Venezuela, was sourced and comprehensively rebuilt by Simon Lane, with all other mechanical components also rebuilt. Cosmetically, the Ace was refinished in its original Casner livery – Old English White complemented by Oxford and Cambridge Blue racing stripes.

With the restoration completed in 2024, BEX 310 represents a rare opportunity to acquire an Ace-Bristol that competed on an international level.