AS FAR AS interview locations go, this one is less than ideal. I’m buried deep in the passenger bucket seat of an 86-year-old Aston Martin Speed Model. This pre-war car is wearing a race number and is currently being driven on the public road, though I’m not sure if its pilot is transitioning too well from Snetterton to the B5388, judging by the very post-war velocity. Like me, the chap behind the wheel seems to be enjoying every moment of our short blast, even though he’s probably driven more pre-’39 Aston Martins – 302 at last count – than anyone else in the world, and should be unfazed by the experience. As with his approach to everything else pre-war Aston-shaped, Andy Bell’s passion remains palpable.
‘Our business has its roots in the 1960s and has been run on blood, sweat and enthusiasm ever since.’ We’re back at Bell’s office now and, less than a month before the youthful-looking 68-year-old retires, he’s describing the often tortuous path that has resulted in his company, Ecurie Bertelli, becoming a world leader in the restoration and preservation of Aston Martins from the pre-war era. ‘We
