Makes › Aston Martin › "Razor Blade" single-seater · Factory competition · 1923 One-off
Aston Martin
"Razor Blade" single-seater
Narrow single-seat Brooklands record car of the Bamford & Martin era
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 1 Built
- Years
- 1923
- Engine
- Not yet verified
- Power
- 41 kW / 55.8 PSFactory: 55 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 1 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Razor Blade is one of the earliest Aston Martins, built on Bamford & Martin chassis 1915 in 1923 for an attempt on the one-hour light car record at Brooklands. Its aircraft-style body and cockpit only 18.5 inches wide make it reportedly the slimmest racing car ever built.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionThe single car survives, in the care of the Brooklands Museum | 12 | Surviving examples | Independently researched |
| Total model productionThe single Razor Blade (chassis 1915), described as "1-of-1" | 11 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The car was designed, lightened and streamlined to take the one-hour record then held by AC. Its special body was built by the de Havilland aircraft company over an inswept chassis, and the engine was a twin-cam 16-valve four developed for the 1922 French Grand Prix, giving 55 bhp. Tyre problems stopped the record attempt at Brooklands, but later in 1923 it set records for the standing mile and kilometre.
It competed regularly until it was sold to the Harrah Motor Museum in the USA in the 1950s and returned to the UK in the mid-1980s. After a 1980s restoration it has been cared for by the Brooklands Museum, and was offered for sale in December 2024.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard "Razor Blade" single-seater.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Cylinders | 42 Independently researched |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Valvetrain | Twin overhead camshaft, 16 valves2 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 41 kW / 55.8 PSFactory: 55 hp · converted2 Independently researchedStated as bhp. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Racecar.com – One of One: Ecurie Bertelli to sell unique Aston-Martin Razor Blade Level C
- 1 The single Razor Blade (chassis 1915), described as "1-of-1"
-
2
Unique Aston Martin Razor Blade is for sale for the first time in 40 years Level C Octane · 2024-12-23
- in the care of the Brooklands Museum
- twin overhead cam 16-valve four-pot race engine
- twin overhead cam 16-valve
- good for 55bhp
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