THE ASTON BARN PROJECT :
Pre-war
Note : all photos are clickable to see them in a much
larger
size.
all photos have a
'source' given. Please have a look at my bibliography to decode.
In this page, we'll try to gather
a wealth of unrestored, survivor or
wrecked Aston Martins...
PLEASE SEND IF YOU FIND
SOMETHING
THAT'S NOT HERE !
J0/79
You
must have recognized this body by James Young
History (PDF) : 
Source : CarDiscoveries.com
A1/100
Nice patina...
13 zipped photos (click on the following photo to download)
: 
History (PDF) : 
Source : ZeGarage.com (dead link)
D4/420/L
Very nice patina for this car for sale by Ecurie Bertelli on November
2008.
History : 
and
further photos zipped. Click on this to download zip file : 
G5/588/U
Here is the text from
Christie's catalogue (19/02/1996) :
FROM THE ESTATE OF THE LATE STUART HENRY SHARPE
ASTON MARTIN ULSTER - EX PRINCE "BIRA"
FOR RESTORATION
Registration No. CMX 743
Chassis No.GS/588/U
Engine No. G5/588/U
Engine: four cylinder, overhead camshaft, 1,495cc, 80bhp at 5,250rpm;
Gearbox: four speed manual; Brakes: four wheel drum; Suspension-:
semi-elliptic leaf springs front and rear. Right hand drive.
Introduced at the 1934 Motor Show, the Ulster Aston
Martin is simply regarded as the epitome of pre-war Aston Martin
achievement. The narrow two-seater coachwork by Bertelli was a replica
of the 1934 Team Cars and featured , flat scuttle and a long
streamlined tail with the spare wheel laid flat in its base. The Ulster
chassis was very similar to char of the MkII model but assembled, tuned
and split-pinned to the Works specification, and the engine featured
dry-sump lubrication, a special Laystall fully balanced crankshaft,
twin SU carburettors, domed pistons and highly polished inlet and
exhaust ports. Approximately 21 Ulsters were built and were regularly
seen racing at Ulster, Le Mans, Donington Park, Brooklands, in the
Mille Miglia and in the Belgian and South African Grand Prix. Each had
a guaranteed maximum speed of 100mph and Aston Martin claimed they were
sold "ready to race without further preparation"; indeed, a Motor Spoil
road test in 1935 reported that "the car inspired confidence, had an
inherent sense of rightness and moved like a rocket"
The Ulster on offer today is one of a handful of desirable low radiator
cars produced by the factory. It has a fascinating history, having been
first owned by Prince Birabongse Bhanubandh of Siam, or "B.Bira" as he
preferred to be known. (Prince Bira was the famous amateur racing
driver of various cars including two ERA's, an MG K3 and a Riley Imp).
With this Ulster he was entry number 20 in the 1935 RAC "Ulster"
Tourist Trophy race although unfortunately on his third lap the car was
engulfed in grey smoke as oil poured through the bonnet louvres on to
the hot exhaust at Comber. After managing to reach his pit the
mechanics replaced a burst oil pipe, although the whole operation was
to be repeated on the fifth lap before re-occurring on the seventh,
finally causing Bira's retirement. Photographs of the Ulster were
featured in "The Autocar" on 6th September 1935 and it is also pictured
in "Wheels At Speed" by Prince Chula and "Aston Martin 1913-47" by
Inman Hunter and Alan Anther.
According to the AMOC Register, the original engine was replaced by the
Works in 1935 by a new Ulster engine, which was stamped with the same
number. Following this replacement the car went on to win its class in
the 1936 Belgian 24 Hour Race at Spa driven by Headlam and Wood.
CMX 743 has remained in the same ownership since the early 1950's. Soon
after its purchase the owner decided to commence a sympathetic rebuild
of the car and it was dismantled and various work undertaken. The
restoration was never completed; indeed, the car has remained in the
same dismantled state since the early 1960's - confirmed by the
newspaper used to protect the greased pushrods which is dated October
4th, 1963 ! The car still retains its correct engine no.G5/588/U,
chassis, chassis place, gearbox, front and back axles, coachwork and
bulkhead, although unfortunately a few items such as carburettors and
radiator shell am missing. We must state that it is the responsibility
of the purchaser to satisfy himself as what other, if any, parts are
missing. Most items are in remarkably good condition having been stored
covered in grease and in dry conditions. The original bodywork is
basically strong and certainly restorable and the car comes with its
original bucket seat, which appear to retain their original leather,
and a V5 registration document.
The Aston Martin Owners Club is very active and, if required, most
items should be available brand new through specialist
dealers/restorers.
This car is almost certainly the last "unrestored" Aston Martin Ulster
in existence and is ready for restoration to its new owner's
specification. It is made still more desirable by its famous and
documented history and, as such, is perhaps one of the most significant
pre-war Aston Martins to be offered for sale in recent years.
Estimate: £25,000-30,000
Sold £89,500 !!!
photos from the catalogue :
Current condition :
J6/703/LS ("Donald Duck")
A rare car nowadays: a 15/98 4 door saloon.
This one is the 1936 Olympia Show car & Works demonstrator.
Nicknamed "Donald Duck" at the works!
Featured in Autocar (1
November 1940).
History of the discovery in Motor
Klassik (december 1989): 
This car is a very
important one in Aston Martin history, a true development car.
Next step will be the famous Atom.
H8/791/LT
Fabulous barn fresh car sold by Bonhams
on 6 June 2010 at Greenwich for $51,480.
The above photo comes from this page
of Supercars.net
Here is a zip file of the available photos: 
Now the Bonhams page in PDF format: 
And the Bonhams photos in a ZIP file: 
First colour was black ; it appears underneath: 
In the boot, there was a special storage for side-screens;
unknown pre-war #1
An 1934 MkII Saloon for sale by Ecurie Bertelli.
Aston Martin Scrapbook
http://astonuts.free.fr
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