Estimate: €40,000 - €50,000
Registration Number: UK Registered
Chassis Number: TBA
Returning in force for the 1959 season, Aston Martin would again concentrate on the World Sportscar Championship. The season started slowly, with a sole DBR1 failing to finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring , this downturn was followed by the team not appearing at the Targa Florio .
But fortunes returned again for Aston Martin, as the sole factory entry again won the 1000km N¼rburgring, with Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman driving. This victory paved the way for what is considered to be Aston Martin's finest motorsports triumph; DBR1/2, driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori, took victory at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. DBR1/4, driven by Maurice Trintignant and Paul Fr©re, finished second – underpinning this tremendous victory, which was an apt testimonial to the DBR1's designer, Ted Cutting, the presiding genius behind the Aston Martin DBR1 programme.
The Aston Martin DBR1 that won the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans, returned to the Circuit de la Sarthe in France on 18-20 June, 2012 as part of a tribute to its drivers Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori, and its chief engineer Ted Cutting, who all sadly passed away this year. Aston Martin's Head of Motorsport, David King, commented, “We were deeply saddened by the loss of Carroll, Roy and Ted. They all played a hugely important role in Aston Martin's racing history and will forever remain part of the company's heritage. To mark their passing, we felt it fitting to return their car to the scene of its greatest victory.”
The tribute car on offer today has been meticulously assembled over the past three years by a two-man team of experienced historic car restorers. Drawing from years of experience, this partnership has succeeded in producing a stunning evocation of the 1959 Le Mans legend. Based on a strong and proven ladder chassis, the car utilises the finest components: Servo-assisted disc brakes all round, adjustable suspension with coil-over to the front and running a rear De Dion axle, emulating the set up on the original car.
The body is a one-piece hand-formed GRP shell with integral monocoque floors and inner wings. Ancillary equipment comprises of a bespoke aluminium fuel tank, radiator and header tank, while a fully rebuilt 3.5-litre straight-six, twin-cam engine features triple Weber DCOE 45 carburettors and a bespoke exhaust system. The prodigious power-to-weight ratio is delivered via a period Moss, 4-speed gearbox with overdrive, driving 16” chrome wire wheels on period racing tyres - embellished by period Aston Martin three-eared spinners.
The stark, race-bred interior echoes that of the Le Mans car with driver feed-back transmitted via an appropriate cluster of reconditioned Smiths instruments. It therefore goes without saying that this evocative tribute to Aston Martin's 1959 Le Mans victory is flawlessly finished in period-perfect Californian Sage Green, enhanced by correct race decals.
Such tributes as this magnificent example are meticulously crafted by hand over a great length of time and are therefore not easily repeatable. What better tribute to the valiant efforts of Shelby, Salvadori and Cutting could be had today than by taking this evocative testimonial to their complete victory for an exhilarating drive around the Nordschleife?
