Aston Martin
2 Litre Speed Model Type C

Why it matters

'Type C' is the name Bonhams gives to the last of the 2-Litre Speed Models, which were bodied just before the Second World War by Enrico Bertelli with aerodynamic coachwork. They close an already tiny series: RM Sotheby's counts 23 Speed Models in total, built to homologate the model for the cancelled 1936 Le Mans race.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The 2-Litre Speed Model was announced for the 1936 Le Mans race, which was cancelled because of industrial unrest in France. Speed Models later raced at Le Mans, the Tourist Trophy at Dundrod, Spa-Francorchamps, the Mille Miglia, Brooklands and Donington Park, and in hill climbs across Europe.

The last examples, known as the Type C, were given aerodynamic bodies by Enrico Bertelli just before the war. The Speed Model also provided the basis for the more successful 15/98, of which some 125 were sold between 1937 and 1939.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The distinguishing feature given in the cached sources is the late aerodynamic coachwork by Enrico Bertelli, fitted to the last cars. Underneath they follow the Speed Model specification: a 1,949 cc four-cylinder engine with twin SU carburettors, a close-ratio four-speed gearbox and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. The sources do not give Type C chassis numbers, so identification should be checked against factory records.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Ecurie Bertelli – 2 Litre Speed Model Level B

   • 8 Type C cars – "the final eight cars to be assembled, late in 1939 and 1940" of the 23 Speed Models

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   1939 Aston Martin 2-Litre 'Brooklands' Speed Model, Salon Prive, lot 130 Level C RM Sotheby's

   • 1,949 cc inline four-cylinder Speed-Model engine
   • 140 bhp, 1,949 cc inline four-cylinder Speed-Model engine
   • Wheelbase: 102"

   Accessed 2026-11-12