AC Bill
Well-known member
Doing some research on AC Cars, the UK company that the origins of the Cobra sports car was hatched, and happened upon some information about Mustang models known as the Ruddspeed Mustang's. Apparently theses cars were modified to be right hand drive vehicles and had other modifications done, to enhance performance.
In November 1945 Ken Rudd started his business in a disused horse stable in Worthing UK, He began doing repairs and general engineering for local farmers, improving on farm implements and machinery. He eventually graduated to more specialized work where he mainly focused on cars, and he called his company K.N. Rudd (Engineering) Ltd. . He loved working on and driving sports cars. In 1953 he was know as a decent local competition driver, and invited by Donald Healey, (of Austin-Healey fame), to understudy for him at Le Mans. At a motor show that year he bought himself an AC Ace which he raced until 1958. He then formed Ruddspeed Ltd, to undertake tuning and performance enhancements for Austin Healey's, Volvos, Alfa's, and AC Ace's, His claim to fame came from his idea to use a Ford Zephyr six cylinder 221 ci engine in the AC Ace. It performed amazingly.
Bristol engines were becoming harder to come by at the time so AC Cars agreed to incorporate Rudd's Zephyr built engine idea. With this new lower slung 3.6 liter engine, the front end and hood on the aluminum bodied Ace was redesigned, and AC Cars dubbed it the "AC Ace 3.6" model. It now had the more familiar look of the early Cobra's.
Less than 30 (what are sometimes known as the Ruddspeed Cobra), had been built when Carroll Shelby appeared on scene. AC Cars sandwiched in a US Ford 260 ci V8. Soon after, the Ford V8 260's and 289's then became the engine of choice.
Rudd did not sit on his heels. A year after the Mustang was introduced to the world, he began building the Ruddspeed Mustang, converting them to right hand drive and adding performance modifications similar to what Shelby was doing back in the US.|
In November 1945 Ken Rudd started his business in a disused horse stable in Worthing UK, He began doing repairs and general engineering for local farmers, improving on farm implements and machinery. He eventually graduated to more specialized work where he mainly focused on cars, and he called his company K.N. Rudd (Engineering) Ltd. . He loved working on and driving sports cars. In 1953 he was know as a decent local competition driver, and invited by Donald Healey, (of Austin-Healey fame), to understudy for him at Le Mans. At a motor show that year he bought himself an AC Ace which he raced until 1958. He then formed Ruddspeed Ltd, to undertake tuning and performance enhancements for Austin Healey's, Volvos, Alfa's, and AC Ace's, His claim to fame came from his idea to use a Ford Zephyr six cylinder 221 ci engine in the AC Ace. It performed amazingly.
Bristol engines were becoming harder to come by at the time so AC Cars agreed to incorporate Rudd's Zephyr built engine idea. With this new lower slung 3.6 liter engine, the front end and hood on the aluminum bodied Ace was redesigned, and AC Cars dubbed it the "AC Ace 3.6" model. It now had the more familiar look of the early Cobra's.
Less than 30 (what are sometimes known as the Ruddspeed Cobra), had been built when Carroll Shelby appeared on scene. AC Cars sandwiched in a US Ford 260 ci V8. Soon after, the Ford V8 260's and 289's then became the engine of choice.
Rudd did not sit on his heels. A year after the Mustang was introduced to the world, he began building the Ruddspeed Mustang, converting them to right hand drive and adding performance modifications similar to what Shelby was doing back in the US.|