The Aston Martin Heritage Festival, held at Brooklands on 13 August, was one of the marque’s largest-ever gatherings. It was also one of the most special, with the show organiser, the Aston Martin Heritage Trust, delivering a fine display of five exceptionally early machines, an 11-strong line of pre-war Le Mans racers, and the 1979 Bulldog concept, as well as a vast array of owners’ cars.
The earliest-surviving Aston Martin, the 101-year old Bamford & Martin A3 (C&SC, April 2013), joined four other historic examples of the marque for the first time. Restored by pre-war marque specialist Ecurie Bertelli to its original, simple style, A3’s black paintwork, aluminium bonnet and wooden running boards contrasted with the narrow 1923 ‘Razorblade’ next to it, a dainty 1500cc product of chasing light-car records, of which it broke several. The famous 1922 ‘Green Pea’ was also present, showing off the distinctive paintwork that, together with the honour of being Aston Martin’s first GP machine, inspired its nickname.
Perhaps even more impressive was the set of Le Mans team cars arranged along the side of the straight. Beginning with the 1928 ‘LM1’, whose story includes the origins of the famous enamelled badge, there was also the 1930 LM4, a class-winner in the Brooklands Double Twelve, and the 1934 LM15, LM16 and LM17, which were the first Aston Martin racing cars to be painted red.
The Aston Martin Owners’ Club invited its members to be part of the event, attracting a fine selection of pre-war models that gathered next to the historic Brooklands Clubhouse. Alongside there were a number of specialists and traders, including auctioneer Bonhams – which had the ex-Peter Collins/Pat Griffith 1952 Goodwood Nine Hours race-winning DB3 (C&SC, June 2018) on display, ahead of its appearance at the Goodwood Revival sale on 17 September.
Owners’ cars from post-WW2 onwards were parked up the Brooklands Finishing Straight all the way to the banking, where DB9 and Vantage models were arranged along the inside of the curve. Almost every variant of postwar Aston Martin in every colour was represented, from an AMR Vantage Roadster to a rare Graberbodied DB2, and a few Lagondas – of all types – joined in, too.
Topping off the impressive displays were a couple of runs up the famous Test Hill for owners of pre-war Aston Martins, which drew the event’s substantial crowds to the old, steep stretch of concret
