<< Prev Page 2 of 2 A more civilised 2 Litre for the road followed, fitted with a de-tuned wet sump engine, known as the 15/98. Aston Martin also offered the remaining Speed Model chassis as a high performance street car. They were available with a 2/4 seater by Bertelli or a 2 seater by Abbey Coachworks. These were respectively known as the A Type and B Type Speed Models. Unfortunately, the very quick machines proved remarkably difficult to sell and at least eight rolling chassis remained at the Aston Martin factory in Feltham.
In a final attempt to sell the remaining chassis, Aston Martin chief engineer Claude Hill decided to create an altogether more adventurous body. Known as the Type C, the third evolution of the Two Litre sports car featured an aerodynamic design with an unusual upright grille. The first example featured two upright headlights mounted on either side of the grille, while the subsequent cars sported a single or twin headlights fitted behind the grille. Quite in contrast with the round and upright nose were the long tail and rear fenders.
Painted in a very bright yellow, which further accentuated the unusual styling, the Type C caused quite a stir at the 1938 Motor Show and quickly received the nickname 'Flying Banana'. It was, however, not the aerodynamic design that made this Aston Martin worth remembering. Hill used it to experiment with his ideas about an integral body and chassis. Onto the Speed Model chassis a frame was welded, which supported the body instead of a traditional wooden structure. This was the first step to what would become the Atom experimental vehicle, which in turn would form the basis for Aston Martin's post-War range.
Shortly after the Type C was launched, Aston Martin ceased production as Britain needed its industries to produce machines of a very different kind. As a result, the Speed Model in its various incarnations holds the distinction of being both the last works racer and the last sports car built before the War. When peace returned, the company changed hands and at a new location all new Aston Martins rolled off the line. Almost all of the Speed Models have survived and they are regularly campaigned and/or shown in a wide variety of events. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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Type C Speed Model
A more civilised 2 Litre for the road followed, fitted with a de-tuned wet sump engine, known as the 15/98. Aston Martin also offered the remaining Speed Model chassis as a high performance street car. They were available with a 2/4 seater by Bertelli or a 2 seater by Abbey Coachworks. These were respectively known as the A Type and B Type Speed Models. Unfortunately, the very quick machines proved remarkably difficult to sell and at least eight rolling chassis remained at the Aston Martin factory in Feltham.