Pics of the AC factory in Thames Ditton UK

[KevinW]

thought some folks might like to see some pics of the AC Thames Ditton factory, where the Ace, 289 and 427 chassis and bodies were produced.

Although I was barely out of nappies (dypers) when these were taken, it reminds me of an age gone by.....

Thames Ditton Factory

- lots of other interesting stuff on the same site. ACHeritage is based at the Brooklands museum and well worth a visit if any of you are visiting in the UK.

[Nedsel]

Gee. That's kinda like looking at photos of the house where my wife was born.

[marcocsx3121]

I made a pilgrimage to Thames Ditton while on one of my business trips to the U.K. in 2000. It's a quiet, picturesque little village on a bend in the river, replete with ducks and water lilies. I had to ask three people where the AC works had been before a gent pointed me to a nondescript red brick structure. I did find a small, bronze plaque on a wall telling of the site's glory days.

[Nedsel]

Mark, I'm curious - did you happen to see a "bunch of winos under a bridge" that Carroll says used to build the Cobras, or would they all have relocated by this time?

[marcocsx3121]

Ned:

As you can see from the photo, the bridge is still there, but I have to believe that the winos have passed into history.

[Murky781]

That's a great site. Thank you for posting that.

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by Nedsel

Mark, I'm curious - did you happen to see a "bunch of winos under a bridge" that Carroll says used to build the Cobras, or would they all have relocated by this time?

Were there any piles of aluminum beer cans in the area?
First 100 Cobras - Shelby - YouTube

[Trevor Legate]

I got all the beer cans - traded 'em as scrap. And to think I could have a built a repleeka, darn it! Another million dollars lost.

How's your beer-can car running Jim...? :-)

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by Trevor Legate

I got all the beer cans - traded 'em as scrap. And to think I could have a built a repleeka, darn it! Another million dollars lost.

How's your beer-can car running Jim...? :-)

Trevor, It's running well and fortunately not being one of the first 100 the body is not too wavy

It is however sometimes cleaned with beer.

[Nedsel]

Yes, Jim, and a good number of us have seen that wash method, as well as the photos of it. What brand is your favorite wash beer?

[Trevor Legate]

In the UK we use Perrier water mixed with unicorns milk. Or Dom Perignon if all else fails...

[A-Snake]

Originally Posted by Trevor Legate

In the UK we use Perrier water mixed with unicorns milk. Or Dom Perignon if all else fails...

Would that be because the Perrier and Dom are too cold to drink?

[KevinW]

Originally Posted by marcocsx3121

I made a pilgrimage to Thames Ditton while on one of my business trips to the U.K. in 2000. It's a quiet, picturesque little village on a bend in the river, replete with ducks and water lilies. I had to ask three people where the AC works had been before a gent pointed me to a nondescript red brick structure. I did find a small, bronze plaque on a wall telling of the site's glory days.

Marco - your pic is, erm very british!


To give the AC factory story a bit more depth, the AC R&D department was (please correct me if Im wrong Trevor) located at Tagg's Island.

Here is the modern website of the island, named after Tagg's boat building business about a century beforehand....

TAGGS ISLAND

and some interesting stuff here if you scroll down.....

Tagg's Island 2

- which is now largely residential, but if visiting the UK you can indulge yourself with Bed & Breakfast on the island if booked in advance.

As for the Thames Ditton factory, here you go:

Thames Ditton Virtual Village - ac2Towards Post Office

and the pre-Ace tojeiro special here

Thames Ditton Virtual Village - AC Showroom forecourt

with more AC Thames Ditton stuff here
Thames Ditton Virtual Village - AC Factory and Cars

Here is the aforementioned factory plaque

AC Cars Thames Ditton | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

and a photo gallery of the AC lineage

AC_Cars

the Ferry works factory was somewhere near here
KT7 0QJ - Google Maps

by coincidence, I knew this road very well, as a shortcut i used to drive through it everyday as a student in Kingston-upon-Thames in the 80s.

but Giggs Hll Green factory i beleive is now a housing estate.

and finally, i think you'll like this

http://www.automotivearticles.com/up...00andstaff.jpg

taken very shortly before final closure and the disastrous move to Malta.

