Auto Corporation of America | 1956-60 ACA Corona

Dat coupe

1 Like


More info soon…

12 Likes

Well this is gonna be controversial when it comes to selling the car outside of the USA :sweat_smile:

7 Likes

Note: No longer canon

ACA Lore


1965 ACA RoadCruiser Gen 2


https://i.imgur.com/9UDgsSr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ZjhbxSW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ZRbt9ic.jpg

Specification "RoadCruiser 550 Special"

Chassis

Chassis Type: Body-On-Frame
Chassis Material: Galvanised Steel
Panel Material: Steel
Engine Placement: Front Longitudinal
Front Suspension: Double Wishbone
Rear Suspension: Leaf-sprung live axle

Engine

ACA 500 Series Large Block V8 90° OHV
Displacement: 550CI (9.0L)
Block Material: Cast Iron
Header Material: Cast Iron
Fuel System: 4 Barrel Twin Carburettor
Fuel Type: 92 RON Leaded
Power: 355 hp @ 4100 RPM
Torque: 678 Nm @ 2800 RPM
Weight: 412.8 kg
Size: 147.4L

Trim

Drivetrain: Longitudinal RWD
Gearbox: 4 Speed Manual
Differential: ACA AutoLock™ Limited Slip Differential
Tyre Description: [F] P205/80R15 106Z | [R] P205/80R15 106Z
Brake Type: [F] 300mm 2 Piston Solid Disc | [R] 300mm Single Piston Solid Disc
Brake Bias: [F] 50% | [R] 50%
Undertray: n/a
Seating: Front and Rear Bucket (4 seats)
Power Steering: Hydraulic
Springs: Progressive
Dampers: Gas Mono-Tube
Sway Bars: Passive
Weight: 1899 kg
Fuel Economy: 11.5 MPG (US)

Performance

Top Speed: 156mph
0-60mph Time: 8.23s
50-80mph Time: 3.72s
Quarter Mile Time: 16.15s
Standing km Time: 27.6s
Stopping Distance: 56.3m

Price

$4,208.14 @50% Markup (Converted into 1969 Dollars)

15 Likes

You wanna start a displacement war? 'Cause I know how to play that :smirk:

4 Likes

Looks awesome. Easily one of the best uses of the recently introduced GTO body anywhere. So much power, but so much weight and thirst, and so little consideration given to turning or stopping - just as a classic muscle car should be.

1 Like

Note: No longer canon

Well after all my old cars were deleted in that one update, here’s a newly remade 1938 ACA Corona…

ACA Lore

1938 ACA Model 38 “Corona”


An original 1946 ad for the ACA Model 38 Corona.

Specification "Model 38 Corona 1946"

Chassis

Chassis Type: Body-On-Frame
Chassis Material: Steel
Panel Material: Steel
Engine Placement: Front Longitudinal
Front Suspension: Double Wishbone
Rear Suspension: Leaf-sprung live axle

Engine

ACA Flathead V8 90°
Displacement: 220CI (3.6L)
Block Material: Cast Iron
Header Material: Cast Iron
Fuel System: Single Barrel Single Carburettor
Fuel Type: 92 RON Leaded
Power: 101 hp @ 3900 RPM
Torque: 236 Nm @ 2300 RPM
Weight: 231.1 kg
Size: 57.1L

Trim

Drivetrain: Longitudinal RWD
Gearbox: 3 Speed Manual Column Shifter
Differential: Open
Tyre Description: [F] P145/115C13 110R | [R] P145/115C13 110R
Brake Type: [F] 250mm Single Leading Shoe Drum | [R] 250mm Single Leading Shoe Drum
Brake Bias: [F] 50% | [R] 50%
Undertray: n/a
Seating: Front and Rear Bench (6 seats)
Power Steering: None
Springs: Standard
Dampers: Twin-Tube
Sway Bars: Passive
Weight: 1159 kg
Fuel Economy: 11.8 MPG (UK)

Performance

Top Speed: 102mph
0-60mph Time: 14.2s
50-80mph Time: 10.3s
Quarter Mile Time: 20.10s
Standing km Time: 36.01s
Stopping Distance: 109m

