It is already clear who will be the star of the Bonhams auction at the Festival of Speed in Goodwood on June 26, 2015. An Aston Martin Ulster LM19 has already been confirmed as the flagship. The estimated price for this rare piece is between 1.6 and 2.2 million pounds.
The LM series of pre-war Aston Martin team cars were once produced for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and each example produced was given a number from LM1 to LM23, LM19 is one of these examples.
Very interesting history
The first cars (LM1 and LM2) raced at Le Mans in 1928 and over the next seven years the LM series continued to develop impressively. In 1935, after several trials at Le Mans, four special versions of the highly coveted LM series were produced, which are now considered among the best pre-war sports cars.A.C. "Bert" Bertelli, chief designer and co-founder of Aston Martin, described them as "the best cars I have ever built".
Three of the four cars - LM18, 19 and 20 - had been specially developed for participation in the prestigious "Grand Prix d'Endurance" of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. The Aston Martin LM19 had an eventful race and carried the starting number 28. With Thomas Fothringham at the wheel, the car ran very solidly and powerfully, taking the lead in its class. However, after 45 laps he had an accident, which left his partner in the LM20 alone in the race. The latter finished third overall and won the coveted Biennial Cup for Aston Martin.
The LM19 was rebuilt by the factory after the accident and brought to Ards to take part in the Tourist Trophy that year. With privateer driver Charlie Martin behind the wheel, the LM19 was the fastest of the works team cars. However, a faulty set of pipework caused a drop in oil pressure, which sent it into the pits. This caused such a crucial loss of time that the LM19 was two laps behind the distance minimum required to qualify further.
In 1936, the LM19 was sent to Italy to take part in the legendary Mille Miglia. With Tom Clarke and Maurice Falkner at the wheel, the car led its class with a 1.5-hour lead near Rome. However, a valve burned out in the Apennines on the return leg of the race, which meant that the car had to abandon the race in Fano. And so another race had ended in disappointment.
First-class origins
"What we have here is a pre-war racing car from the factory with a first-class provenance, built to compete at the highest level of endurance racing," says James Knight, Head of Vehicles at Bonhams. "We have sold two Ulsters over the years, but neither was one of the famous factory LM cars. The LM19 we are offering here is of great interest to any serious collector in many ways: it is an original factory team car, restored to the finest detail and it has competed in the pinnacle of motor racing - the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the RAC TT and the Mille Miglia with the 1936 French Grand Prix as the icing on the cake."
"The car's exceptional provenance means that it has been in the same family since 1969 and is in excellent condition. If you want an Ulster with impeccable credentials, look no further, because the LM19 is perfect."
Further information about the Bonhams auction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed can be found on the Bonhams website.
