Rare and Italian-Bodied, Language Was No Barrier to Purchase
Owner and photographer: Reginald Warlop
Year, Make, and Model: 1962 AC Greyhound
Location: Fulham, London, Great Britain
I wanted a rare, lightweight car that embodies the late ’50s/early ’60s and that fits my two boys in the back. Apart from cliché Aston Martins or Jaguars and some interesting Maseratis, there’s not much choice out there. These AC Greyhounds are very hard to come by, as only eighty-two were ever built–so I kept searching online until someone on the Jensen owners forum mentioned he spotted one in Sweden. The ad was in Swedish but I called the owner anyway and bought it over the phone without ever seeing it. He shipped the Greyhound and it arrived exactly as I’d expected.
Featuring Superleggera construction (tube frame + aluminum) it is equipped with a 2.2L straight-six and four-speed transmission with overdrive. Cosmetically, the only things that have been replaced are the seats. Even the paint is original! I also love its rarity and the fact that the design is close to perfection. It also drives superbly well with the typical, soulful inline-six sound. More amazing is that this AC had one owner for forty-five years who recorded every fill-up and corresponding mileage in a little booklet. The car came without exterior rear view mirrors and has the identical steering wheel as an Aston Martin DB2.
I grew up loving cars and still remember my mother buying a 911T when I was thirteen years-old. Since I began driving, I’ve owned many classic cars such as a Mercedes 380SL, a Pembleton, and I still own a MGB GT (fitted with a Ford Zetec and R1 carbs) for track days. Motorcycle-wise, I sold my pristine BMW R75/6 once my first child was born, after having driven it exactly in the same way as in Airhead Revival whilst living in Palo Alto, California.
I’ve taken the Greyhound for day trips to the countryside and never had a major issue. It’s quite reliable and has been very well maintained over the years. Current plans include taking it to classic car rallies in Knokke Le Zoute (in Belgium, where I’m originally from). Closer to home, I drive it to hockey matches (mine or my son’s) and occasionally to tulip-style rallies organised by classic car clubs.
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