Earliest surviving Aston Martin to go on display this summer

The world’s oldest Aston Martin is set to go on display at the Concours of Elegance this summer.

The event, scheduled to be held at Hampton Court Palace in September, will see the Aston Martin A3 celebrate its centenary year in public.

It was the third car ever built by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford and was driven extensively by the founders of this iconic British marque.

Getting its name from the fact it’s chassis number three and it uses a Type A engine, the A3 makes just 11bhp from the four-cylinder engine. Regardless, this was competitive at the time and this model has racing history, having recorded an average of more than 86mph over 100 miles at the Brooklands circuit.

This model finished life as a prototype and was sold to a private customer in 1923 and changed hands multiple times before being shown as owned by R.W. Mallabar in 1927. It was unheard of until 2002, when it was identified as the third-ever Aston Martin at an auction, then in 2003 a donation saw it bought by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust.

It was fully restored, with a new body, new frame, rebuilt engine and refurbished radiator.

The A3 will be displayed in the Main Concours display at the Concours of Elegance 2021. The event was established in 2012 to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and sees some of the world’s most desirable automobiles brought together for the public to enjoy.

This year’s main display celebrates some of the finest European coachbuilt cars ever built, a variety of Gulf and Martini-liveried racing cars and the latest bespoke hypercars.

Another display celebrates the Queen’s 95th birthday, with a car from every year of her life.