Aston Martin 1,5 litre Standart Sports by Bamford & Martin LWB
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Car producer : |
Aston Martin |
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Model: |
1,5 litre Standart Sports by Bamford & Martin LWB |
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Year: |
1921-1925 |
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Type: |
Roadster |
After the war, the company was refounded at Abingdon Road, Kensington and a new car designed to carry the Aston-Martin name. Bamford left in 1920 and the company was revitalised with funding from Count Louis Zborowski. In 1922, Bamford & Martin produced cars to compete in the French Grand Prix, which went on to set world speed and endurance records at Brooklands. Three works Team Cars with 16-valve twin cam engines were built for racing and record breaking: chassis number 1914, later developed as the Green Pea; chassis number 1915, the Razor Blade record car; and chassis number 1916, later developed as the Halford Special.
The first Astons used four-cylinder side valve engines, and though the firm experimented with overhead-camshaft types, it was the trusty side valves that did most of the winning. Indeed, the firm's single-cam 16-valve motor was barely any more powerful than the side valve unit while at the same time being less reliable. Both engines were the work of one S Robb, previously with Coventry-Simplex. In 1922 the side valve Aston Martin enjoyed its finest hour when one nicknamed 'Rabbit', and latterly known as 'Bunny', set 25 light-car and 10 outright world speed records at Brooklands. Unfortunately, the management's concentration on motor sport, while accruing invaluable publicity, distracted it from the business of manufacturing cars for sale.
Approximately 55 cars were built for sale in two configurations, long chassis and short chassis. The company went bankrupt in 1924 and was bought by Lady Charnwood, who put her son John Benson on the board. The company failed again in 1925 and the factory closed in 1926, with Lionel Martin leaving.
Later that year, Bill Renwick, Augustus (Bert) Bertelli and investors which included Lady Charnwood took control of the company. They renamed it Aston Martin Motors and moved it to the former Whitehead Aircraft Limited works in Feltham. Renwick and Bertelli had been in partnership some years and had developed an overhead-cam four-cylinder engine using Renwick's patented combustion chamber design, which they had tested in an Enfield Allday chassis. The only "Renwick and Bertelli" motor car made, it was known as "Buzz box" and still survives.
The pair had planned to sell their engine to motor manufacturers, but having heard that the Aston Martin was no longer in production realised they could capitalise on its reputation to jump start the production of a completely new car.
