Aston Martin marks centenary of grand prix racing debut

One hundred years after its grand prix racing debut, Aston Martin marked the centenary by taking their century-old competition car, known as ‘Green Pea’, around the track at the French Grand Prix, with current Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 team driver Sebastian Vettel at the wheel.

Although Aston Martin had been founded back in 1913 and had competition history hillclimbing in the UK, what was known as Bamford & Martin back then didn’t enter international grand prix competition until 1922.

By this stage, company co-founder Robert Bamford had left, but Lionel Martin remained and funding from ‘Count’ Louis Zborowski (an inspiration for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) had enabled a new racing programme to begin.

Developed and built by Martin, the new Aston Martin competition cars were powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 16 valves and twin overhead camshafts. Producing around 55bhp (41kW), the engine was fitted into a lightweight chassis with a ‘voiturette’ open two-seat body to cater for the riding mechanic that was common for the period.

Capable of a top speed of 85mph (136km/h), the works racer weighed just 750kg, which interestingly, is around 45kg lighter than Aston Martin’s current AMR22 Formula 1 car.

Martin built two cars initially, which Zborowski intended to race at the 1922 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, hence their ‘TT1’ and ‘TT2’ designation, but delays in the cars’ development saw Bamford & Martin’s international competition debut pushed back to the French Grand Prix.

An event far removed from what we know today, the French GP of 1922 was held on a 13.38km course made up of public roads near Strasbourg. Along with Aston Martin, another famous marque to make their grand prix debut at this event was Bugatti.

For the 60-lap race, TT1 would be driven by Zborowski and TT2 by Reginald Clive Gallop, a former RAF pilot who had developed engines for Bentley after World War I and would design and build a series of one-off race cars for the wealthy Zborowski. Both of the new Aston Martin race cars had to carry ballast in order to provide parity with the larger and heavier 2.0-litre cars that made up the majority of the grid.

Of the 18 starters in the field for the 1922 French Grand Prix, 13 failed to finish, including the two Aston Martin works entries, although both were in the top six early on and Gallop completed 30 laps before TT2 succumbed to engine failure.

A Fiat 804 driven by Felice Navarro won that year, with Bugattis in the other podium places. Two of the three Fiat team cars would crash due to rear axle failures, tragically resulting in the deaths of two team members, one of which was Navarro’s nephew.

Despite an inauspicious international debut, Bamford & Martin continued to develop their TT competition cars and find success in circuit racing, as well as speed and distance records. Around 50 more TT cars were built to a similar pattern as the first two, with engineering developments from the race cars applied to Aston Martin road cars.

Both the original works cars were sold in 1923, and while TT2’s fate is lost to history, TT1 continued to be raced, acquiring the nickname of ‘Green Pea’.

In the years that followed their grand prix debut, Aston Martin experienced many ups and downs, including bankruptcy in 1924, near-bankruptcy in 1932, abandoning their competition efforts in 1936 and a rebirth under David Brown’s ownership in 1947, leading to the well-known “DB” series of road cars in the 1950s and ‘60s. 

During this time, TT1 passed through a succession of owners, with engine changes, body additions and other modifications made along the way before it was bought by Neil Murray in 1958 and has been with his family ever since.

Murray restored the car to running condition, later sourcing an original Bamford & Martin engine in an effort to return Green Pea to its C1920s specification, but the complex 16-vale twin cam four was troublesome, so it was replaced with a twin cam 8-valve Benson engine in 1994.

In its present condition, Green Pea has been used as a road car, as well as for historic circuit racing and hillclimb events, so it was more than capable of a few leisurely laps at the Paul Ricard circuit as part of this year’s French Formula 1 GP, marking the centenary of Aston Martin’s grand prix debut.

Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team driver, was behind the wheel, partnered by commentator and former F1 racer Johnny Herbert. The pair dressed for the occasion, with shirt and tie, waistcoats, vintage goggles and flat caps.

Speaking after his time in Green Pea, Vettel said: “It was an incredible honour to drive this car, exactly 100 years on from it last taking to the starting line at the French Grand Prix.

“Green Pea holds a very special place in Aston Martin’s heritage, and you can almost feel that century of history beneath your fingertips when at the wheel.

“The racing spirit and will to win is something that defines Aston Martin, and it’s fantastic to celebrate it as we bring Green Pea and our heritage in motorsport together with the cutting-edge technology and performance of today’s AMR22 car.”

In a further touch acknowledging the centenary, both Aston Martin AMR22 team cars wore the old-style ‘AM’ logo on their nosecones for the race weekend at Paul Ricard.

Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman of Aston Martin and owner of the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team, added: “Aston Martin benefits from the earliest Grand Prix history of any manufacturer currently racing in F1, and we are proud to celebrate that, 100 years on from making our debut at the French Grand Prix.”