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1981 AC ME3000 (Ghia)

AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981
AC 3000ME (Ghia), 1981 - The original car was in silver, then changed to black
AC 3000ME (Ghia), 1981 - The original car was in silver, then changed to black
Images: Concept Car Central; 7car.tw; community.webshots.com/user/paulnh1
Rating:  70    -7    +77
GHIA also produced an attractive body for the mid-engine AC ME3000.
A.C. Ghia — Built on the mechanical package of the clunky A.C. ME3000, the mid-engined A.C. Ghia is one of those, "If they'd built it ..." cars. Ghia also stretched the ME3000 and made Quicksilver, a 4-door, 4-seat mid-engined sedan that actually looks good.

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The Ghia AC was a mid-engined sports car mounted on the AC ME 3000 chassis. A sleek front end housed two sets of headlights; one integrated into the front spoiler and the other placed behind protective retractable flaps. Cut-outs in the rear pillars allowed for better rear visibility. The air ducts mounted behind the doors provided air to cool the engine and brakes.

Concept Car Central


1982 Black with black cloth interior Carroll Shelby took the AC Bristol roadster from AC Cars, Ltd. in Thames Ditton, Surrey and made it immortal by the simple expedient of squeezing Ford’s new lightweight small block V8 into the space formerly occupied by the AC and Bristol in-line six cylinder engines. He called his Ford engined AC Ace the Cobra and created a legend in only seven short but exciting years. The body of the original 1953 AC Ace was inspired by the Italian "barchettas" (little boats) of the early Fifties. Its purposeful appearance was a strong factor in its appeal and that of the Cobra. AC itself continued to rely on Ford drivetrains in the years after Cobra production ended, developing the luxurious "businessman’s express" AC 428 fastback and convertible again bodied with Italian flair by Frua. Only eighty or so examples were built, however, and AC entered a period of decline, finally electing to return to the car business with a modern mid-engined coupe first shown in 1973. The 3000 ME, as it was called, utilized a 138 horsepower 3-liter Ford V6, transversely mounted in an independently sprung chassis. Production did not begin, however, until 1979 by which time the early Seventies design was becoming dated. It could have been much different had AC adopted the styling proposed by Ford’s Turin, Italy-based Ghia Operations in the AC Ghia concept offered here. This sleek concept is tight, spare, compact and purposeful. Its gracefully rounded wedge-shaped profile is timely without going over the top, flowing smoothly from the integrated front air dam to the rear deck spoiler. The windshield seems to grow almost seamlessly from the nose while buttresses continue the roofline down to the deck lid behind the vertical rear window. A practical proposal, Ghia’s AC concept appears to utilize the 3000 ME platform with no visible functional changes. The AC Ghia concept is amazingly compact, less than 121/2 feet long, only 3 feet 10 inches high and under 5 feet wide, yet it has a comfortable interior upholstered and trimmed in black cloth. Configured in right hand drive for the UK market where the 3000 ME was sold, the AC Ghia concept has 2-piece alloy wheels with 225/50VR-15 Pirelli P7 tires, definitely the hot ticket for performance cars in 1982. The rear wheels have a deep offset which accentuate the AC Ghia’s powerful stance. Driving lights are integrated in the front air dam. The traditional curved AC emblem adorns the wheel center caps and the center of the leather-rimmed 3-spoke steering wheel. The windows in the AC Ghia concept are plexiglass and the original paint is sound but showing its age. The rear deck and engine cover are scratched, however the interior appears to be in good original condition. The body is constructed in metal and the AC Ghia concept’s fit, finish and function demonstrates the artistry of the craftsmen at Ghia. AC owed much of its success in the Fifties to the timeless Italian styling of its barchetta-style Ace. It is not hard to imagine that the AC Ghia concept might have contributed to success for the 3000 ME platform thirty years later. This is a tight, sculptured form that still, after another twenty years, looks timely among today’s crop of small mid-engined sports cars.

