Collectors\' Motor Cars and Automobilia

MOTOR CARS | 185

William Somerville Renwick and Augustus 'Gus' Cesare Bertelli both
had motor industry backgrounds before pooling their skills in 1924/5 to
build this landmark car. Renwick had been with Armstrong-Siddeley, an
amalgam of two major forces in the motor industry, while Bertelli had
worked with the great and fearless Felice Nazzaro at F0AT, later with
Enfield-Allday and then in a private capacity for Captain Woolf Barnato.

Renwick & Bertelli Ltd was set up as a manufacturer of proprietary
engines but the temptation to build an experimental car was too
great for these two entrepreneurs. They designed a 1½-litre single-
overhead-camshaft engine, which they mounted in an Enfield-Allday
chassis with basic coachwork provided by Enrico Bertelli, brother of
Gus. Correspondence from Michael Allday (son of the former owner
of Alldays Onions, Enfield-Alldays parent company) includes a hand-
written description of the car built for A C Bertelli, detailing paint finish,
trim, and the special outside exhaust" all of which proved invaluable in
the vendors rebuild back to original specification. The rebuilt car is now
in the original colours specified by A C Bertelli.

A photocopy of the 17th September 1921 edition of The Autocar shows

A C Bertelli sitting in his new Enfield-Allday (he was the firms Works

Director at the time) before taking it up the hill climb at Shelsley Walsh

(event programme on file)" it was this car that became the R

B and

later again Buzzbox. Also on file is a period photograph of Vera Bertelli

(Gus Bertellis wife) sitting in the driving seat of Buzzbox.

Correspondence on file dating from the early 1990s between Alan

Archer (Aston Martin Archivist) and Mrs Anne Scott, William Renwicks

only surviving daughter, states that to test their new engine the partners

used Bertellis existing Enfield-Allday and re-badged it R

B, which

was taken from their surnames' initials. This same car later went on to

become Buzzbox after they, together with Lord and Lady Charnwood,

took over Lionel Martins defunct company - Bamford Martin Ltd -

from the receivers in 192 and re-launched it as Aston Martin Motors

Ltd. There is a photograph on file of Anne Scott sitting in the car with

her grandchildren looking on, which was taken at previous owner

Chris Thomass Stirtloe House (see below). Buzzbox was more or

less in that same condition when purchased by the vendor.