<< Prev Page 2 of 2 Upon completion late in 1939, the Atom was extensively tested and received a very warm welcome in the British press. With the original still fitted, it achieved a top speed of nearly 100 mph despite running on low-quality, Wartime fuel. During the War, Aston Martin produced aircraft parts and development of the car ground to a halt but it was used extensively by Gordon Sutherland himself. He is believed to have clocked over 100,000 miles on the Atom himself before the end of the War.
Although Sutherland had ambitious plans to further develop the Atom, he offered Aston Martin literally in a 'For Sale' ad shortly after the War. David Brown answered the ad and as mentioned before, driving the Atom convinced him to acquire the company. He did not follow up with a production version of the Atom but the chassis and engine were used in the first post-War model, which immediately won the 1948 Spa 24 Hours outright. The chassis design would go to form the basis for the DB2 produced until the late 1950s.
David Brown did not retain the Atom for very long and this very important British motor car eventually ended up in French hands during the mid-1960s. During this period, it was displayed on occasion in the Chatellerault Musée de l'Automobile and also in the official Le Mans museum. In 1985, it was acquired, sight unseen, by Aston Martin enthusiast Dr. Thomas Rollason and repatriated to the United Kingdom.
During the following years, it was sympathetically restored to its 1946 specification with insights of Gordon Sutherland himself. By that time, it had covered over 250,000 miles. Since the restoration, the Atom has been a welcome guest at many of the major shows, notably winning a class award at Pebble Beach and Goodwood.
After a custodianship of nearly 30 years, Dr. Rollason has now consigned the unique Atom to the 2014 Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed sale. The privilege of owning one of the earliest concept cars and the saviour of Aston Martin will come at an estimated £ 600,000 - 1,000,000. << Prev Page 2 of 2
Upon completion late in 1939, the Atom was extensively tested and received a very warm welcome in the British press. With the original still fitted, it achieved a top speed of nearly 100 mph despite running on low-quality, Wartime fuel. During the War, Aston Martin produced aircraft parts and development of the car ground to a halt but it was used extensively by Gordon Sutherland himself. He is believed to have clocked over 100,000 miles on the Atom himself before the end of the War.