Price

$1,115.95 @10% Markup (Converted into 1946 Dollars)

And heres what the car looks like without the Photoshop

Original Screenshots



22 Likes

Note: No longer canon

woot double post :stuck_out_tongue:


ACA Lore

https://i.imgur.com/EP91uuk.png

1951 ACA Model 51 “Corona”

https://i.imgur.com/k9sxEnR.jpg

Designed to replace the Model 47 Corona, the new Model 51 was also designed by ACA’s lead desginer, John Emery. This would be the last car he designed as he passed away shortly after due to polio. The concept design was shown off in the 1949 Detroit Auto Show and received much praise from journalists and critics.

https://i.imgur.com/yPXKlXM.jpg

Under the hood, sat a new ACA powerplant. The old 220 Flathead V8 was getting long in the tooth and needed a replacement. To this, ACA developed a brand new V8 engine as well as a new inline 6 engine. And thus, the 330 Flathead V8 and the 224 Flathead I6 were born. Once again, the V8 option was more popular, and with ACA’s latest development, “TwinPower™” the V8 capable of reaching over 200hp once properly tuned.

https://i.imgur.com/3A5CqTo.jpg

Inside, the Corona was even more luxurious than before. Although the front bench seats had given way to bucket seats, the level of luxury was consistent throughout the car. It had a high quality radio set and speakers as well as wood trim along the dash. The Model 51 Corona was also the first to come with the option of a two speed automatic transmission for even more luxury.

Specification "Model 51 ACA Corona 1951"

Chassis

Chassis Type: Body-On-Frame
Chassis Material: Steel
Panel Material: Steel
Engine Placement: Front Longitudinal
Front Suspension: Double Wishbone
Rear Suspension: Leaf-sprung live axle

Engine

ACA 300 Series "Twin-Power™ " Flathead V8 90°
Displacement: 303CI (5.0L)
Block Material: Cast Iron
Header Material: Cast Iron
Fuel System: Single Barrel Twin Carburettor
Fuel Type: 92 RON Leaded
Power: 161 hp @ 3700 RPM
Torque: 350 Nm @ 2500 RPM
Weight: 297.9 kg
Size: 85.8L

Trim

Drivetrain: Longitudinal RWD
Gearbox: 3 Speed Manual Column Shifter
Differential: Open
Tyre Description: [F] P180/95C14 110U | [R] P180/95C14 110U
Brake Type: [F] 275mm Single Leading Shoe Drum | [R] 275mm Single Leading Shoe Drum
Brake Bias: [F] 50% | [R] 50%
Undertray: n/a
Seating: Front Bucket and Rear Bench (5 seats)
Power Steering: None
Springs: Standard
Dampers: Twin-Tube
Sway Bars: Passive
Weight: 1714kg
Fuel Economy: 11.2 MPG (UK)

Performance

Top Speed: 118mph
0-60mph Time: 14.3s
50-80mph Time: 9.00s
Quarter Mile Time: 20.41s
Standing km Time: 35.56s
Stopping Distance: 146m

Price

$1,997.31 @20% Markup (Converted into 1951 Dollars)

16 Likes

Note: No longer canon

getting into quadruple post territory now


ACA Lore

https://i.imgur.com/EP91uuk.png
1955 ACA Apache 350 GT

Backstory: ACA-Caliban Partnership

In 1948, ACA and Caliban signed a deal regarding the future of Caliban USA. The then CEO of ACA, Kingston Conway signed the historic partnership with Lord Mach which allowed Caliban’s to be manufactured with help from ACA in ACA factories. In return, ACA would have a significant stake within Caliban.


https://i.imgur.com/wQwCmrO.jpg

In 1951, ACA felt they were lacking a model from their lineup. They had their large family car; the Model 51 “Corona”, their truck; the Model 48 “Duty” and even a medium sized family car; the ACA Coronado. So in 1952, with the help of some Caliban engineers, ACA designed their first “Sports Car”

https://i.imgur.com/c1SXMMD.jpg

The exterior was designed by the coach-builders at Alberetti S.p.A in Italy and was styled to look like a sleek European coupe with smooth flowing lines. However, underneath the car was far from European. The car sat on a Steel Backbone Chassis with Double-Wishbone front suspension and a coil sprung live rear axle. The car would be powered by ACA’s latest V8, the 350 Series V8, the first made by the company to feature overhead valves instead of the older flathead designs.

https://i.imgur.com/PVZQrI7.jpg

Inside, the car was lavished with luxury interior. It had wood trim, plush leather seats as well as a new high quality Willips Radio. The car could either come with the ACA Hydroshift™ 2 speed automatic or the regular 3 speed manual.

