AC exhibited the AC Ace roadster at the 1953 London Motor Show, the Ace was quite an advance for AC. Hiring John Tojeiro, AC were able to produce the Ace based on Toheiro's own sports cars and using his engineering skills. The following year the closed coupe AC Aceca was launched, and the body was designed to be more than just a hardtop Ace, and given an opening rear hatch for practicality. The Aceca shared the tubular steel chassis of The Ace although this was strengthened for the coupe. At launch the Aceca had the 1991cc 6-cylinder overhead cam engine that Paul Weller had been designed in 1919. Even though the Weller Six was now giving nearly 90bhp a more modern engine was needed, so AC signed a contract with Bristol for their 1971cc ohc 6-cylinder engine. This engine was not brand new, and Bristol had acquired this BMW-designed Six from Frazer-Nash as part of War reparations. The AC Ace-Bristol and AC Aceca-Bristol were both available from 1956. By 1961 Bristol were no longer able to supply their engine, and the final few Acecas were given the Ruddspeed 2.6-litre engine that was a development of Ford's Zephyr engine. Aceca production ended in 1963.