A 1923 Aston Martin Cloverleaf has returned to the scene of it first competitive outing, 95 years ago. The 1486cc long-chassis tourer, which came to be known as Cloverleaf, originally came second in a hill climb event at Aston Hill in 1924. To mark the anniversary of that occasion, the car was returned to the venue with Aston Martin Racing ace Darren Turner at the wheel.
Built in late 1923, chassis 1926 had an open body design known as an Aston Martin Cloverleaf, because the two front seats and one rear seat behind created the shape of a three-leaf clover. This example is one of just eight customer cars built in late 1923 and is one of the oldest road-going Aston Martins still in existence. Now affectionately known simply as Cloverleaf, it continued in active competition until the late 1960s.
What’s more, Aston Hill is an evocative place for Aston Martin enthusiasts. It was the inspiration behind the name of the famous brand, combing the title of the famous hill climb with the surname of one of its founders. On the day, the Aston Martin Cloverleaf was followed closely by a Bugatti, to recreate as accurately as possible the events of almost a century ago.
Paul Spires, President of Aston Martin Works, said: “There are not many brands that are fortunate enough to have as many iconic milestones as Aston Martin. Cloverleaf is a perfect example of how, even from the brand’s inauguration, we were racing and competing at the highest level in terms of design and innovation.”
