New beginnings at Brooklands
Brooklands Double 12 celebrates the historic circuit’s start/finish straight renaissance
This year’s Brooklands Double 12 festival coincided with the unveiling of the newlyrestored start/finish straight, hidden under AVRO’S aircraft-hangar factory since it was requisitioned by the War Office in the Thirties. Lord March re-opened the track section using the same scissors with which Dame Ethel Locke King cut the inaugural ribbon 110 years earlier.
Chater Lea Special
Invited back to the circuit where it held the Hour Record in 1913, this little Chater Lea roadster marks the origins of Aston Martin.
‘I didn’t even know it was a Chater Lea when I bought it,’ said owner and former British Leyland photographer Michael Read. ‘I saw it poking out of a barn and knew I wanted it. I stripped down the engine and found it was Singer-based but holes had been drilled in the sides of the pistons and conrods to make it lighter. I thought “what’s this guy been doing?” Research via Beaulieu revealed that “guy” was Lionel Martin. Months after he created this special he formed Bamford & Martin, which was renamed Aston Martin a year later.
‘The modifications worked – by lightening the engine internals, reprofiling the cam lobe contours, altering the carburettor and swapping the exhaust manifold, top speed went from 45mph to 70mph – supercar performance in 1913.’ Vauxhall Hurlingham ‘This is the last Vauxhall sports car made before the Viva GT,’ said owner Barry Tickle of his recentlycompleted art-deco Vauxhall roadster. ‘It was discovered in nearscrap condition in Johannesburg in 1966 and 400 Rand (about £25) bought it. The owner had originally planned to turn it into a hot rod.
‘Although built after GM took over Vauxhall, it was the last pre-gm design, so it was still a Bentley rival although the Great Depression put a stop to that after just 48 Hurlinghams were made. Interestingly, Vauxhall used to trademark its mascots and badges but forgot to register this car’s ‘Speedbird’ with the Patents Office and BOAC copied it.
‘I sold an E-type to buy it. I used to go to Jaguar meetings and see 300 others lined up. Then this came up for sale in 2013. An older restoration had been carried out in South Africa in 1996, but I had to rebuild the steering, radiator and fuel system before I could get it on the road.’
Aston Martin MKII
This Aston Martin was displayed by Peter Russell, who has recommissioned it after several decades off the road and is now looking for information that could shed light on the early part of its remarkable history.
‘I first saw it in 1978, up on blocks in a garage,’ said Russell. ‘I eventually bought it in 1990, but the previous owner had had it since the Fifties.
‘The car only had a continuation logbook, but instead of owners’ addresses there was a list of RAF stations. Its owners included Geoffrey Wellum, the youngest Spitfire pilot in the Battle of Britain.
‘What I’m looking for is information about the car’s first owner, who would have had the original logbook. We think it was sold new by dealer Gordon Watney to a Mr Clark of Poole, Dorset.’