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AC cars started production after the end of Great War in the London suburb of Thames Ditton. During World War II the little factory turned to military work, with vehicle production restarting shortly after the end of hostilities. Britain was financially and physically exhausted by the war with many wounded and disabled military personnel needing to be re-integrated into a society where everything was scarce. What kept AC in business was a contract from the Ministry of Health to supply it with invalid carriages. These were single seater tricycles, made of a pale blue plastic, steered with handlebars and powered by a small BSA motorcycle engine. They must have been among the most dangerous vehicles ever made and if their drivers survived it was only because the carriages were painfully slow and there was very little traffic, even in London, until well into the sixties. Demand for new cars was soaring by the early 1950s, and AC was eager to go back to building proper cars, particularly sporting ones which could command a premium price.
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