This was Claude Hill's first attempt at a new generation of Aston Martins under the patronage of Gordon Sutherland who was at the helm of the company at the time.
To quote from the late Inman Hunter's excellent book "Aston Martin 1913-1947" -
It was Sutherland's idea to make a body frame an integral part of the main structure of the car, by extending it up and over, rather similar to the roll cage in a modern rally car.
As a basis for these experiments, the first 2 litre saloon (chassis no: J6/703/LS) that was poorly received at the 1936 Earl's Court Show, was stripped of its coachbuilt body in 1938 and a tubular skeleton structure was mounted on the chassis, providing tremendous solidarity and torsional rigidity.
Unfortunately due to the scarcity of materials dictated by the armaments drive, this superstructure had to be fabricated from square section electrical conduit. This restricted the contours of the new body, which looked an oddity and was immediately christened 'Donald Duck'.
Other innovations included a centrally-mounted fuel tank, providing exceptional luggage capacity, and a form of through-ventilation by means of a rear-opening window and air intakes on the roof above the windscreen.
With a special 4.25 axle, twin Zenith carburettors and Lockheed brakes, it was a very pleasant car, quiet, refined and fast, according to those privileged to drive it. It was timed at 90mph over the half-mile at Brooklands.
Quite undeterred by the car's appearance, Sutherland declared 'If the original 2 litres had been half as good, Aston's commercial future would have been assured. It came a year too late, but it did teach us where our future lay'.
Claude Hill's subsequent work was on the new C-Type Speed Model and the Atom saloon prior to WW II.
