The Car That Made Aston Martin: 1933 Aston Martin Le Mans

Before the ad offering it for sale was published in February 1982, ALP 598 was mine. “One of the prettiest of all the famous Le Mans cars,” it was called, “in superb re­stored condition. Finished in Prussian Blue with grey hide up­holstery and black weather equipment.” That’s the way Coys of Kensington described this Aston Martin before I fell in love with it.

It was a case of love at first sight. One Saturday morning in December, I’d dropped a friend off in London’s Chelsea and, on the spur of the moment, decided to drive back through the warrens of ancient mews south of Kensington Gardens and west of Queens Gate because I knew purveyors of vintage motor vehicles infested these regions. My idea was to see what they were offering—out of curiosity. How innocently we embark on these journeys!