"1957 ACA Apache GT"

Chassis

Chassis Type: Backbone
Chassis Material: Steel
Panel Material: Steel
Engine Placement: Front Longitudinal
Front Suspension: Double Wishbone
Rear Suspension: Leaf-sprung live axle

Engine

ACA 350 Series OHV V8 90°
Displacement: 350CI (5.7L)
Block Material: Cast Iron
Header Material: Cast Iron
Fuel System: Two Barrel Twin Carburettor
Fuel Type: 92 RON Leaded
Power: 208 hp @ 3800 RPM
Torque: 407 Nm @ 2700 RPM
Weight: 324.8 kg
Size: 94.2L

Trim

Drivetrain: Longitudinal RWD
Gearbox: 3 Speed Manual
Differential: Open
Tyre Description: [F] P175/90C14 108V | [R] P175/90C14 108V
Brake Type: [F]275mm Single Leading Shoe Drum | [R] 275mm Single Leading Shoe Drum
Brake Bias: [F] 50% | [R] 50%
Undertray: n/a
Seating: Two Front Bucket Seats (2 Seats)
Power Steering: None
Springs: Progressive
Dampers: Twin-Tube
Sway Bars: Passive
Weight: 1413 kg
Fuel Economy: 13.0 MPG (UK)

Performance

Top Speed: 136mph
0-60mph Time: 10.5s
50-80mph Time: 5.52s
Quarter Mile Time: 18.31s
Standing Km Time: 31.35s
Stopping Distance: 94.8m

Price

$2,049.10 @30% Markup (Converted into 1957 Dollars)

21 Likes

Note: No longer canon|Soon to be Reworked

sorry for the quadruple post

Lore: ACA Partnerships and the start of the “Chevron Alliance”


ACA would change their logo in 1975 to the current design.


Backstory

In 1966, ACA CEO Kingston Conway would retire, leaving a power vacuum within ACA. The role of CEO would eventually fall into Denver Andrews, one of ACA’s major shareholders. It would be Andrews who would eventually sign the ACA-Merciel partnership in '74.
But in 1966, ACA was already partnered with a European marque, Caliban.

The ACA-Caliban Partnership

In 1946, ACA reached out to help a relatively small manufacturer, Caliban. Initially, ACA CEO Kingston Conway thought it as a joke, however, he would later realise that a partnership with Caliban could come in handy to support ACA’s motorsport division. Thus in 1948, a deal was signed, allowing ACA to help manufacture Caliban’s in the US, and in return, Caliban engineers would help ACA’s motorsport division.

This all proved to be very successful. ACA were consistently finishing high in the NASCAR Grand National Series, and with the help of Caliban, managed to make a successful Grand Tourer, the Apache 350 GT. However, by 1961, tensions between the two companies were growing. ACA wanted a bit more control over Caliban, namely, the motorsport division. This was also the time ACA was began thinking about exporting to Europe, and by having a successful team racing in European racing series, would be helpful as a staging point to enter the new market.

At the same time, quality control at Caliban’s US factory had gone down, resulting in poor handling cars. While initially it was blamed on poor machining, it would later be found that some severe cost cutting measures were taking place to help improve the sale of the Apache GT. Once this was uncovered in 1967, animosity between the two companies grew with tensions reaching an all time high, when a secret clause written in the small print of a new contract was discovered, effectively giving full control of Caliban’s motorsport division to ACA. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back and in 1968, the ACA-Caliban partnership was finished.