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Coachbuilder: Ghia
1933 Fiat 508S Balilla Spider (Ghia), 1947 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport Cabriolet (Ghia), 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Coupe (Ghia), 1950 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Supergioiello (Ghia), 1950 Ferrari 195 Inter (Ghia), 1951 Chrysler K-310 (Ghia), 1951 Plymouth XX-500 (Ghia), 1951 Talbot-Lago T.26 Record Coupe (Ghia), 1952 Chrysler C-200 (Ghia), 1952 Chrysler Special (Ghia), 1953 Abarth Fiat 1100 (Ghia), 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 Sprint Supergioiello (Ghia), 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 Supersonic Conrero (Ghia), 1953 Cadillac Coupe (Ghia), 1953 Chrysler D’Elegance (Ghia), 1953 Chrysler GS-1 Special (Ghia), 1953 Chrysler Thomas Special (Ghia), 1953 Cisitalia 505 DF (Ghia), 1953 Dodge Firearrow I (Ghia), 1953 Fiat 8V Boano Coupe (Ghia), 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic Coupe (Ghia), 1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 CS Speciale (Ghia), 1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 SS (Ghia), 1954 Alfa Romeo 2000 Abarth (Ghia), 1954 Chrysler ST Special (Ghia), 1954 DeSoto Adventurer I (Ghia), 1954 Dodge Firearrow II (Ghia), 1954 Dodge Firearrow III (Ghia), 1954 Dodge Firebomb - Firearrow IV (Ghia), 1954 Jaguar XK120 Supersonic (Ghia), 1954 Plymouth Explorer Special (Ghia), 1954 Simca Convertible Special (Ghia), 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900 Supergioiello (Ghia), 1955 Chrysler Falcon (Ghia), 1955 Chrysler Flight Sweep I (Ghia), 1955 Chrysler Flight Sweep II (Ghia), 1955 Chrysler ST Special (Ghia), 1955 Chrysler ST Special Convertible (Ghia), 1955 DeSoto Adventurer II (Ghia), 1955 Ferrari 375 MM Coupe Speciale (Ghia), 1955 Ghia Gilda I, 1955 Jaguar XK140 (Ghia), 1955 Lincoln Futura (Ghia), 1955 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia (Ghia), 1956 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk II Supersonic (Ghia), 1956 Chrysler Dart (Ghia), 1956 Chrysler Norseman (Ghia), 1956 Chrysler Special K300 (Ghia), 1956 Dual-Ghia Convertible (Ghia), 1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica (Ghia), 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 Berlina/Convertible (Ghia), 1956 Packard Predictor (Ghia), 1956 Plymouth Plainsman (Ghia), 1957 Chrysler 375 Coupe (Ghia), 1957 Chrysler Diablo (Ghia), 1957 Dual-Ghia Sport Coupe (Ghia), 1957 Fiat 1100 TV Coupe (Ghia), 1957 Fiat Jolly (Ghia), 1958 Dual-Ghia 400 (Ghia), 1958 Simca Special (Ghia), 1959 Ghia Selene, 1960 Chrysler Valiant (Ghia), 1960 Ghia Dragster IXG, 1960 Plymouth XNR (Ghia), 1961 Chrysler TurboFlite (Ghia), 1961 Dodge Flite-Wing (Ghia), 1961 Dual-Ghia L 6.4 (Ghia), 1961 Ghia Cart, 1961 Maserati 5000 GT (Ghia), 1961 Plymouth Asimmetrica (Ghia), 1961 Volvo P1800 (Ghia), 1962 Fiat 500 Ziba (Ghia), 1962 Ghia Selene II, 1962 Plymouth Valiant St. Regis (Ghia), 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car (Ghia), 1963 Ghia G230S, 1964 Chrysler V280 (Ghia), 1964 Ghia 1500 GT, 1964 Renault R8 Coupe (Ghia), 1965 Bugatti Type-101C (Ghia), 1965 DeTomaso Competizione 2000 (Ghia), 1965 DeTomaso Vallelunga (Ghia), 1966 DeTomaso Mangusta (Ghia), 1966 DeTomaso Mangusta Spyder (Ghia), 1966 DeTomaso Pampero (Ghia), 1966 Duesenberg Model D (Ghia), 1966 Fiat 850 Vanessa (Ghia), 1966 Ghia 450/SS, 1966 Isuzu 117 Sport (Ghia), 1966 Maserati Ghibli (Ghia), 1967 DeTomaso Rowan (Ghia), 1967 Iso S4 Fidia (Ghia), 1967 Oldsmobile Thor (Ghia), 1968 Ghia Serenissima, 1968 Maserati Ghibli Spider (Ghia), 1968 Maserati Simun (Ghia), 1969 DeTomaso Mustela (Ghia), 1969 Isuzu Bellett MX1600 (Ghia), 1969 Lancia Fulvia 1600 Competizione (Ghia), 1969 Lancia Marica (Ghia), 1970 DeTomaso Pantera (Ghia), 1970 Ghia City Car, 1971 DeTomaso 1600 Spider (Ghia), 1971 DeTomaso Deauville (Ghia), 1971 DeTomaso Zonda (Ghia), 1971 Ford GT-70 (Ghia), 1972 DeTomaso Longchamp (Ghia), 1973 DeTomaso Pantera II/Montella (Ghia), 1973 Ford Mustela II (Ghia), 1973 Lincoln Mark I (Ghia), 1974 Ford Coins (Ghia), 1975 Ford Flashback (Ghia), 1975 Ford Urban Car (Manx) (Ghia), 1976 Ford Corrida (Ghia), 1976 Ford Prima (Ghia), 1977 Ford Megastar (Ghia), 1978 Ford Fiesta Tuareg (Ghia), 1978 Ford Lucano (Ghia), 1978 Ford Megastar II (Ghia), 1978 Ford Microsport (Ghia), 1978 Ford Mustang III (Ghia), 1978 Ghia Action, 1978 Mercury XM (Ghia), 1979 Ford GTK (Ghia), 1979 Ford Navarre (Ghia), 1979 Ford Probe I (Ghia), 1980 Ford Granada Altair (Ghia), 1980 Ford Mustang RSX (Ghia), 1980 Ford Pockar (Ghia), 1981 AC ME3000 (Ghia), 1981 Ford Aerovan (Ghia), 1981 Ford Avant Garde (Ghia), 1981 Ford Cockpit (Ghia), 1981 Ford EXP-II (Ghia), 1981 Ford Shuttler (Ghia), 1981 Ford Super Gnat (Ghia), 1982 Ford Brezza (Ghia), 1982 Ford Quicksilver (Ghia), 1982 Ford Topaz (Ghia), 1982 Ghia Mini Max, 1983 Ford Barchetta (Ghia), 1983 Ford Trio (Ghia), 1984 Ford APV (Ghia), 1984 Ford Vignale Mustang (Ghia), 1984 Ford Vignale TSX-4 (Ghia), 1985 Ford Probe V (Ghia), 1985 Ford Urby (Ghia), 1986 Ford Vignale TSX-6 (Ghia), 1987 Ford HFX Aerostar (Ghia), 1987 Lincoln by Vignale (Ghia), 1989 Ford Saguaro (Ghia), 1989 Ford Via (Ghia), 1990 Ford Fiesta Bebop (Ghia), 1990 Ford Zag (Ghia), 1990 Ford Zig (Ghia), 1991 Ford Connecta (Ghia), 1992 Ford Focus (Ghia), 1993 Aston Martin Lagonda Vignale (Ghia), 1994 Ford Arioso (Ghia), 1996 Ford Alpe (Ghia), 1996 Ford Lynx (Ghia), 1996 Ford Saetta (Ghia), 1996 Ford Vivace (Ghia), 1996 Lincoln Sentinel (Ghia), 1998 Ford Touring Ka (Ghia), 2000 Ford Street Ka (Ghia), 2001 Ford Forty-Nine (Ghia)
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Comments
Jon Erich
Thursday, October 29, 2009
I've always loved the way this car looks, from the first time I seen it, and it still looks awesome.
I may be wrong, but it seems Honda copied the looks of this car for their Civic Si Coupe, the side view looks so much alike, but the AC Ghia looks better.
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