At the 1927  motor show, Aston Martin unveiled the four door T-type saloon and T-type tourer on a longer 9′ 6” wheelbase chassis. Sadly, not only were they slow sellers, but the long chassis cars have had a very low rate of survival. The AM Register of cars lists 8 saloons built in total, none of which survives, and 6 tourers with only three survivors.

The below images are of T14, what appears to be the one of only three surviving 4 door T-type tourer in existence, photographed at both the 2003 AMOC St. John Horsfall race meeting at Silverstone and also during the Parade des Pilots and AMOC track parade at Le Mans in 2006. It was also chosen for the 101 car timeline, the centrepiece of the Aston Martin Centenary Celebration at Kensington Place in July 2013.

In early 2006, the company unveiled the DB9 based Rapide Concept and to many, this was the first four door Aston Martin that they became aware of. But the T-types from the late 1920’s show that Aston Martins with ample space and easy access for four people are obviously nothing new.

By buying into Aston Martin, the marque had acquired a new high quality, powerful engine. At this stage, I must mention that in engineering terms, there was no connection between the Bamford and Martin cars and the Bertelli cars. Aston Martin moved to a factory in Victoria Road in Feltham, Middlesex in late 1926 and by the 1927 Motor Show at Olympia, a new range of cars was first shown. An adjacent bodyshop in Victoria Road was also opened by A.C. Bertelli’s brother, Enrico (Harry) (known as E. Bertelli Ltd) and this is where a vast majority of Aston Martins received their coachbuilt bodies for the next ten years.

At the 1927 London Motor Show, the new Aston Martin Motors Ltd. unveiled three completely new models, the most sporty of which was a pretty 3 seater sports model (S-type) on a shorter, lower chassis. This first car was in fact just a mock-up and was dismantled after the show

The main image above is an example of a 1929 sports model with 2 seater bodywork. The 1495cc engine in its earliest form was able to deliver about 56 bhp, sufficient to power the sports model to about 80 mph. I photographed this car at the official opening of the new AMOC/AMHT headquarters, known as ‘the barn’ at Drayton St Leonard, Oxfordshire.

The 1.5 litre Bertelli cars have been classified by the AMOC in three separate series to aid understanding of their development. The first series cars are distinguished from later cars by their separate gearbox and worm drive rear axle.

Lost for many years, restoration from true dismantled ‘barn find’ condition began in the mid 2000’s even through it was missing both the engine and rear axle. This involved the sourcing of the last known correct wet sump engine, number TS18 by Andy Bell from Ecurie Bertelli. With unusual swept wings and wet sump engine, this particular car is quite unique. It is believed that the yellow coachwork is also the original colour from 1928.

The car was photographed during ‘The Quail – A Motorsports Gathering’ in 2013 as part of the Aston Martin class. It was part of the private Mallya Collection and was almost certainly the only pre-war Aston Martin registered in Alaska.

The above green car is chassis S25 is the last example of the Sports model to be built. I saw it in 2016 at the AMOC Autumn Concours it had been last used in 1972 when the owner was a student. It is incredibly rare and special in that it remains in virtually original condition having never been restored or had a body off rebuild. It is almost exactly as it left the factory in Feltham in 1929

These early cars sold very slowly and Aston Martin was close to being bankrupt. A new car, based on the short chassis S-type sports model but with modifications to the chassis and running gear became the much better selling  International. 

(1928 – LM1, LM2)

The first team cars (LM1 and LM2) competed in the 1928 Le Mans 24 hour race and although neither finished, the team was awarded a special prize for being the fastest 1½ litre cars at the start of the race.

(1929 – LM3)

Although the works did not enter Le Mans in 1929, another team car was constructed, LM3, to join LM2 to compete in UK events. This car was initially LM3 but was re-assembled in 1932 as a 2/4 seater with a new registration number and an overstamped chassis number.

(1930 – LM4)

The LM4 team car added for the 1930 season again for UK events. The car was photographed (see below) at the opening of ‘the Barn’, headquarters of the AMOC & AMHT in April 2002.

(1931 – LM5, LM6, LM7)

In 1931, the company had sufficient finance to fund the building of three new team cars, LM5, LM6 and LM7. As well as UK events, all three cars entered the Le Mans 24 hour. The LM5 was photographed (see below) during the Parade des Pilots at Le Mans in 1999 and again in the AMOC Horsfall race at Silverstone in 2000. This car sadly retired in the 1931 Le Mans race, although LM6 finished 5th overall and 1st in class.

Below is the LM7, photographed mostly during the 2006 AMOC Horsfall Race at Silverstone. When the works had finished with LM7 at the end of the 1931 season, it was purchased by Mortimer ‘Mort’ Morris-Goodall, the founder of the Aston Martin Owners Club.

Above is the famous 1929 International was initially owned by A.C. Bertelli but became the first Aston Martin owned and raced Morris ‘Mort’ Goodall, the founder of the AMOC. It features very rare and attractive 3 seater coachwork.

Other examples of 2/4 seater Internationals are in the gallery,  photographed at the 2001 AMOC Spring Concours at Waddesdon Manor.

The above car, S37 was probably built as a 2/4 seater but following a rebuild, it was spotted in 2020 with rather nice 2 seater coachwork. The car jointly won the Aston Martin prize at the 2020 Hampton Court Concours of Elegance.

The long chassis cars are more scarce since the enthusiasts of the day opted for the more sporting 2/4 seaters. In the gallery is an example of a tourer that participated in the 1999 Le Mans Parade des Pilots.

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.

The photograph above shows the car in it’s original form with its proud owner at the wheel and partner in the passenger seat. But there was a problem – Jimmy used the car to travel up and down the country and it had no room for luggage – so during 1932, the car was converted to a 2/4 seater by Freestone and Webb. So to see this rare car in it’s original form is special indeed. I bought this picture late in 2002, but, perhaps foolishly, I swapped it for a 1959 Le Mans poster signed by Roy Salvadori.

The full story of this car was featured in the AMOC quarterly in the Summer of 1981 – perhaps by coincidence, a few pages back from the article was a news item about another celebrity comedian/actor AM owner, Rowan Atkinson, who had just taken delivery of his first new Aston Martin. Spooky or what.

I managed to catch up with this famous and important car in late 2003 as it’s being slowly restored whilst in the hands of an enthusiast in Lincolnshire, UK. The AMOC register records the car as having a Riley engine, although I’ m now please to inform you that it has now been reunited with a correct 1.5 litre Aston Martin unit. I’m no expert, but to my eyes, the car appears to be not to far from complete, and could well be back on the road without too much further effort. As can be seen, the car retains the unique Freestone and Webb 2/4 seater body tub which has already been restored.

The AM register lists no more than 8 International Le Mans, all but 2 are listed as 2 seaters. And this car pictured below, VN8435, is one of the only two 2/4 seaters listed (also known as four seater). I photographed it during the 2006 AMOC St John Horsfall race and also on the 101 car timeline for the Aston Martin Centenary in 2013.