In 1913, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford founded the company of luxury sports cars and grand tourers, Aston Martin. A year later, the British manufacturer produced its first car, the Coal Scuttle, and now the Aston Martin Heritage Trust is on the hunt for it.
The car was created just before the beginning of WWI, and development was interrupted because Bamford was fighting in France, and eventually left the business. However, despite his absence, work on the Coal Scuttle continued and the car took part in the London to Edinburgh Trial in 1919. Testing and development continued in the early 1920s, and the car was driven around Great Britain. He was often stopped to be photographed, and one of the locations was Loch Awe in Scotland on a salmon fishing trip.
During development, the Coal Scuttle changed, and in the photos it is shown with at least two different types of front fenders, as well as lights and siren. This makes the car difficult to identify and Steve Waddingham (Aston Martin history expert) stated that there were no markings on the bodywork. Despite its historical significance, Aston Martin sold the car for £50 in 1924, which was a significant sum of money for the period.
It is currently unknown where the car is located. It is possible that it is somewhere in storage, maybe with a different body, and there is also the possibility that it was actually destroyed.
Source: Aston Martin Heritage Trust