The Creation of the “Chevron Alliance”

Around the same time as the collapse of the ACA-Caliban Partnership, ACA was already looking for a suitable candidate to help support their expansion into Europe. They looked at many potential companies, but eventually stuck with Merciel. It would be down to Samuel Salazar to negotiate the terms of the partnership with Merciel.

Initially, the negotiations went back and forth with neither company budging. It was even considered to negotiate with other companies to see if they were interested. However ACA was running out of time. By 1964, ACA’s sales figures had been stagnating. To keep the company afloat, upper management decided to pursue extreme cost cutting measures. These included laying off thousands of workers, reducing the amount of spending on development of new cars and most importantly, limiting the budget of Caliban US to help drive up sales of the Apache. However, it was never enough. ACA was running out of money and the 1973 energy crisis made the situation even worse.

With their hands effectively tied, ACA were forced to take the contract laid out by Merciel. It was a disaster. ACA failed to acquire a European foothold and were now forced into a contract that favoured Merciel. ACA CEO at the time, Denver Andrews stated "It was the worst deal [he had] ever made, basically selling the company to the French"
However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom…

13 Likes

Note: No longer canon


ACA Lore

https://i.imgur.com/EP91uuk.png
1964 ACA Model 60 Pickup

Backstory

In 1932, ACA was formed from the remnants of three different companies, Lansing Motor Company, Montpelier Coach Builders and Barnhart Tractor Company. While cars were handled primarily by the Lansing remnants in ACA, heavy duty trucks and tractors were designed and made by the Barnhart remnants.
In 1948, the Barnhart Factory began production of their new line of trucks, the Model 48 Pickup and was successful enough that almost every other ACA truck until 1978 would be based on it’s chassis.


https://i.imgur.com/srzBPsy.jpg

By 1957, the Model 48 truck was getting dated. So designers at ACA’s light truck division decided to design a replacement. While many options were considered, it was found to be cheaper and easier to simply recycle the Model 48 chassis design and update it.

https://i.imgur.com/Bt0JtsF.jpg

The new truck would begin production from 1960-1978, with many changes. The early production, from 1960-1967 would look similar to the previous model, the 48, however there were several improvements. One of the most important improvements were done under the hood.

https://i.imgur.com/iOuI9Ey.jpg

Throughout the life of the Model 48, it featured many different engines from a 200CI i6 to a 300CI V8, but there was one thing these engines had in common: they used flatheads. This made them inefficient and reduced power. The new Model 60 however, would get the new 350 OHV V8, the same found in the Apache. This gave the Model 60 more torque and power than the Model 48, while also being more efficient.

"1964 ACA Model 60 Truck"

Chassis

Chassis Type: Body-On-frame
Chassis Material: Steel
Panel Material: Steel
Engine Placement: Front Longitudinal
Front Suspension: Leaf-sprung solid axle
Rear Suspension: Leaf-sprung live axle

Engine

ACA 350 Series OHV V8 90°
Displacement: 350CI (5.7L)
Block Material: Cast Iron
Header Material: Cast Iron
Fuel System: Four Barrel SIngle Carburettor
Fuel Type: 92 RON Leaded
Power: 210 hp @ 4100 RPM
Torque: 404 Nm @ 2800 RPM
Weight: 319.0 kg
Size: 94.2L

Trim

Drivetrain: Longitudinal 4WD
Gearbox: 3 Speed "Power Torque HydroTri-Shift Automatic Transmission"™
Differential: Manual Locking
Tyre Description: [F] P190/95R14 112T | [R] P190/95R14 112T
Brake Type: [F]275mm Single Piston Solid Disc | [R] 275mm Single Piston Solid Disc
Brake Bias: [F] 50% | [R] 50%
Undertray: Offroad Skid Tray
Seating: Front Bench Seats (3 Seats)
Power Steering: Hydraulic
Springs: Progressive
Dampers: Twin-Tube
Sway Bars: Passive
Weight: 1616 kg
Fuel Economy: 12.1 MPG (UK)

Performance

Top Speed: 116mph
0-60mph Time: 11s
50-80mph Time: 6.60s
Quarter Mile Time: 17.94s
Standing Km Time: 32.40s
Stopping Distance: 70.9m

