Aston Martin 1913 - 1947

Within the pages of this book, 169 photographs, many of them never published before, depict the full range of pre war Aston Martin models and early prototypes from Coal Scuttle, the very first Aston, through Bunny, Strasbourg, Internationals, Ulsters, Le Mans, Mk II up to and including the Atom, a brilliantly conceived project sadly aborted by the outbreak of World War II. It also includes the likes of special cars such as the single seater Razer Blade, and the Benson Twin Cam Engine. Relating each individual model one to the other is a concise, informed commentary by one of the marque's leading authorities, Inman Hunter, who himself served an apprenticeship at the works in the early thirties. In addition, there is a fully documented history of the manufacturers during twenty years of world trade depression, sandwiched between recovery from one world war and preparation for a second. During this time, three men, the late Lionel Martin, A.C. Bertelli and R. Gordon Sutherland, successively controlled, in their individual ways, Aston Martin policy and design, contributing to the survival of one of the most illustrious names in the history of the British motor industry. Much of this side of the story is derived from the author's personal friendship with A.C. Bertelli, talks with Lionel Martin shortly before his death in 1945, and lengthy correspondence with Gordon Sutherland. Their story and the glorious cars they produced are pictured here in a unique collection of photographs gathered from generous enthusiasts throughout the world.