Seeing a classic car emerge from a barn after decades is awesome, regardless of the nameplate. But things become even better when the building hides several rare and desirable automobiles. One such stash was recently discovered in the United Kingdom, packed with a handful of British sports cars. Documented by YouTube’s “Anglia Car Auctions,” this mini collection has been sitting in a barn for decades. Its recent history is unknown, but it’s probably one of those stories in which the owner passed away, and the property had to be cleared or settled. And our host found a bunch of really cool vehicles from Britain’s glorious automotive past.
The footage kicks off with an old Land Rover parked just outside the building. Not surprisingly, the SUV is in poor condition after decades of exposure to the elements. But don’t let its sad appearance fool you. This Land Rover is one of those rare Series I versions. It’s also a relatively early variant, produced in 1951, only three years after the nameplate was introduced. Moreover, it looked pretty decent once cleaned up and still has the original engine under the hood.
These Land Rovers were launched with 1.6-liter inline-four mills, but the company also offered a 2.0-liter unit starting in 1950. A diesel four-banger joined the latter in 1957. This one has a 1.6-liter lump, and it’s definitely restorable. Things become a lot more interesting when the prospector opens up the barn. The old building hides no fewer than three Jaguar E-Types and a trio of AC sports cars. A 1970 E-Type coupe is the first to be dragged into the light. It’s pretty damaged but part of the smallest run of Series 2 models. Specifically, Jaguar built only 4,855 of these FHC (Fixed Head Coupe) sports cars.
The other E-Types are both of the 1969 Series 2 roadster variety and part of a production run that included 8,628 examples. The first convertible is missing the front clip but is in decent condition. The second one is missing fewer parts and is in far better shape. All three E-Types come with 4.2-liter inline-six engines under the hood because it was the only option at the time. The sports car didn’t get the 5.3-liter V12 until the Series 3 arrived in 1971.
Moving on to the AC cars, our host stumbled upon a 1955 Aceca. Based on the AC Ace roadster, the Aceca was essentially a grand tourer version of its drop-top cousin. Built by hand with ash wood and steel tubing, the Aceca is famous for being the second British vehicle to feature a hatchback rear end. The first one was the Aston Martin DB2/4.
Sadly, this Aceca no longer has an engine under the hood, but it left the assembly line with a 2.0-liter straight-six rated at 90 horsepower. The interior is in poor condition, and the roof has a big hole, but that won’t stop its next owner from performing a rotisserie restoration.
You see, while production of the Aceca lasted from 1954 to 1963, AC built only 328 units. This one is also one of only 159 examples fitted with the AC engine (the others had Bristol mills). Moreover, these cars fetch more than $150,000 in Concours-ready condition. Not a fan of the Aceca? Well, this barn also hid a couple of Ace roadster models. You know, the one that Carroll Shelby imported to the US to create the iconic Cobra. The first one to leave the barn is a 1959 version dressed in blue and fitted with a red interior. It’s in decent condition apart from the cabin and still hides the 2.0-liter AC engine under the hood. The overhead cam straight-six delivered 100 horsepower back in the day.
The second one, a 1957 version, is a bit more spectacular. Not necessarily by looks, because this one also shows signs of sitting for decades. But because it hides a 2.0-liter Bristol engine under the hood and records show it was raced at hillclimb events for a few years, all while testing tires for Pirelli. While the AC Ace is super-rare regardless of powertrain bits at 689 units built, these Bristol cars are far more desirable and valuable.
The Ace got the Bristol Cars engine as an option in 1956. The straight-six delivered 120 horsepower thanks to a three-carburetor setup and used a four-speed manual gearbox to spin the wheels. The upgrade increased the Ace’s top speed from 103 to 116 mph (166 to 187 kph), while the 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) sprint dropped from 11.4 to less than 10 seconds. Fortunately, all these classics were rescued from the barn, cleaned up, and parked in dry storage. They will probably find new owners soon, and the move will come with professional restoration. Until that happens, see them coming out of the barn in the videos below.