Description
By Colin Howard, Softbound, 146 Pages, ISBN: 9780957194021, First Published, 2013
- Development and Racing
Lionel Walker Birch Martin was born on 15th March 1878 and was the son of E.M. Martin and his wife.
Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin joined forces to run a motor business in Callow Street, Fulham Road in 1913. They bought and sold small cars of the time such as G.W.K.. Calthorpe and Singer. The firm did not stay at Callow Street very long for Hesse & Savory allowed them to take over premises at Henniker Place. South Kensington. Jack Addis was to join them as Works Foreman at Henniker Place while Robert Bamford was Manager.
In competitions of the day Lionel Martin had many successes with a modified and tuned Singer. This led to requests from customers for similar modifications to their cars.
The First World War saw Lionel Martin selling off all the machinery at Henniker Place, South Kensington to the Sopwith Aviation Company in Kingston, Surrey.
The first priority after the war was to get back together all those who had formed Bamford & Martin Ltd. Before the war and in January 1920 they moved from Henniker Place, South Kensington to 53 Abingdon Road, Kensington. The first prototype was registered AM4656 and was described in The Motor in November 1919.
Lionel Martin. his second wife Katherine and their young son John moved to "The Hollies". 1 Pembroke Villas. Kensington to be nearer to the Abingdon Road works of Bamford & Martin Ltd. Lionel Martin had always appreciated that in order to sell his new products he had to bring the name of Aston Martin to the forefront of the competition events, particularly those such as Brooklands. Lionel Martin's 'final' prototype (AM270) won the Essex Short Handicap at Brooklands in May 1921 with himself driving. In the Le Mans of September 1921 B.S. Marchall gained sixth place in his Aston Martin, "Bunny". Others who competed with Aston Martin cars included Victor Bruce who drove Coal Scuttle" and Kensington Moir and Count 'Lou' Zborowski.
In 1924 Aston Martin saw 26 cars leaving the Kensington works for customers while new additional Aston Martin drivers for 1924 included H.S. Eaton and Victor Gillow.
