Many Aston Martins have names, and those that do not jolly well should have! This particular example of a Bamford and Martin car is called Razor Blade and it's easy to see why with its slim 47cm width single seater body. Initially the cockpit was enclosed by an aerodynamic lid and initially it was known as 'The Oyster' but it was a bit claustrophobic and the lid was ditched along with the name.

It was the intention of Lionel Martin to make Razor Blade the first light car to exceed 100mph but unfortunately, an AC piped Razor Blade to the post. The engine is a 16 valve 1.5 litre twin cam as you might expect, and the chassis is a little unusual as it has only a narrow 3ft. track. So this 'crab looking' car was notoriously difficult to handle.  The smooth aluminium coachwork was made by de Havilland, the plane makers as B&M were an engineering company not able to make car bodies.

There is reason to believe that the BRDC badge, that was designed S.C.H.. "Sammy" Davis, features the image of Razor Blade. S.C.H. Davis was in time, one of the Bentley Boys, motorsport editor of Autocar, works AM driver and also the designer of the AM wings badge.

Quite appropriate that this car which has so much Brooklands history is now on permanent display at the Brooklands Museum in the Jackson shed and this is where I took these pictures. Although it lives in a museum, Razor Blade is still occasionally used in Vintage Motorsport.

Lionel Martin probably concentrated too much effort on racing and not sufficient on the production of Aston Martins. A total of perhaps only 61 cars were built during this era made up of 7 team cars and 54 production cars, insufficient to save the company until the receiver came in 1925 and the demise of Aston Martin looked certain; the first of many such occasions.