Price

$1,993.58 @20% Markup (Converted into 1964 Dollars)

13 Likes

Note: No longer canon


ACA Lore

https://i.imgur.com/EP91uuk.png

1973 ACA 300

https://i.imgur.com/UTk8bXQ.jpg
A billboard advert for the new ACA 300

Backstory

In need to quickly replace their previous compact, the Coronado, ACA sought the help of Merciel. in 1968, it was negotiated that ACA would be given the license to manufacture Merciel 300s in the States. As such, it would be named the ACA 300. This little negotiations would lay the ground works for the ACA-Merciel Alliance in 1973.

https://i.imgur.com/Dar5JI0.jpg

Based on the Merciel 300, the new ACA 300 carried over pretty much everything from the Merciel, with the exception of the interior and some extra exterior parts. Apart from that, the cars were identical.

https://i.imgur.com/LbxvASu.jpg

The ACA 300 would feature an American-built Clement i4 designed by Montreuil. The Clement was featured a cast block with an aluminium head and had a single overhead cam twin valve layout. Due to the new aluminium head, ACA’s Milwaukee engine plant had to be extensively retooled to work with aluminium, hence early production models of the 300 featured imported French engines.

https://i.imgur.com/ivKuQJG.jpg

Inside, ACA had done as much as possible to improve driver comfort. The original design lacked a lot of user comforts. ACA would improve this buy adding plush leather seats and a new premium JDC AM radio. Overall, the ACA 300 would be a more comfortable car compared to its French counterpart.

Extra Stats will be posted on the Merciel Thread

17 Likes

Note: No longer canon


ACA Lore: ACA Traveller and the end of the Chevron Alliance

https://i.imgur.com/yOIC37W.png

ACA Traveller 1975

https://i.imgur.com/0XT749e.jpg
A billboard advert for the ACA Traveller in 1979

Backstory

In 1974, ACA signed a partnership with Merciel. In this deal, ACA would manufacture Merciel’s in the US, however, unlike what ACA first intended, they would not acquire a factory in France, stunting ACA’s plans on expanding to Europe. The massive gamble ACA CEO, Denver Andrews, had made, failed. He would later resign in 1975 following the backlash.

https://i.imgur.com/LxmRc6M.jpg
note: All the screenshots of the 1975 Traveller are of the 1979 facelift

Based on the Merciel 310, the ACA Traveller initially featured parts and engines imported over from Merciel’s Brazilian factory. While this was economically viable in the short term, the outdated engines in the early model Travellers were beginning to get long in the tooth. As such by 1976, a new engine was developed for the 1979 facelift of the Traveller.

https://i.imgur.com/6aiI2Qy.jpg

This engine would be developed internally by ACA with the help of Montreuil S.A in Paris. The design called for a four cylinder engine larger than 2L, use an overhead cam set up and a design that was easy to manufacture, so a cast iron block was chosen. Initially, the heads were intended to also be cast iron, but would later be changed to aluminium to reduce weight. What would arise would be informally known as the ACA “Cammer” i4, a 2.1L inline 4 with direct acting overhead cams.

https://i.imgur.com/JBh8lCe.jpg

By 1979, majority of the manufacture of parts for the new Traveller had shifted from Brazil to the US. The ACA factories in Lansing, Cheyenne and Clinton had all been retooled to manufacture the new Traveller. Factory workers had also been trained in the manufacture of the monocoque chassis by Merciel staff and by 1981, all ACA Travellers were made in the US in ACA factories.


ACA Traveller 1982

https://i.imgur.com/xvdM2ZM.jpg
A small flyer advert for the ACA Traveller in 1986

Backstory

By 1979, all seemed well in the ACA-Merciel alliance. However, it was all but that. The cost of the licence to manufacture rebadged Merciel’s were adding up, especially for the smaller models such as the Merciel 120 and the 200, which sold poorly in the US. As such, to reduce costs and try and recuperate money, ACA began throttling down the manufacture of those models and instead started increasing the production of the more popular 310 based Traveller. Merciel caught wind of what was happening. Keen to sell models of the cars they perceived to be more popular such as the 120 and the 200, they began increasing the licensing cost of manufacturing the ACA Traveller. As such, behind closed doors, ACA engineers began to find a way to circumnavigate this obstacle, while not having to develop a totally brand new car. What would result would be the 1982 ACA Traveller.

