Under a new management team at AC Cars, chaired by the very British-Sounding General, Sir Jeremy Mackenzie, former Deputy Supreme Allied Command NATO Europe, Aide de Camp General to HM The Queen, dedicated AC enthusiast and armed with a plan to switch some production to the same factory in South Africa which made Lee Noble's cars, AC marched into the 2012 Geneva motor show with high hopes for renewed brand success. "Geneva 2012 marks a new beginning for the AC brand", said Mackenzie, "The company has suffered from a series of false starts in recent years but at the root of those has always been the lack of a proper manufacturing base. Now that it has entered into joint ventures with manufacturing entities with strong track records in producing cars which share the iconic AC pedigree, all that is firmly in the past".

In time for the year's most eagerly awaited Motor show, the British sports car specialist teamed up with fabled Italian coachbuilder, Zagato, to create the all new AC 378 GT Zagato. AC had an on-off relationship for much of the past decade, with production switched abroad, management changes and a confusing product line-up. However, under the new management, the hopes were to make a go of AC Cars, one of the world's oldest car brands, beginning with a supercar to be sold in the UK and Germany where it would retail for €109,990. The only problem was that the AC 378 GT Zagato didn't arrive in time at Palexpo for press day after an altercation with Customs. The svelte new coupé packs a punch with a General Motors 6.2-litre, V8 under the bonnet and tuned to 434bhp. It was indeed previewed at Perana in 2009 and It's not the first time AC Cars has looked to Italy for design inspiration: the AC Ace Bristol Zagato of the 1950s and AC Frua of the 1960s were both penned by the Italian carrozzeria. Under the new management, AC planned further developments with Zagato, including a limited run of AC Ace Bristol Zagatosand and the reintroduction of the AC Ace Classic, a kind of junior Cobra to be sold for less than £50,000 in the UK.

This example, the pre-production prototype Geneva 2012 show car, which was famously late for its unveiling having been held at customs, has been owned and cared for since by Brooklands Motor Company and AC Heritage, a custodian of the old AC workshops at the Brooklands Motor Museum, AC Specialists and its spiritual home. Having been used sparingly at shows and press-calls, the AC 378 GT Zagato is presented as it was on the AC stands in 2012. A truly unique example steeped in British motoring history despite being a truly modern supercar, this example presented in metallic blue with contrasting grey/black interior coupled with a 6.2 litre, V8 is a fully registered roadworthy example and can be seen gracing the road and track at the Double Twelve motor show 2015 on You Tube. Subject to much media hype, Zagato designed a true one-off and rare example. This is sure to interest collectors worldwide and is offered with a good documented history file, viewing is highly

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