A3

Introduction
As is now widely known, with the benefit of the generosity of many members and benefactors, the Trust has been able to embark on the full restoration of 'A3', the third car built by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford and the oldest surviving Aston Martin in the world, dating from 1921. Members may like to invest in the limited edition and highly detailed model of the car in its original form produced by the Trust, which continues to be available from Trust Secretariat priced at £150, all profit on which comes to the Trust to help boost the 'A3' fund. Click here to see products section The entries below represent the ongoing progress of the rebuild, brought up to date periodically as the work progresses. Ecurie Bertelli have also set up a section of their own website to show the progress of this work. You can read the most up to date news of the restoration simply by using the following link, http://www.ecuriebertelli.co.uk. All images used here are courtesy of Ecurie Bertelli.
Progress
November 2008 The engine has been removed from display at the Barn for installation in the chassis by Ecurie Bertelli.
October 2008 The body is now away being upholstered. The chassis has now been stripped, sand blasted and repainted in black cellulose. Ecurie Bertelli have found that the chassis is covered in chassis numbers...on both dumb irons and all the cross-members.
September 2008 The coachwork is now completed. The rear of the body presented some problems, but now Andy Bell and Alan Pointer are both happy that the shape is as close as we can get to the available photos. The screen is in the process of being fitted (it being thought that the original screen was suitably modified to fit the body made just pre-war). The next step for the body is to paint it. It will be in black, as will the chassis and wheels. The bonnet will be left in polished aluminium. It will then go to have the upholstery fitted.
July 2008 The seat, running boards and wings are now being constructed. There is a slight difference between the front and the rear of the car, so the front wings will be ‘splayed out’ a little to get the line correct from front to back. Once the bodywork is completed it will be prepared for painting. The chassis, brakes, gearbox and radiator continue to be restored. The wheels currently on the car are not ‘authentic’. Wooden patterns are being made to produce ‘Sankey’ type wheels which will cast in aluminium (they would have been pressed steel originally) and they will be fitted with the correct 'beaded edge' tyre.
May 2008 At Bodylines the remaking of the new coachwork is now progressing well - highly skilled work and all done by hand, in the traditional method. There are some very peculiar shapes in the body, which until the frame is made and the panels rolled and offered up will not be entirely resolved. Normally a car’s body shape is dictated by fixed radius curves which are known as ’sweeps’ in the trade. However, A3’s original body is barrel sided and has a very short but curved tail. As such, the usual method of engineering cannot be applied. Instead, Alan Pointer, who is making the panels, is relying on his good eye and judgement born of many years experience to match the handful of photos which act as patterns for the new body. The radiator is in its original position, and is one of the few original fixed points on the car and is key to getting the body shape and proportions correct.
January 2008 The body frame has now been mocked up, and seasoned English ash will be cut to make the frame proper. Bodylines in Olney have been selected to do the panelling. The strip down and inspection of the rear axle and differential revealed that one of the crown wheel bolts was broken, so all the bolts will be replaced. The taper roller bearings are all in good condition and of superb quality, so these will have their pre-load re-set and be re-fitted. The brake linings were worn down to the rivets and these will be relined with modern asbestos free linings. This being a prototype, with no front brakes, there are two sets of shoes working on the drums - one pair for the foot brake and one for the hand brake.
November 2007 A3 has now been totally stripped. The bare chassis is now at the frame maker’s. The stripped out radiator will look splendid when it is returned to its original ‘German silver’. The handbrake and the fuel tank filler have been repaired and lightly polished, an appropriate finish for the steel on this car.
September 2007 Ecurie Bertelli have been asked by the Trust to take part in the restoration of A3. This will entail a total strip-down with the chassis, the transmission and axles being rebuilt, and new coachwork created from aft of the firewall.
July 2007 The side-valve four cylinder engine has been comprehensively stripped down and rebuilt by Bruce Young – a process taking over more than a year. A key milestone was reached when it was started for the first time on the test rig – an exciting moment! It started easily and settled down to run smoothly with oil pressure steady at 30 – 40 psi. From its 1486cc it can be expected to produce some 40bhp at 4000rpm when run in. It is also 'as new' in appearance, with a lot of copper and brass, and the plan is to place it on display at the Barn until it is able to be reunited with the chassis after the latter has been restored.