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This car with chassis number LM17 is the third member of the team that Aston Martin entered for the 1934 RAC Tourist Trophy race in Ulster. Originally the racing Astons were green but were re-painted red because 'Bert' Bertelli, the Aston Martin boss, thought, in accord with Italian superstitions, that green was an unlucky color. He may have been correct, as the red cars brought home the team prize. The car's current owner, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, races it in historic events.
Aston Martin's were an important car in the history of auto racing, and were well excepted by the automotive enthusiast community who enjoyed driving the cars during the week and racing them on the weekend. During the mid-1930s, Aston Martin introduced their 1.5-liter Ulster cars, named after a victory by the Works team at Ulster.
There were few differences between the road going cars and the racing cars; as such, the Ulster racer and Mark II production car shared the same chassis and many of the same mechanical components. The Ulster was given a lightweight aluminum body with dimensions that conformed to racing regulations of the time. Other differences between the road and race cars were stiffer springs and larger drum brakes for optimal racing performance. The engine was modified with two large SU carburetors and higher compression resulting in 80 horsepower. The engine was linked to a four-speed manual gearbox and drove the rear wheels. Top speed was achieved at over 100 mph for the small, 940 kg machine.
Production of the Ulster lasted from 1934 through 1936 with a mere 21 examples being produced. All examples are believed to have survived to modern times. These cars were true performance machines, suitable for the most discerning sports car drivers. The team cars had paved the way for the production based cars to be created. © 1998-2009. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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