1934 AC 16/66hp Coupé
Only 12 examples of this close-coupled coupé were produced by AC’s Thames Ditton works, making it among the rarest pre-war British sports cars.
Motor Sport magazine’s 1934 road test praised it as having “unimpeachable manners” and noted the car could “maintain a steady 70 m.p.h. without effort and take fast curves in good style.” The test car achieved a timed top speed of 80 mph with the windscreen lowered.
The elegant bodywork featured polished mahogany trim in-filled with rattan and decorative landau irons. AC offered the 16/66 in numerous configurations including four-seater sports, drophead coupés, and various saloon body styles.
Power came from John Weller’s renowned 1,991cc overhead-camshaft six-cylinder engine, first introduced in 1922. The all-aluminum powerplant developed about 66 horsepower at 3,500 rpm, fed by three S.U. carburetors.
For 1933, AC replaced its long-serving three-speed transaxle with a conventional four-speed gearbox, accompanied by a new chassis and Bendix brakes. Following the Hurlock brothers’ 1930 takeover, AC increasingly focused on sporting cars for discerning enthusiasts.
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