1940 Aston Martin Type C Speed Model

Sir Arthur Sutherland gave £10,000 of capital in early 1936 for the development of a new engine by the young engineer, Claude Hill. It displaced 2 liters and produced around 25 percent more power than the previous 1.5-liter unit. This 2-liter engine had larger carburetors, higher lift cams, and a dry sump. Encouraged by this new engine, Aston Martin began work on a new chassis into which it could be fitted. The new chassis was stronger than its predecessor, the wheelbase was one inch shorter than the earlier 1.5-liter cars, and the track was two inches wider. It had an advanced hydraulic brake system by Lockheed that worked superbly well, and few cars with drum brakes had better braking than a Speed Model Aston Martin.

Along with the new engine, a new gearbox was developed, able to handle up to 200 brake horsepower, with close ratios and constant mesh gears on the input and main shafts.

Two purpose-built Speed Models were built with the intention of competing at the 1936 Le Mans 24 Hour Race. Sadly, this did not take place due to a labor action by French workers. The two factory team cars were quickly sold to defray the cost of development. Work, however, did progress on more than half of the remaining chassis required to homologate the car for Le Mans. The final eight cars to be assembled, late in 1939 and into 1940, had steel-framed aerodynamic bodies designed by Claude Hill. They were given full competition specification, with a flowing nose and long tapering tails with sleek wings fully enclosing the wheels. The main body panels were constructed of light alloy while the wings were formed from steel. This new design made its appearance at the 1938 Earl Court Motor Show. The final iteration of design had headlamps that sat behind the founded radiator shell.

by Dan Vaughan

Boattail Roadster
Chassis number: G40/718/U

This Aston Martin, chassis number 718, is believed to have been the last Aston Martin sold prior to the end of World War II. It is believed to have left the Works just before Christmas in 1940. The original owner was Mr. Ansell of Romsey who used the car in the Brighton Speed Trials of 1946. The car was later sold to a Miss Bean, of London, who participated with the car in the AMOC Warlingham Rally in 1949, winning 1st in Class.

Peter Morton Bayard Rowland, of London, became the car's next owner in July of 1955. In August of 1960, it was sold to John William Coles, of Surrey, and then, after a brief subsequent owner, to Barry Perryman in late 1962. Mr. Perryman displayed the car in the 1967 AMOC Concours, earning First in Class.

In 1975, the car entered the care of Mark Goodson, of Kilham, Scotland, who owned the car for over a decade before selling it to Klaus Graba, of Germany, around 1989. Wolfgang Friedrichs, of Dusseldorf, purchased the car in November of 1997. A sympathetic restoration soon followed and the car was refurbished from the frame up and the body off. The work lasted from 1998 to 2002.

In 2013, the car was shown at the St. Jame's Concours of Elegance, the only recorded public event at which it was shown since the restoration.

by Dan Vaughan

Boattail Roadster

Aston Martin built eight of these special bodied cars, five of which survive today in their original configuration. This car was the last one made in 1940 as Aston changed production to the war effort.

This car was originally sold to Dr. Krohn of the human anatomy department of Oxford University. It competed in the Sand Races in St. Andrews in 1949. After that, it disappeared until discovered in Pittsburgh, PA in the early 1980s and has undergone an extensive and accurate body-off-chassis restoration

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. An important victory was scored in 1934 at the Tourist Trophy Race in Ulster, followed by a third place finish in 1935 at the 24 Hours of LeMans.

The main drawback for the 1.5-liter Aston Martins had to be their price tag, among the most expensive 1500cc examples produced during this era. On the track, these cars were very competitive, but in the market place they were too expensive to compete. One way to make the cars more marketable was to increase the displacement size, and that's what Aston Martin did, enlarging the engine to 1949cc. The new engine was placed in team cars for the 1936 edition of the 24 Hours of LeMans race and the company scrambled to comply with homologation regulations which required thirty examples produced. The letter of the law stated 'Sold, Built, or Stocked.' When officials came to check on Aston Martin's status, the team had 25 chassis ready, enough to be granted a green light for racing. A short time before the commencement of the race, the race organizer (ACO) cancelled the event.

The design of the Works LeMans entries were similar to the Ulster cars, except they had front wings attached to the chassis and did not turn with the steering. The Works cars were quickly sold after the cancelled LeMans ordeal, and never officially raced by the Works Team. Aston Martin soon retired from racing.

Many of the chassis created to comply with homologation requirements were converted to Speed Models. They were on display at the 1936 Motor Show when the company still had nearly all 25 examples left to sell. Many were raced in events such as the Spa 24 Hours and the RAC Tourist Trophy. Numerous bodystyles were fitted to the cars. Many were later updated to comply with various racing regulations.

Around eight 2-liter examples were unsold. Aston Martin gave them a modern appearance and an aerodynamic streamlined body. The first example was displayed at the 1938 Earls Court Motor Show where its dramatic body sat behind a shield-shaped grill. The remaining seven examples had mesh grills with headlamps mounted behind the grill. Most were given bodies by the Aston Martin factory. These vehicles were dubbed the Type C and could exceed the 100 mph mark. All examples were sold, with the final model finding a buyer just before the close of 1940.

by Dan Vaughan