1930 Aston Martin International 1½-Litre Short Wheelbase Sports Tourer

• Well documented ownership history
• Long-term enthusiast ownership from 1989 onwards
• Fastidiously maintained
• Aston Martin Heritage Trust Collections Research Report available

Manufactured by Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin, the first Aston-Martins (the hyphen is correct for the period) rapidly established a reputation for high performance and sporting prowess in the immediate post-WWI years. Unfortunately, the management's concentration on motor sport, while accruing invaluable publicity, distracted it from the business of manufacturing cars for sale, the result being just 50-or-so sold by 1925 when the company underwent the first of what would be many changes of ownership.

The foundations were laid for the commencement of proper series production with the formation of Aston Martin Motors Ltd in 1926 under the stewardship of Augustus Bertelli and William Renwick. Built at the firm's new Feltham works, the first 'new generation' Aston Martins were displayed at the 1927 London Motor Show at Olympia. Like his predecessors, 'Bert' Bertelli understood the effect of competition success on Aston Martin sales and sanctioned the construction of two works racers for the 1928 season. Based on the 1.5-litre, overhead-camshaft road car, the duo featured dry-sump lubrication, and this feature was carried over to the International sports model, newly introduced for 1929 at the London Motor Show. Built in two wheelbase lengths (102" and 118"), only 81 Internationals were manufactured between 1929 and 1932, mostly with bodies by Augustus's brother Enrico 'Harry' Bertelli. The 'First Series' cars are distinguished from later 1½-litre (1,495ccc) models by the separate gearbox and worm drive back axle; the clutch is single plate and the transmission includes a torque tube.

This 'First Series' International comes with an exhaustively detailed Collections Research Report compiled by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust. This document reveals that chassis number 'S56' was manufactured on 13th August 1930 as a short chassis International and first registered as 'GH 6828'. The original owner was one G H Gripper of Hanstead, Hertfordshire. The reports goes on to list a further 11 owners and details of the car's entries in the AMOC Register, including two concours awards: at Bicester in 1952 and Pattishall in 1953 respectively, while owned by one R H White.

The report goes onto note a Mk2 rear axle and engine fitted in 1953 and open air storage between 1960 and 1970. In 1974 the International was sold as a 'basket lot' with engine number 'S43' and subsequently restored. Originally painted black, 'GH 6828' was later repainted green and since restoration has been white. While in the care of Anthony Luddington, who first appears in the AMOC members list in 1983, the International picked up two concours awards: 1982 Newport Pagnell Summer Concours 3rd; and 1984 West Wycombe Summer Concours 3rd.

In 1989 the Aston was acquired from North Wales by a fastidious former lawyer (since deceased) and meticulously maintained by him personally, being serviced regularly depending on the mileage covered each year. The late owner was obviously a knowledgeable and dedicated Aston Martin enthusiast, as evidenced by the various maintenance books, chassis posters and other documents on file. Our vendor purchased the car from his estate.

The aforementioned AMHT report concludes thus: "With many previous owners having served in the UK armed forces, it would be interesting for any owner to research their lives in more detail. It might be also possible to reunite the car with their relatives which might unlock further history and bring joy to those families."

Eligible for a large number of VSCC and AMOC events, this well documented, fast and highly desirable Vintage-era Aston Martin is undoubtedly a very rare example of the much sought-after International, widely acknowledged as one of the outstanding designs of its era.