Saturday 28th February 1925

The last Aston Hill Climb, a speed hill climb on public roads up Aston Hill near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire, England was staged. The hill’s enduring claim to fame came when Lionel Martin and his partner Robert Bamford achieved success with their self-built ‘special’ car, and hence named their fledgling car manufacturing business Aston Martin. The original course started about 20 metres away from the ‘T’ junction with the B4009 – Upper Icknield Way, and finished level with the house at the top of Aston hill, a distance of 0.75 miles (1.21 km) and a climb of approximately 80 metres. The distance was subsequently reduced to 1,000 yards (910 m). A 750 yards (690 m) version was used in 1921, a 1,200 yards (1,100 m) course in 1922, and both 1,400 yards (1,300 m) and 968.5 yards (885.6 m) in 1923. The ciimb records are 87.6 seconds (750 yard course) set in 1904 by S F Edge in a 1904 and 58.6 seconds (1000 yard) established in 1912 by a 20 hp Crossley.