AC Cars and Porsche

I picked this snippet up from Trevor Legate's recent book on the Cobra.

In the late 50's, AC Cars were developing a replacement for the ancient 6 cylinder engine that had been used in AC's since 1919. Designed by their chief engineer Marczewski, it was conceived as (somewhat remarkably) an air cooled cylinder boxer that was to be built as a 4 and 6 cylinder.  A 6 cylinder version was fitted into a prototype Greyhound.

They had trouble, and Legate mentions "a visit to Porsche to discuss problems encountered with the smoothness of the engine.{which]...bought to light problems that could only be rectified by the design of an entirely new crankshaft. This was beyond Acs limited budget and the project faltered'.

AC then went in to use Bristol and Ford UK 6 cylinder engines until Carroll Shelby arrived on the scene. 

Its fascinating to think that AC could have had a air-cooled flat 6 engined sports car years before Porsche did.

SS7