MOTOR CARS | 1630t then passed into other hands ¶ less engine ¶ around 19 7. The original
engine had gone into the drag-racing world ¶ but the ex-Sabrina Åat-
4 was acquired instead from Archie Butterworth who still maintained a
large stock of relevant spares at his Frimley, Surrey, base. The car was
reassembled with original-type MG gearbox, ENV drop·gear final-drive,
Alfa Romeo Giulietta front drum brakes, and original Cooper rears, etc,.
The contemporary owner raced the car at VSCC Silverstone in April
1971, and subsequently had its exhaust valve system re-designed to
use conventional and proven Cosworth poppet-type valves, closed by
double coil-springs and collets. The engine was reassembled and ran
reliably with its four racing Amal single-choke carburettors tuned for
petrol instead of methanol, starting readily and evidently "...making a
tremendous din .
A quantity of related spares ¶ including much of the prototype Bill Aston
cars engine and the set-aside exhaust swing-valve hardware ¶ was
also offered with the car when it was next sold ¶ by Bonhams here at
Goodwood - in 1999, these remain with the car (see list on file). New
owner well know historic racer David Brock Jest restored the car to
running condition through 2001-2004, spending circa £30,000 on the
engine with respected engineer Derek Chinn (see invoices on file).
This technically fascinating Grand Prix car warranted an entry for the
2004 Monaco Historic meeting, though it unfortunately did not start. The
current owner, the retired proprietor of an engineering company acquired
the car from Brock Jest in 2014, with the engine dismantled. With the
assistance of a member of the Butterworth family the engine was re-
assembled with all components tested. Since then we understand that
he has run it in the 2015 Crystal Palace sprint, before achieving a first in
class at Wiscombe hill-climb, and further success at the Bressuire Grand
Prix historic meeting.This wonderfully evocative Formula 2 single-seater evokes the pioneering
postwar days of heroic road racing when a private owner could create
his own World Championship Grand Prix car from parts available off
the peg, and then go off to follow a gipsy existence around the great
racing circuits of Europe...seeking to make ends meet financially from
start, prize and bonus money. This Aston-Butterworth offers a new
owner a most attractive and unusual entry into Historic Grand Prix Car
competition. Offered with a VSCC buff form and old style F0A papers.
£60,000 - 80,000
€70,000 - 94,000NB42 at the 1952 Belgium Grand Prix LAT