1939 Aston Martin Atom - Physical Presence (Part 2)

The original engine was replaced in 1944 by a slightly stronger 1970cc four-cylinder with two SU carburetors, developed by Claude Hill and which it still retains. Sutherland's log shows that in addition to replacing the divided rear window and extending the wheelbase, he planned to fit an overdrive unit. He was probably aware of the fact that the Atom was still slightly underpowered.

And so it remains. Its 82bhp output is quite insufficient for a car that, despite its aluminum skin, weighs 1200kg. The Atom is only as fast as a normal saloon of the period, managing 0-60mph in a very pedestrian 19 seconds. So forget 'sports'. And Le Mans, for that matter.

The Atom is only as fast as a normal saloon of the period, managing 0-60mph in a very pedestrian 19 seconds.

Even so, on country roads the car feels eager and agile, and it tries gamely on the straights. The Aston Martin Atom cannot be called a GT in a practical sense, but as a concept it definitely is. Whatever you may think about the Atom, Sutherland's successor David Brown (he took over Aston Martin in 1946) was sure enough of its potential. Shortly after taking it for a drive, he made a historic decision.

After the war, the company had found itself in financial difficulty and was offered for sale in a small classified advertisement taken in The Times 'For sale: sports car company' Brown was surprised and delighted when he discovered its identity and paid a visit to the factory, where he met Gordon Sutherland and was handed the keys to the Atom.

The Aston Martin Atom cannot be called a GT in a practical sense, but as a concept it definitely is.

He said later: 'I tried the car and found it had very good road handling but was very much underpowered. Nevertheless, I thought it would be fun to have and play around with, so I bought Aston Martin myself for $30,000. That was a lot of money in those days and for it I got the prototype, a few rusty old machine tools and the services of the Atom's designer, Claude Hill, who was very good.' It is quite something that the Atom persuaded Brown to fork out not just for the car but for the entire business particularly when you consider that the Atom ran out of petrol during the test drive.

Its chassis and engine configuration were adopted by Brown for the first model to emerge under his leadership: a racer that claimed victory in the 1948 24 Hours of Spa and formed the basis of the DB1. By '48 the Atom was outdated and in '49 the car was sold, changing hands a number of times. One of WO Bentley's godsons once owned it and rumor has it that during his military service he drove it backwards in fourth gear on the parade grounds. The Cotal gearbox made this technically possible.

During the 1980s the Atom was kept in the motor museum at Le Mans, from where it moved to the Musee de l'Automobile in Chatellerault, remaining there for two years before being returned to England by the current owner, Aston Martin enthusiast Dr. Tom Rollason, in July 1985. Amazingly, Rollason bought the car sight unseen: he was in hospital when he placed his bid and had to wait two months to see what he'd bought.

With the help of Gordon Sutherland (who passed away in 2004, aged 96) he then began a research and restoration project that would last ten years. The car was blue when he recovered it from France, but he discovered that it had also been painted red, grey, silver and black at various times. After deliberation, he decided to restore the car to its 1946 finish of silver.

Amazingly, Rollason bought the car sight unseen: he was in hospital when he placed his bid and had to wait two months to see what he'd bought.

Rollason's eye for detail is obviously superb, and when the car arrived in the UK he was immediately suspicious that its headlights were not original. The bolt holes in the chassis were the giveaway, and he soon reinstalled the correct lamps, which are mounted to the chassis with brackets behind the one-piece nose, rather than within it. The Atom was also the first Aston to use self-tapping screws, and Rollason spent two years searching for the correct period replacements only to lose points at a concours because the jury mistakenly assumed them to be modern.

Opinions on the attractiveness of the car vary widely, but what is certain is that the unique Atom (and contrary to what some may think, there is only one) is one of the most important cars in Aston Martin's history. It was advanced for its time and, remarkably, did not look out of place when it appeared at the recent unveiling of the four-door Rapide Coupe. Some even claim that the 'squashed triangle' shape of the modern Aston Martin grille can be attributed to the Atom.

Since the car was put back on the road in 1995 it has won several awards, including Best in Show at last year's Classic Motor Show in Birmingham, where the competition was exceptionally strong. Yet the Atom sometimes remains hidden from the public eye for years at a time. The amiable Tom Rollason, who considers himself the custodian of the car rather than its owner, has stated that he prefers it to retain an air of exclusivity, so you won't see it at just any old event.

Which strikes me as entirely proper - some things ought to be reserved for the elite.

Some even claim that the 'squashed triangle' shape of the modern Aston Martin grille can be attributed to the Atom.