The Honorable John Roby Benson first met Lionel Martin in 1924 when he turned up on the factory doorstep asking for a job. Martin was impressed by this young man who was an old Etonian, like himself. He had also studied physical sciences at Balliol College, Oxford and then moved to King’s College, London to do a special course for the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
Benson was quite prepared to do any job to get a foot in the door with Lionel Martin and it probably did not get past Martin’s attention that young Benson was from a moderately wealthy family, his father being Lord Charnwood. Martin took young Benson on at £5 per week in May 1924. As might be expected, he received a slightly hostile reception from the workers, but his engineering knowledge impressed them and thus he became accepted.
In fact it was Benson who suggested holes be drilled ahead of the front and rear spring hangers, thus alleviating stress on the chassis frame which had previously suffered fractures. Benson then went on to design a new cylinder head for the existing Robb engine block and crankcase which was to have a twin overhead cam, 8-valve layout and, for the first time in the company’s history, was a detachable cylinder head.
No doubt to help her son Lady Charnwood invested in Bamford and Martin in 1924, which kept the company financially on the edge but still trading. However, in November 1925 the financial axe fell. Litigation ensued and Bamford and Martin went into receivership.
Enter Augustus Cesare (Bert) Bertelli and William S. Renwick. A new company was formed with the Rt. Hon. Godfrey Rathbone – the 1st Baron Charnwood, W.S. Renwick, A.C.Bertelli, and the Hon. John Roby Benson. Two weeks later an agreement was reached with the receiver and Dorothea Roby, Lady Charnwood who held a debenture over the company of some £10,000. The Charnwood family stayed with the company for five years, from Lady Charnwood’s first investment in 1924 until 1929.
The Hon. John Roby Benson became the 2nd Lord Charnwood following the death of his father on 3 February 1945. His mother Lady Dorothea Charnwood had passed away three years earlier in 1942. By all accounts he was gentle man and, as well as being an engineer of some ability, he was also an expert horologist and in his forties qualified as an ophthalmic optician. Furthermore, his interest in music led him to write for two daily newspapers as a critic.
Sadly, for much of his life he suffered from ill health, no doubt from contracting polio at an early age which left him with a life-long limp. This tall intelligent man passed away age 54 on 1 February 1955, almost ten years after his father’s death.
There is no doubt that Bert Bertelli would never have achieved what he did without the Charnwood family’s money. Bert had probably hoped that Woolf Barnato would become his sponsor. However, on the eve of a Labour government coming to power Barnato moved to the USA to protect his fortune. We have much to thank the Charnwood family for therefore, and the Charnwood Quart is awarded for the best individual effort with a 1.5 litre car in the racing year.
Further Reading: Aston Martin; The Story of a Sportscar by Dudley Coram; Aston Martin 1913-1947 by Inman Hunter with Alan Archer