[Porsche911]

Hello gang, 1935 Aston Ulster 1.5L PGP+ entry, Matchbox kit… I believe driven in the 1935 ‘Targa Abruzzi” by Giovanni Lurani(private entry) but after much research, no pics to corroborate(need our historian to wade in and virtually zeroid on Racingsportscars and other sites), but perhaps my sleuthing skills ain’t what they used to be…. :>)  Stupid question of the day…How do I add to model db? Thanks

 

 

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[Ken]

Hi Drew,

Nice looking car!

Hover your curser over the “Model Database”  tab at the top of the page. It should provide you with another tab below that says “Online Registration Form”. Press that tab and it should open up the questionnaire and registration form for your new model. Art can then add your car to the Database.

Looking forward to seeing it race!

Ken

 

[MiA]

I may have the odd Aston book. What are you looking for, who raced where and when for the Ulster?

[f1nutz]

Looks great!

[Porsche911]

Hi gents, thanks for help, likely “User Error”(that’s what I used to tell my clients)LOL…But 3rd time a charm when selecting reg form… :>)

Hey MiA, from what I could glean(assuming the matchbox model WAS based on the real car), appears raced in the Targa Abruzza/Abruzzi 1935, independent entry, but no pics… And who knew(other than MiA), that may were raced in what I’d call ‘French Bleu’ or ‘Ferrari Rosso’…

 

[JMSracer]

Nice vintage finish!  Has an authentic look.  I look forward to seeing it race at the next Coppa D event!

[MiA]

At the risk of being TMI but since you asked.

The Targa Abruzzo was a 24 hour race staged on the circuit of Pescara on the Adriatic coast of Italy. It started at midnight local time and the first running in 1924 was won by Enzo Ferrari in an Alfa Romeo!! Racing ceased there in 1961.

For the 1935 Targa Abruzzo, of the 47 entrants  2 Aston Martin’s were entered. LM17 (a team car) was entered for Maurice Faulkner and Tommy Clarke and CMC 614 ‘549’ was entered, perhaps are the behest of Count Johnny Lurani. Lurani who loved the event was to be Eddie Hall’s co driver. Hall was to arrange for the factory to deliver the car to Pescara and Lurani was to take care of the arrangements. As it turned out Lurani met Hall and his wife heading back to England in his Bentley supposedly upset about their accommodations in Pescara. He was also possibly upset that the factory had sent out ‘549’, the car that had failed him at the previous Mille Miglia. What ever his reason for leaving this left Lurani with an entry but no car as  ‘549’ was a private car owned by Hall and was not a factory car although that issue was in some dispute as after the Mille Miglia failure Hall might have asked for his money back??

Lurani contacted Bertelli who was in Italy on vacation and he allowed Lurani to use the car and went to Pescara to help. An old friend of Lurani’s, Gildo Strazza was drafted in as co-driver. By half way in the race LM17 was second between 2 Alfa Romeos and ‘549’ was fourth. There were issues with fading brakes for both Aston’s and ‘549’ suffered a valve issue that took 30 minutes to fix not helped by the language difference between the English Aston mechanics and Lurani’s Italian mechanics. When the flag fell at midnight the 2 Alfas were first and second and Lurani in the Ulster was third.

Pictures to follow.

[MiA]

Count ‘Johnny’ Lurani in CMC649 ‘549’ at the 1935 Targa Abruzzo. Car carried #24.

 

[MiA]

Yes the model represents a very real car that was quite famous in it’s day. I don’t have any colour shots of the 1935 Targa Abruzzo so can’t confirm colours. However this Aston was a ‘privately’ owned car and there were cases where after finishing poorly in races owners wives suggested that an Ulster be painted red in order to change it’s luck. A famous Ulster also raced for many years in private hands in a dark blue livery. Chances are that at the 1935 Targa Abruzzo both Ulster’s were painted Green.

[Porsche911]

Never TMI, MiA…I knew you’d unleash the ‘can’o’ worms’, and that you’d be up to the challenge!!! :>) I did uncover some similar history, but alas no pics. Your efforts are greatly appreciated!!

[Porsche911]

@ JMS, yes the ‘vintage finish’ was complimented by the ‘track jettison’….. 5/6 laps, beautiful, smooth, handled great, then WAMMO, NO Brakes at the end of the long straight(fudged braids me thinks)…. BOOM, hit the floor, 1 headlight casualty, an Arm amputation, and a wonky rear post…Fortunately, with a 12 year old Scotch(for the surgeon), the arm was re-attached(though not quite as dexterous as previously), both headlights then became ‘lowered’, and the body post fixed by the Lyon garagistas… But yes, some wash and slight ‘bluing’ of the pipes gives it a decent effect, certainly not concours, but I’m happy with the 3/30 effect, 3 feet and 30MPH, looks good. :>) and I’m happy with the way it runs.

[f1nutz]

I’m pretty sure the ‘Ulster’ also raced at the Ulster Gp in N.I. from which it got its name. Likely also at the Phoenix Park races in Dublin for some famous cup which I forget the name of as well as races held at the Curragh which is a famous horse racing track outside Dublin if memory serves from some book I read a few years ago. I seem to recall a wealthy women owned one and financed its running in some races. But I may be confusing some of this with a Bentley story.

[f1nutz]

More Ulster info

https://www.conceptcarz.com/w14435/aston-martin-ulster.aspx

 

[f1nutz]

Some good pics.

https://www.gettyimages.ca/photos/aston-martin-ulster?assettype=image&family=editorial&phrase=Aston%20Martin%20Ulster&sort=mostpopular

[JMSracer]

Thanks for the photos of the Ulster.  It’s a great looking model, one of my favorites.

That’s a pretty gruesome photo of the upside down Ulster.  It seems the driver was lucky and kept his head – that could have been a complete disaster; Ugh!  It appears that you really can’t beat the luck of the Irish or the luck of race car drivers while racing in Ireland.  The caption over the photo states…

J. L. Donkin pinned beneath his Aston Martin following the violent skid at Mill Corner on the Ards’ Circuit at Belfast. A Policeman is seen running to his assistance. Photograph. Northern Ireland. 1935.

 

 

[MiA]

Great history and photos, thanks for posting!

[Porsche911]

Perhaps the pre-race Guinness(s) helped the lad! :>)

[MiA]

Looks like one can never get enough of the Aston Ulster? Perhaps Art could erase the extras, although I quite like looking at them!!

[Author]

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