1935 Aston Martin MKII long chassis tourer

THE CAR

Some cars shout; this one simply gets on with it. A Mark II Long Chassis four-seater built in 1935, chassis B5/547/L has a full and well-travelled history, up there with any surviving pre-war Aston Martin — a well documented ownership record from new that has taken it from Britain to California and Germany and home again, by way of a class win at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Cared for by Ecurie Bertelli since 2001 and running on its original but strengthened, EB-rebuilt engine, it is a genuine matching-numbers car of lovely patina and complete usability: a pre-war Aston to be driven anywhere, with confidence.

BUILT NEW IN 1935

Chassis B5/547/L was built in 1935 as a Mark II Long Chassis four-seater and first registered DGJ 83 on 1 August 1936, finished when new in black with red leather upholstery. It was supplied through Winter Garden Garages of London to its first owner, L. F. Pulham of Kendra Ltd, Hayes. The car’s original works service records survive from as early as February 1937 and paint a vivid picture of a cherished car in regular use — routine overhauls, the odd squeaking brake, and mileages carefully noted at every visit.

THE BRITISH YEARS

Through the following decades the Aston passed through a succession of British owners, among them E. W. Frend and, from 1950, Lieutenant P. H. Scarf of the Royal Navy, based at the Royal Marine Barracks, Chatham. It received a complete overhaul by Monaco Motors in 1946, and the works records document further careful attention through the early 1950s. By 1952 the car was in the hands of a Mrs Mildreth — and not long afterwards it left these shores for the United States.

AMERICA — AND PEBBLE BEACH

In California the Aston came into the ownership of Michael de Soto of Oakland, a devoted and knowledgeable enthusiast who restored the car with, in his own words, some excellent and knowledgeable help. Under his care it was shown in concours over several years and, by his account, never failed to take a first in class — including at the 1977 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, among the most prestigious events in the world and a rare honour indeed for a pre-war Aston Martin. The car featured in the motoring press of the period, appearing in Motor magazine in March 1978.

RETURN TO EUROPE

By the mid-1980s the Aston had recrossed the Atlantic to Europe, passing to the German collector Andreas Rossbach — who competed it at the Liebenstein Castle event in 1987 — and, over the years that followed, through several further owners, including a sale at the Brooks Olympia auction in 1991. It carries FIVA identification papers issued in 2000.

ECURIE BERTELLI SINCE 2001

In 2001 the car was acquired by its present owner through Ecurie Bertelli and returned once more to Britain, and it has been in our care ever since. In 2012 we rebuilt its engine, retaining and strengthening the original cylinder block so that the car remains, correctly, a matching-numbers example; it has covered only modest mileage in the years since. Every aspect of its more than two decades in our workshops is documented in the accompanying history file.

THE CAR TODAY

The result is one of the most genuinely usable pre-war Aston Martins we know. As a Long Chassis car it offers more room and a more relaxed gait than the short-chassis version — and, by long tradition, better value — yet gives away nothing in useability; if anything, it is the more accommodating car for real journeys. It wears a pleasing, gentle patina — today presented in brown with dark red leather — and everything on it works, right down to the fuel gauge. We would not hesitate to point it at a Continental rally or a long tour and set off without a second thought about reliability or useability. Presented with a history file that documents the current ownership in meticulous detail — and holds much of interest from before 2001 — B5/547/L is a rare thing: a pre-war Aston with nothing to prove, and everywhere still to go.