Have a FaceBook, Twitter, or other social networking account?

Link them to your fanatic account!

Add An Account

TAKE ME TO...
Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: Aston Martin Marks Historic Le Mans Win
British marque celebrates 50 years since first- and second-place victories at 24-hour endurance race.
Wouter Melissen  | http://www.ultimatecarpage.com  |  Posted June 08, 2009   Le Mans (FRA)
The most-winning car in Aston Martin's history, DBR 1/2, is well-preserved and active in vintage-racing events. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
On June 21st 1959, Aston Martins finished first and second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Now fifty years later, the British manufacturer returns to the scene of their biggest victory with a contender for the overall win.

A decade of racing came to fabulous close with the one-two 1959 Le Mans victory. It was achieved with the DBR1, which had been gradually developed to a successful endurance racer since its debut in 1956.

Chassis DBR1/2, which not only won Le Mans but five other major races, was the most successful Aston Martin racing car ever built. The 1959 victory was driven by Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby.

Beautifully preserved, the racecar is owned by a British collector who, despite the machine's incredible value, regularly races the car in a variety of events. It has been very successful, particularly in the hands of Peter Hardman

The first DBR 1 was built for the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans and fitted with a 2.5 liter version of the six-cylinder engine. Struggling against more-powerful competition, the engine blew up during the race. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
A victory in the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans race displays both outright speed and a high level of reliability under the fiercest of conditions. Ever since his purchase of Aston Martin late in 1946, gearbox manufacturer David Brown put a victory in the most legendary of endurance races at the top his list.

Soon after he bought the Lagonda rights, and with it the designs of a six-cylinder engine with two overhead camshafts. This advanced engine was one the last designs of W.O. Bentley and would form the basis for all Aston Martin's motorsport successes.

In the first half of the 1950s, Aston Martin competed with their six-cylinder sports cars mainly for class victories, but were still out-powered by British rivals Jaguar and the Italian Ferraris and Maseratis for overall victories. Introduced in 1953, the 3-liter DB3S model proved a very capable racer, racking up many wins, including a clean sweep of the podium at the 1954 Silverstone Unlimited Sportscar race. Campaigned by both the works and many privateers, the DB3S' career highlight was a second place finish in the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Work was started on a new car early in 1956. A completely new spaceframe type chassis was designed by chief designer Ted Cutting. The new chassis proved more rigid and 50 pounds lighter than that of the DB3S. Both front and rear suspensions were pretty much carried over from the latest specification DB3S, as were the Lockheed disc brakes.


Page 1 of 3
Prev
123
Next
wouter_melissen's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wouter Melissen

UltimateCarPage.com

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2012

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.