https://i.imgur.com/rqP3doo.jpg

While on the outside, it looked completely new, underneath, it was essentially a Merciel 310. What ACA engineers had secretly done, was to modify the preexisting Merciel 310 chassis, drivetrain and other components, and package it in a way that it would look completely different, allowing ACA to effectively circumvent paying Merciel for licensing costs.

https://i.imgur.com/cdKJ0jG.jpg

Engine wise, the new 1982 Traveller had exactly the same engine as the previous generation and much like the previous generation featured a longitudinal FWD layout as opposed to the transverse layout. Styling wise, the exterior design was handled by the Italian design house Alberetti S.p.A, with the interior design being made by famous American deisgner, Evora Lynn.

https://i.imgur.com/ZQIhHdb.jpg

While initially, this new Traveller fooled Merciel, it wouldn’t take long for them to realise what the car truly was. In 1981 when the car was unveiled at the New York Auto show, Merciel engineers found that the new Traveller mysteriously had the exact same wheelbase, exactly the same cabin space, exactly the same C pillar design with the underneath of the car having a striking similarity to the old Merciel 310.

https://i.imgur.com/HeSfbP9.jpg
The ACA Traveller would later be used in ASCAR

Naturally, Merciel would sue ACA for effectively copying their design and would demand them to pay for licensing costs. Of course, ACA engineers argued otherwise and after two years, ACA eventually won the lawsuit. This would sour relations between the two companies, and by 1985, the Chevron Alliance was over.

19 Likes

Testing of the new 2019 ASCAR ACA Traveller round the oval begins…

ASCAR 2 Electric Boogaloo when? :stuck_out_tongue:

11 Likes

That is one seriously nice stock car you have there :smirk:

We’ll have to go back to rippin’ Daytona one day :grin:

4 Likes

Conquer the dunes with the all new 2018 ACA Prowler Ravager

Designed with the cooperation of the Dynoil Trophy Truck Baja 1000 team, the new ACA Prowler Ravager is even more capable at attacking the harsh desert trails at speed.

Powered by the ACA 3.6L twin turbocharged BlueBoost V6 pushing out around 420hp and 500Nm of torque and mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission, the Prowler Ravager can reach 0-100 in under 10 seconds, even on gravel. And with full time 4WD, the Ravager should be able to tackle any terrain with ease.

The suspension has been heavily modified from the base spec Prowlers, with larger springs, increasing ride height and featuring adjustable Blizten Wolf Shocks for the front and rear, allowing the Ravager to glide across any bumps it comes across.

Interiorwise, the new Prowler Ravager is well equipped with all the standard equipment seen in higher spec trims of the Prowler and is also capable of seating 5 in the Extended Cab models.

And only for around $53,000

21 Likes

I haven’t found out how to do modern rear truck bumpers yet… mind if I borrow it?

That Chevalier II is too damn beautiful and neat, congratulations for the good designs and Lore!

Its time to redo all the lore all over again!
Note: Everything above is no longer canon/requires reworking


https://i.imgur.com/EP91uuk.png


1951 ACA Corona, ACA Rio Grande, Montpelier Crown Cavalry


https://i.imgur.com/UgU2Cfu.jpg

^ An advert for the 1951 ACA Corona Sedan

https://i.imgur.com/vbEob78.png

In 1949, ACA began designing a replacement for their Model 47 Corona. The new design called for a more space, more luxury and a more powerful engine. As such designs for the new Corona were drafted by 1950 and by 1951, the car was ready for production. Dubbed the Model 51, the new Corona was the last car designed by the legendary designer, John Emery.

https://i.imgur.com/cj5KNXG.png

The new Model 51 was longer, wider and more spacious inside compared to the Model 47. Critics lauded the car for its supple ride and passenger comfort. To move the hulking beast, ACA developed two new engines, a 300CI OHV V8, a complete generational leap from the 220 Flathead found in the Model 47, and a new 226 OHV inline 6. Both engines also featured “Twin-Power” Carburettors which increased power and fuel economy.

