ACE/Ward
From Graces Guide
- Ace were based in Huddersfield and started out as the Ward Bros.
- 1980 they built their own 36ft coach chassis, they had a mid-mounted Perkins V8 that was called the Dalesman.
- 1983 six GRXI's were developed, a rear engined service bus with a horizontal Gardner engine and SCG semi-automatic gearbox.
- These were built for Darlington Transport.
- 1984 Ward Bros closed down.
- The brothers managed to continue beacuse AEC accquired both the Ward bros and took them into partnership.
- They produced three chassis, the Puma, Cheetah, and the Cougar, all these models used Perkins engines.
- Leyland owned the rights to the original AEC name and Albion so they renamed the company ACE Advanced Chassis Enginnering.
- 1992 the company then closed down for the last time.
Sources of Information
Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris