1935 Aston Martin Ulster Racer

The Aston Martin Ulster stands as one of the most respected of all pre-war racecars. After the success of the factory team cars in the 1934 Ulster T.T. Race, Aston Martin made replicas available to the public to purchase. These cars were largely based on the previous MKII model, and were powered by a SOHC 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 85 bhp. Less than 25 Ulsters were ever made and they all still exist. This car is still actively campaigned in VSCCA events.

The early Aston-Martins (the hyphen is correct for the period) built by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin quickly established a reputation for their durability and performance. Motorsports distracted the company from the business of building cars for sale, and approximately 50 examples were sold by 1925 when the company underwent the first of what would be many changes of ownership.

With the formation of Aston Martin Motors Ltd in 1926 under the stewardship of Augustus 'Bert' Bertelli and William Renwick, the foundation was laid for proper series production. These 'new generation' of Aston Martins were built at the firm's new Feltham works facilities and made their debut in 1927 at the London Motor Show at Olympia.

Competition remained a valuable part of the company and to that end, two works racers were constructed for the 1928 season. Based on the 1½-litre road car, the duo featured dry-sump lubrication which was later applied to the International sports model, newly introduced in 1929. Built in two wheelbase lengths (8' 6' and 9' 10') the International was manufactured between 1929 and 1932, mostly with bodies by Augustus's brother Enrico 'Harry' Bertelli.

After Aston Martin achieved a class victory and 5th place overall finish in the 1931 Le Mans race, the 'Le Mans' label was first applied to the competition version of the (1st Series) International. At the 1932 event, the model placed 5th and 7th and collected the Rudge-Whitworth Biennial Cup.

As the economic recession of the 1930s continued to strengthen its grip on the economy, Aston Martin decided to redesign the International chassis using proprietary components to reduce cost. The worm rear axle was replaced by an ENV spiral bevel unit, and a Laycock gearbox was adopted, mounted in unit with the engine. Numerous modifications were made throughout the vehicle, including a redesigned chassis frame. The same coachwork, however, was applied and was sold as the 'New International'. What became known as the '2nd Series' remained in production only briefly, with both the New International and two-seater Le Mans disappearing from the range before the end of 1932. Their departure was necessary to make room for the more familiar Le Mans 2/4-seater, which was also available on the long chassis as the Le Mans Special four-seater.

The Mark II model was introduced in 1934 and employed a new, stronger chassis and a revised engine with a counter-balanced crankshaft. Wheelbase sizes included an 8-foot, 7-inch platform and a longer 10-foot unit with the latter accommodating four-seater sports saloon coachwork by Enrico Bertelli.

Despite the economic hardships of the era, Aston Martin remained committed to motorsport competition, even under the stewardship of new owners - the Sutherlands, Robert Gordon Sutherland who assumed the post of joint managing director alongside 'Bert' Bertelli in March 1933.

Three Aston Martin competition cars were built for the 1934 Le Mans race, receiving the new MkII chassis with the frames being drilled to reduce overall weight. Unfortunately, all three works Astons were sidelined by mechanical problems. Convinced the issues were due to a 'jinx,' Bertelli had the cars painted in Italian Racing Red rather than the traditional shades of green. The next race was the RAC Tourist Trophy at Ards in Ulster and since racing regulations required the competition cars to be built atop standard chassis, three new cars were built on unmodified frames. Perhaps the new paint job worked, as all three cars finished the race, finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd in class, earning Aston Martin the Team Prize.

In 1935, chassis number 'LM20' placed 3rd overall at Le Mans, winning its class and the Rudge Cup.

Replicas of the three winning cars that raced at the 1934 TT race were displayed in October of 1934 at the Olympia Motor Show. They used the shorter MkII chassis and the engines were modified for increased output. Among the updates were polished inlets and exhaust ports, an increased compression ratio of 9.5:1, domed pistons, and a 'stepped' cylinder head. Higher specification Laystall crankshaft and valves were installed, and the two-seater coachwork was devoid of doors. With 85 horsepower on tap, the Ulster was guaranteed to exceed 100mph with full road equipment.

A total of thirty-one Ulsters were built including ten team cars. Currently, twenty-eight examples are known to exist.

This particular Aston Martin Ulster was built on February 5th of 1935 and received the Two Seater bodywork with which the Ulster model is so well identified. The car, painted red, was the Works Demonstrator for the model, and it was registered for the road to Aston Martin on July 30th, with the distinctive British plate CMF 934, a Middlesex number.

By the end of 1935, the car endured an extensive road test in The Light Car Magazine where it was exercised at the Brooklands racetrack. The vehicle impressed and the reviews were positive. During another review a few months later, the capabilities of the car far exceeded those of the freelance journalist, resulting in a crash. The car was returned to the Works, and languished in its damaged form, until it a Scotsman, Alex Riddell Innes noticed it there. Mr. Innes commissioned Aston Martin to rebuild the car with 2/4 seater coachwork and officially acquired it through Winter Graden Garages on July 17th, 1936. Instead of its original red exterior, the body now wore a black exterior. It is believed that the discarded Two Seater Ulster body loitered around the Works and ended up on a Speed Model in 1937.

The Ulster was later sold through A. & J. Guthrie of Hawick to William Douglas Rutherford of Selkirk on August 5, 1937, then from the Spring of 1938 it was re-advertised and passed eventually to Lindsay Burns of Fife. During the 1940s, it was registered to John E. Kidd, who moved between Edinburgh and St. Albans.

The car returned to the London area when it was acquired by Duncan Chisholm on January 2nd of 1950. Later that summer, the car passed to Donald Joseph Matthias who raced it in the St. John Horsfall Trophy in 1951. In September 1951, at 86,300 miles, the Works noted that they had supplied a 2 Liter unit as a replacement engine for the car, that unit being L48/900/U. The original engine was installed into the Le Mans chassis F3/287/S.

The Ulster passed through a succession of owners during the 1950s. In October of 1959 and 1960, it was shown at the AMOC Concours in Ascot by then-owners Richard and Peggy Scates. The car was sold on May 27th of 1963, and would be enjoyed by a succession of owners. Ron McBride of Woodbridge, New Jersey acquired the car in 19733 from London Mews dealer Dan Margulies. It was brought to America and by this stage, the color was changed from Black to the Blue. David Van Schaick acquired it from Mr. McBride in May 1983.

Mr. Van Schaick would use the Ulster in numerous AMOC activities, Colorado Grand tours, and VSCCA Races around the country. At some point, the engine was rebuilt with a new block and competition camshaft.

Mr. Van Schaick passed away in 2016, and the car was brought to auction in 2020 and 2022.