Sale 15344 - Important Sports, Competition and Collectors' Motor Cars, Fine Automobilia, 31 Aug 2007
Goodwood Revival, Chichester, Sussex
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Lot No: 251
Owned from new by Cyril Wick, Esq
1969 AC 428 Convertible
Coachwork by Carrozzeria Frua
Registration no. SOE 827H
Chassis no. CF12
Engine no. 7L105
Estimate: £40,000 - 50,000
Footnote:
The concept of Italian styling coupled with American V8 horsepower was well established by the late 1960s, and no doubt influenced AC Cars’ decision to reconfigure its fire-breathing Cobra sportscar as a luxury Grand Routier. A Cobra MkIII coil-suspended chassis was extended by 6” in the wheelbase and despatched to Italy to be clothed in elegant steel coachwork by Pietro Frua, the result looking not unlike the latter’s Maserati Mistral. The first car, a two-seater convertible, was completed in time for the 1965 Earls Court Motor Show, while the following year’s Geneva Salon saw the launch of an even more sensational fastback-styled coupe. Although the 428cu in (7-litre) Ford Galaxie engine that gave the model its name produced less power than the Cobra 427’s, the 345bhp on tap was capable of delivering all the performance that customers desired. Shrugging off the car’s 1,416kgs weight and seemingly unhampered by the automatic transmission, as fitted to the majority of cars, this stupendous engine enabled road testers to record sub-six-second 0-60mph times and 0-100mph times of around 14.5 seconds, with a maximum speed in excess of 140mph. Hampered by an inflated price - the 428 cost considerably more than the contemporary Aston Martin DB6 - production never attained Cobra levels, a mere 80 being made between 1966 and 1973, the split being 51 convertibles and 29 coupés.
This superb AC 428 Convertible was purchased new in 1969 by Cyril Wick, all-round racing motorist and engineering test driver, whose Cooper-Jaguar served as a mobile laboratory for his company’s metal-coating technology, as recorded in The Light Car, July 1955 (copies available). Driving an Allard J2 and then the ex-Peter Whitehead Cooper-Jaguar, Cyril Wick featured regularly in the press reports of the early 1950s as a frequent winner of circuit races, hill climbs and sprints. Sadly, his racing career was prematurely terminated by a high-speed shunt in 1955, just after he had signed to contest the long distance classics as a member of the famous Ecurie Ecosse.
Following his retirement from the racetrack, Cyril owned a succession of AC sports cars before acquiring the 428 in 1969. His close association with Allard had endeared him to the virtues of the large V8 engine – principally abundant low-down torque, solid and simple engineering, and low cost of spares and maintenance - so when AC announced the 428 it seemed the obvious choice.
‘The car was well suited to my personal and business requirements,’ Cyril explained. ‘She was an instant success and much admired, serving as a useful PR tool for impressing important industrial clients. She became very much part of our family - never driven hard, maintained regardless of cost and always kept garaged. At our engineering works in Hatfield she was privileged to have her own garage built. Never has a woman been so loved!’
In 1994 the car was treated to a major ‘ground upwards’ restoration, supervised by Chris Maye (since deceased) at AC, costing in excess of £20,000 (bills available). Approximately 120,000 miles have been covered to date, around 70,000 of them since a new engine and transmission were installed following the seizure of an hydraulic tappet in the original motor, while use in recent years has been confined to high days and holidays only.
As a fine example of its type, Cyril’s AC 428 was featured in Classic Cars magazine (November 2004 edition) in a comparison test alongside a Maserati Mistral and Ferrari 330GTS (copies available). Classic Cars was well impressed by the 428’s apparent effortlessness: ‘The AC is flicked forward on a raised eyebrow of torque: 462ft/lb peaking at a shoulder-shrugging 2,800rpm. Left to its own devices, the 428 will out-run the Ferrari up to 90mph and just beat it over a standing quarter-mile, all without appearing to exert itself.’ Small wonder that Cyril Wick loves V8s.
The AC is for sale solely due to Cyril’s advancing years and his increased duties as the senior member of his family, which have severely curtailed opportunities for enjoying the car. A most elegant, Italian-styled, Anglo-American Gran Turismo representing excellent value for money, ‘SOE 827H’ is offered with the aforementioned documentation, current road fund licence, MoT to 7th September 2007 and Swansea V5 registration document. To be collected from the vendor post-sale, a generous quantity of spares (full list available) comes with the car to include a new water pump, new fuel pump, original tool kit, original radio and loudspeaker, wheel hammer and six chromed wire wheels.
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