Lot details
Registration No: DYY 767
Chassis No: G7/807/50
Mot Expiry: Sept 2009

"Use has not been made of the bigger engine now fitted necessarily to give a higher maximum speed than the famous 1.5 Litre provided. The figure is about the same. Instead, the unit has been rendered softer, quieter and more flexible, whilst acceleration and general suitability for everyday purposes have increased out of all knowledge. These, it will be agreed, are points of real appeal, even to the more hardened enthusiast, when in any case, there still go with them the stability and accuracy of handling for which Aston has always been noted" (Autocar Road Test, July 23rd 1937).

Joining the Aston Martin 2-Litre range in June 1937, the 15/98 Short Chassis could be had in 2/4 Seater or Drophead Coupe guises (RAC Rating = 15 / Power Output = 98hp). Bridging the gap between the capacious four-seater 15/98 Long Chassis and minimalist road-racing Speed Model, the newcomer sat on an 8ft 3in wheelbase (versus 9ft 8in for the Long Chassis and 8ft 6in for the Speed Model). The work of Willesden-based Abbey Coachworks, the 2/4 Seater bodystyle not only helped the Short Chassis look every inch the 1930s sportscar thanks to its flowing wings, cutaway doors, chromed side-exiting exhaust pipes, inclined radiator grille and extravagantly sloping tail but also contributed to a commendably modest 22cwt kerb weight (the Speed Model tipping the scales at 20cwt by comparison). Equipped with all-round leaf-sprung suspension, Andre-Hartford shock absorbers and four-wheel drum brakes, the Short Chassis was powered by a 1950cc SOHC four-cylinder unit allied to four-speed manual transmission. A wet-sump version of the engine that brought the marque glory in the 1938 Tourist Trophy and 1946 Belgian Grand Prix, it was reputedly capable of propelling the modestly dimensioned Aston Martin to 87mph. Hand built and priced at £575, the 15/98 Short Chassis 2/4 Seater was reassuringly exclusive. Of the fifty cars made, some forty-two are thought to have survived - a testament to the model's enduring appeal.

First registered in London on 3rd August 1937, this particular example served various RAF Officers as personal transport during World War Two. Despite a 'drive on' part in the 1951 film Reluctant Heroes which was shot at Hammersmith's Riverside Studios, the 2/4 Seater had become somewhat dilapidated by the time it appeared on Camden Motors' forecourt some two years later (the garage having relocated from Camden, North London to Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire during 1947). Unperturbed by the Aston Martin's condition or £295 price tag, Graham Newton of Hazeldene, Shrewsbury bought it using a combination of his National Service savings and twenty-first birthday money. As well as being given a general overhaul, the next three years saw the Short Chassis competing in a few Severn Valley Motor Club and Manchester University events before being sold to Cheltenham College Maths master, Christopher Cobb, for £325. Returning to London later that decade, 'DYY 767' then passed through the hands of various Surrey residents including Kenneth Potter who kept it from 1964 until 1982. Interestingly, a visitor to our stand at this year's VSCC Prescott was sure he remembered seeing the 2/4 Seater race at several AMOC meetings. Though, the sight of a car being black flagged due to the appearance of an illicitly smuggled Labrador from beneath its tonneau cover would take some forgetting!

Looking rather dishevelled again, the Aston Martin was acquired by renowned Wirral-based collector Bruce Murphie during the early 1980s. Entrusted to A.B. Price Automobile Engineers Ltd of Warwickshire, it was subjected to an extensive 'chassis up' restoration from February 1984 to July 1986. Invoices on file for the period total over £20,000 which may not sound excessive in today's terms until one considers that (a) parts were markedly cheaper twenty-odd years ago and (b) most of the labour was charged at £7 per hour. Surviving photos show Murphie admiring the rejuvenated car with his lifelong friend, the garagiste / racer Gillie Tyrer (who coincidentally owned and campaigned the 1937 Frazer Nash-BMW 328 Roadster which has also been entered for this auction). Put under the gavel by Sotheby's on 30th November 1987, 'DYY 767' was purchased by Mr Ghazi I. Shaker. An Arabian businessman living in London's Ennismore Gardens, he scarcely seems to have used the Short Chassis. Indeed, the car apparently travelled just two miles between the issuing of a MOT certificate in November 1987 (719 recorded miles) and a mechanical inspection by Allum Sales Services during November (721 recorded miles). Essentially dry stored for some sixteen years, the 2/4 Seater was in need of recommissioning by the time it entered the current ownership on December 3rd 2003.

A 'hands on' enthusiast, the vendor has treated 'DYY 767' to a number of repairs and improvements over the past five years. In addition to having its bores honed, pistons re-ringed, big-end bolts renewed, twin SU carburettors overhauled, exhaust manifolds vitreous enamelled, sump baffled and oil / water pumps refurbished (the latter with a ceramic seal), the engine has also benefited from a full-flow oil filter conversion, water pump lubrication modification and the fitting of a Speed Model cylinder head. As a nod to modern traffic conditions, the car sports a new water temperature gauge, electric cooling fan and discreetly mounted flashing indicators. Though, the retention of a period Rumbaken 'Oil Coil' is a nice touch. Further enhanced by new brake linings, fresh tyres, replacement king pins, new brake rod leather boots and demountable inline fuel filters, the Short Chassis boasts an ingenious steering damper and new seat base air cushions. Looking to our eyes all the better for being shorn of its bumpers many years ago (perhaps with half an eye on weight saving for competition purposes), the Aston Martin is trimmed in red leather with beige carpets (piped red) and a black double-duck hood / tonneau cover. Much admired at VSCC Prescott, this Post-Vintage Thoroughbred exhibits a charming patina and is offered for sale with buff / green continuation logbooks, A.B. Price restoration invoices, assorted Ecurie Bertelli receipts, letter from Graham Newton and sundry other paperwork.