AC 428 Coupés fall back into range
These stylish grand tourers are looking more tempting with each passing day.
I’ve been a fan of the AC 428 since I was in short trousers but I’m increasingly tantalised to see prices creeping downwards. In July a very decent ’69 auto fhc at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed sale sold for just £59,800, including premium. An original UK car, and one of just 51 coupés built, chassis CF46 (registered WNJ 179H), was stored at the AC factory for 13 years and then sat occasionally used in various collections – the last foreign one for 12 years. This older restoration was shiny, straight and remarkably rust-free, with a fine magnolia hide interior, good underbonnet detailing and sitting on period-correct chrome Borranis. It looked picture-perfect.
There was 5% VAT to pay, and it needed recommissioning, but with a credible 34,000 miles, known history and past data with the AC Owners’ Club, it was one of the cheapest examples I’ve come across for many years. Interestingly CF46 was sold by Bonhams at its Hendon sale in May 2012 for £77,660, so the current vendor took a bit of a hit.
These powerful grand tourers were AC’s pitch at the sophisticated Aston Martin/Maserati market, but beneath the Frua-styled bodywork sat a lengthened Cobra MkIII chassis – so coil-sprung at least – and a 7.0-litre Ford V8.
The FOS auction also had a very rare manual 1969 428 fhc – one of only six made – offered by the same vendor, which sold for £80,900. This was another fine 428, restored in the Eighties, sitting on factory Wolfrace alloys with some interesting recollections by early owners detailed on the AC Owners’ Club forum. Chassis CF42 was originally registered PNT 553G and came from the factory in silver but was now red.
With some research I’d guess you’d find that this über-rare manual may be a significant 428 – most of the six manuals had an interesting past with some featured in period magazine road tests – but this one had lost its considerable paper history that stretched back to the Eighties. The vendor was forced to take a £55,500 bath on this one (plus auction costs), having bought it at Silverstone Auctions in 2011 for £136,400. Moral of story – lose the service history and you’ll lose a large chunk of value. But for the enterprising new keepers of these two ACs, they were very well bought indeed.
- VALUE 2022 £130k
- VALUE NOW £125k
‘It was sold by Bonhams in May 2012 for £77,660, so the current vendor took a bit of a hit’