I hope to attend the Thames Diton AC cars anniversery do later this month. Hopefully i will get some pics then - fingers crossed.

[london]

Originally Posted by KevinW

I hope to attend the Thames Ditton AC cars anniversery do later this month. Hopefully i will get some pics then - fingers crossed.

Are you planning to park the Crendon on Giggs Hill Green? If so, I wish you all the best with the gentlemen of the AC Owners Club!

[Trevor Legate]

Go by bus Kevin - or you'll kick off another flamin' riot!!! Getting a slap round the back of the head with a rolled up Daily Telegraph is no fun.

Having waded through all the recent dross on the website, I think we can assume all replicas are very much banned. (I was at the Haynes Day when even the MkIV's were - very rudely - kicked out) Be warned. ;-)

[london]

Without doing a thorough inspection, I think they would have trouble determining whether the Crendon is real or not (assuming the Crendon has a period registration number). The side indicators are probably the giveaway.

[Trevor Legate]

True - when even a certain AC 'expert' had trouble recognising a MkIV, impact bumpers, headrests and all....my didn't we (not) laugh? Thar was an object lesson in how to kiss goodbye to club members.

[KevinW]

Crikey - Im slightly shocked - not that replicas are not wanted, but that the ACOC even kicks out its own. I'd be very unhappy if I'd spent £70k+ on a car with a right to call itself AC, then make the effort to support the owners club, and then got given marching orders. I havent ruled out getting myself a MkIV at some point in the future, i hope the story isnt characteristic. But I have now been tempted to put the cat among the pigeons at some point in the future tho'.....

.... why is there such an attitude in the UK when it doesnt seem to exist state-side?

Luckily(?!) my car isnt on the road yet - i intend to show up and park the jap tintop well away from the ali and tweed.

As to authenticity, there are a few things which i am well aware of that can tdifferentiate a crendon from the genuine article..... and I have been spending some time putting some of the anorak detail right - been making white fibreglass footboxes, which has been fun to learn how, but also a pain to get a high quality finnish.

[london]

Originally Posted by Trevor Legate

True - when even a certain AC 'expert' had trouble recognising a MkIV, impact bumpers, headrests and all....my didn't we (not) laugh? Thar was an object lesson in how to kiss goodbye to club members.

I had a run-in on the ACOC website over discussing replicas - I don't think there was any malice involved, but I felt at the time that a rather rigid approach was being taken. Whilst I can understand AC owners wishing to discuss the various models of ACs (rather than Pilgrim or DAX replicas), given that the Cobra isn't a pure AC product, I don't think it would do the club any harm to have a separate register for cars sympathetic to the originals - Hawks, Kirkhams, Superformance and latter-day Shelbys come to mind.

I am currently raising the issue of a registry for Continuation Cars on that site (under 'Chafford' - I've moved since registering here!) so that cars like Gus Meyjes' excellent 260 engined 2004 continuation 'Ace' are properly recognised at the club.

[london]

Originally Posted by KevinW

Crikey - Im slightly shocked - not that replicas are not wanted, but that the ACOC even kicks out its own. I'd be very unhappy if I'd spent £70k+ on a car with a right to call itself AC, then make the effort to support the owners club, and then got given marching orders. I havent ruled out getting myself a MkIV at some point in the future, i hope the story isnt characteristic. But I have now been tempted to put the cat among the pigeons at some point in the future tho'.....

.... why is there such an attitude in the UK when it doesnt seem to exist state-side?

Luckily(?!) my car isnt on the road yet - i intend to show up and park the jap tintop well away from the ali and tweed.

As to authenticity, there are a few things which i am well aware of that can tdifferentiate a crendon from the genuine article..... and I have been spending some time putting some of the anorak detail right - been making white fibreglass footboxes, which has been fun to learn how, but also a pain to get a high quality finnish.

I don't think it's typical, the Mk IV register (which covers the derivitives such as the CRS and Superblower) is one of the most active in the club and the owners appear to be approachable. Having said that, one South African CRS (Carbon Road Series) owner recently reported that he received disparaging comments about his eligibility for membership because his CRS wasn't a 'real' AC. There's similar bewilderment amongst some of the US owners. Nevertheless, you'll have plenty of allies if you join the club or buy a Mk IV!