https://i.imgur.com/t3VTMYh.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/UE0o6e7.jpg

Designed along side the Model 51 Corona was the ACA Rio Grande Station Wagon. The Rio Grande would be ACA’s first station wagon and would debut in the 1951 Detroit Auto Show. It would share many components with the Corona and would be a sales success.

https://i.imgur.com/95bM4Q2.jpg

Praised for its massive carrying capacity, the Rio Grande was a behemoth of a car. With the optional rear jump seats, it could seat 9 passengers and still have enough cargo space to fit luggage. The rear door further made the Rio Grande easy to load and unload, though it was noted that it would have trouble opening the rear door in tight spaces.

https://i.imgur.com/oJOwZFx.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/wPW3tfk.png

https://i.imgur.com/qo1WOsn.jpg

The Model 51 chassis would also be used by ACA’s luxury division, Montpelier to form the Crown Cavalry. Taking luxury to the next level, the 1951 Crown Cavalry was by far the most luxurious car made by ACA. With bespoke interior and mahogany trim inside, the 1951 Crown Cavalry was like sitting in a first class train.

https://i.imgur.com/ZY1ugeY.jpg

The Crown Cavalry came in a multitude of configurations ranging from a sedan, coupe and limousine. All variants of the Crown Cavalry came with the powerful 300CI “Twin-Power” V8 which made a respectable 170hp. Sold only to the most wealthy clients, the Crown Cavalry would land in the hands of celebrities, movie stars and politicians.

https://i.imgur.com/762JIYD.jpg

21 Likes

https://i.imgur.com/EP91uuk.png


1955 ACA Apache GT & Roadster

https://i.imgur.com/ZCzqHvR.jpg

^ An advert for the 1955 ACA Apache

In 1951, ACA’s VP Louis Sarton, felt that ACA lacked a sporty coupe. The only coupe sold by ACA at this point was the Corona Coupe, which was far from sporty. Taking inspiration from European sport coupes, Sarton ordered Italian design house, Alberetti to design a sporty coupe for ACA. The result was the ACA Apache.

https://i.imgur.com/7ogNDK9.jpg

The ACA Apache would be ACA’s first “sports car”. As such it sat on a tubular steel backbone chassis with double wishbone front suspension and featured a coil spring live axle, a first for ACA. Under the hood, sat ACA’s 300 Series OHV V8, the same one found in the Corona/Crown Cavalry. However, not only was this V8 fitted with ACA’s “Twin-Power” Carburettors, but was also tuned up to put out 180hp, significantly more than the ones found in the Corona. Additionally, the Apache was significantly shorter than the Corona and at least initially lighter, meaning the Apache handled much nicer than the Corona Coupe.

https://i.imgur.com/nLag0UI.jpg

First shown off in 1954 Geneva Motor Show, the ACA Apache was praised by critics with its sleek flowing lines and its unique blend of European and American styling. When it was finally sold to the public in 1955, it flopped. Most buyers didn’t want a sporty coupe and much preferred the larger and more cumbersome Corona Coupe as it was more spacious and luxurious.

https://i.imgur.com/x2UPLWY.png

As a result, ACA decided to send the Apache to their luxury division, Montpelier, to outfit the Apache with more luxurious interior fittings, as such it became heavier and heavier. The final result, while more popular and sold significantly better, was far from what Sarton initially wanted and it would be a while before the Apache name would be fitted to a sports car.


https://i.imgur.com/5iEeQHq.jpg

Developed around the same time, the ACA Apache Roadster was also made. The Apache Roadster was significantly more popular than the standard Apache GT and would also be one of the first models to come with an automatic standard.

https://i.imgur.com/J9K2L6C.jpg

Popular with celebrities, the Apache Roadster would often be seen being driven around the Hollywood Hills with the soft top down. Fitted with the same equipment as a Montpelier Crown Cavalry while also being a convertible, the Apache Roadster was the perfect car for cruising along the Golden State where the sun often shone.

https://i.imgur.com/Rob3IrE.png

17 Likes