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Aston Martin Ulster to break world record

16 June, 2014

 

There may be another Aston Martin about to break world records at auction. As seen in yesterday’s articleThe Persuaders! vehicle sold for more than NZD$1 million. However, the upcoming Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale may just see another record breaker in the rare Aston Martin Ulster.

The ex-Works Aston Martin Ulster CMC 614 has an incredible racing history  and is one of only 21 production Ulsters ever built. It’s estimated at £1.4 million–1.6 million (approx. NZD$2.8 million–3.2 million) and it is expected to beat the existing world record of £1.3 million set by Bonhams last December for a pre-war Aston Martin at auction.

The Ulster’s racing history dates back nine decades and 100 races. It has raced every year since 1935 — excluding a rest period throughout World War II — and is built for endurance and pace. The two-seater Ulster features a four-cylinder 1496cc engine and is guaranteed to reach speeds of  up to 100mph.

This particular Ulster started its racing career in 1935 at the Mille Miglia. It finished eighth in the 1935 Le Mans 24-hour race and went on to complete the Targa Abruzzo 24-hour sports car event in Italy — finishing third overall and first in class.

As a period entrant in both the Mille Miglia and Le mans races, CMC 614 is not only eligible, but positively welcomed to the great historic motor sport events worldwide. This includes the Mille Retrospective, Le Mans Classic, Goodwood Revival, Monterey Historic, California Mille, and Colorado Grand.

Bonhams Group Head of Motoring James Knight says, “CMC 614 certainly has the potential to exceed the existing Ulster record we established a few months ago. This car has the added benefit of being a Works entry that competed at the very highest international level. It will attract international interest and we are looking forward to an exciting sale.

A passion for classics and customs

In the highly competitive field of New Zealand classic and custom restorations, reputations are won or lost on the ability to maintain consistently high standards of workmanship. A company managing to achieve this is D A Panel beating Ltd, of Rangiora near Christchurch. Is your classic or custom car restoration stalled, or in need of a refresh, or perhaps you are looking for experts to rebuild that recent import project out of Europe or the ‘States?

Aspen Siris — A roadster for the wrong time

When I visited George Spratt’s workshop in Auckland, I was impressed with the number of vehicles he had tucked away, mostly hybrid or fully electric. Many of them had started life being petrol powered but George has been tinkering with converting conventionally powered cars to electrical propulsion since the mid ’70s.
The Horizon was George’s first attempt at building a car; it was an evolution of ideas about what was considered to be ideal for a car at that time. The shape and style were governed by the choice of running gear and power plant. The size of the garage restricted walk-around viewing, and it was not until it was almost finished that George was able to push the car out of the garage to get the full picture.