1939 Aston Martin Atom

The Aston Martin Atom is the important link between the pre and post war era's of Aston Martin

Aston Martin Atom

1939 – 1944

Although stylistically unlikeย both previous or future Aston Martins, theย chassis and method of construction was very much the basis for the post warย Feltham carsย starting with theย 2 litre sports (DB1)ย right up to theย DB Mark IIIย in 1957. It might look a bit awkward to our eyes today but this was due mostly to the lack of availability of materials during wartime. To theย people of the time,ย Atom would have looked very modern indeed.

Initially the Atom was fitted with aย 4 cylinder 1950cc Singleย overhead camย engine with ย Zenith carburettorsย from theย 15/98ย but by the end of the war, this had been replaced by a 4 cylinder 1970cc Claude Hill designed pushrod engine with twinย SU carburettors. The engine was attached to aย 4 speed Cotal self-changing semi-automatic gearbox with a pair of electromagnetic clutches, quite advanced for the time.

The Atom had a very active life of development during the war years clocking up over 100,000 miles, so that as soon as peace came, the company had a new product to sell to itโ€™s customers. The problem was that although Aston Martin was, just for once, on sound financial footings and profitable, a considerable sum would be needed to developย the sort of car demanded byย post-war, mostly overseas consumers. Thus AM owner, Gordon Sutherland put the company up for sale through a classified advert inย The Timesย newspaper in 1946. David Brown, the Yorkshire based businessman and head of the engineering firm, theย David Brown Corporationย showed interest and Sutherland drove the Atom to his HQ in Meltham for his approval. DB drove the car and must have been sufficiently impressed as he went on to purchase Aston Martin, a company that he owned for the best part of the next 25 years. The Atom disappeared from view for quite sometime before turning up in France of all places during the 1970โ€™s.

After being exhibited in French motor museums, including the famous ACO museum at the Le Mans circuit, it was returned to the UK in 1985, reappearing at many AMOC and prestigious internationalย events. The 10 year restoration involved conserving as many original parts as possible rather than simple replacementย . The grille on the Atom, if one can call it that, may, perhaps, be interpreted as the earliest expression of the distinctive Aston Martin shape we know so well today. To be honest, Iโ€™m not so sure, but the shape has a passing similarity.