Last updated on November 26, 2025
Today’s car is a 1937 AC 16/80 Competition Sports Sloping Tail, owned by Ian Wayne, which I photographed at the 2025 Annual Queen’s English Car Show at Woodley Park in Van Nuys, CA. The car is finished in Jewelescence Blue with a black leather interior. It is powered by an 80-horsepower AC Weller-designed 2.0-liter overhead cam inline-six, fed by three SU carburetors, and paired with a Moss 4-speed gearbox featuring synchromesh on the top three gears. Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a 4.1:1 rear axle ratio. Braking is handled by mechanically actuated duo-servo drum brakes, typical of the era but highly effective when properly set up. The suspension features semi-elliptical leaf springs and Andre Hydro-Telecontrol friction shock absorbers, which are adjustable via fluid pressure controlled through two cylinders mounted on the steering column—an innovative setup for its time that allowed the driver to fine-tune the damping while driving. The chassis is also equipped with front and rear DWS jacks, designed to lift the car for roadside maintenance or quick service—perfect for the club racer.
A total of 44 AC 16/80s were produced between 1936 and 1939. This particular 1937 example is one of only 42 Competition Sports two-seaters built from 1935 to 1939. Even more notably, it’s one of just 14 fitted with the rare “sloping tail” coachwork—and it was the very first of those 14. Its public debut was at the 1937 Olympia Motor Show. The graceful sloping tail design was the work of Freddie March, the future Duke of Richmond and Gordon, who later founded the Goodwood Motor Circuit. His streamlined styling gave the car a distinctly elegant profile that set it apart from its contemporaries. Elegant, rare, and rich with history, the AC 16/80 Sloping Tail isn’t just beautiful—it’s a landmark in AC’s legacy of British sports car excellence. Famous buyers of this handsome AC sports model included movie star Errol Flynn and American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who certainly knew about good design!
This particular car is not only well-preserved—it’s clearly being cared for by Ian who understands and respects its history. According to Ian, the car was about 95% complete when acquired, but the final 5% involved a lot of detail work: redoing the chrome, refinishing the wheels, restoring the knock-offs, and addressing some small cosmetic touches. Mechanically, it was already running and largely looked just as it does now.
The MSRP in 1937 was approximately £495 to £525 (British pounds), being more exclusive—was at the higher end of that range. With published top speed of about 80–85 mph which was respectable for its time.
Seeing it at the Queen’s English Show, surrounded by a group of admirers and fellow British classics, was a real highlight. This AC 16/80 is the kind of machine that checks all the right boxes—rare, elegant, mechanically fascinating, and full of life in a car culture that’s still very much alive and thriving on the show circuit. It’s the perfect car to take to a Concours d’Elegance, a British car show, your local Cars & Coffee, or even out to a vintage race weekend with like-minded enthusiasts.
