The modern Aston Martins are so spectacular we sometimes forget that the legendary British marque has a long and noble history, dating back to 1914 when Old Etonian Lionel Martin built a car to drive in the Aston Clinton hillclimb. During the 1920s and 1930s, Aston Martin sports cars were renowned for their competition successes at Le Mans and in the Ulster Tourist Trophy races and noted, too, for their consistently handsome bodywork.

Such cars are rarely seen in public except at international concours and important vintage races. Thus I was absolutely delighted to discover this 1934 Aston Martin Mk II at the 2009 Vancouver All British show. Originally designed by the team of engineer Bill Renwick and technical director Bert Bertelli, and fitted with a 1.5 liter overhead-cam engine, an open version of the Mark II finished third overall at Le Mans in 1935. This two-door sedan, owned by Colin Gurnsey, is somewhat of a trend-setter, for after the war most Aston Martins featured coupe bodies.