International Coupe (Headlam)
International Coupe (Headlam)

International Coupe (Headlam)

(for W.S.Headlam by E. Bertelli) (1930)

Back in 1930, it was much easier to have your own special body made as when you bought a quality car, you were in fact just buying a rolling chassis and engine. With the coachbuilding workshops of E. Bertelli conveniently situated next door to the Aston Martin factory, most cars went straight there to receive a standard body. But as if to prove that E. Bertelli weren't just knocking out multiple copies of the same body, they constructed this achingly beautiful fixed head coupe on a short chassis for the wealthy Whitby ship owner, W.S.Headlam.

International Coupe (Headlam)

Following an extensive restoration, the car was first seen at the head of the St. Georges Day Aston Martin parade in April 2005. The coachwork is finished in the correct original colour of black and still has the polished waist level strip all along the bonnet, doors and above the rear wing.

I next saw the Headlam coupe at the 2007 AMOC gathering at RAF Cottesmore parked alongside the AMHT 2/4 seater Ulster. It also was shown on the 101 car timeline at the 2013 Centenary Event at Kensington Palace.