Aston Martin DBR1

The Aston Martin DBR1 was a racing sports car, which was used from 1956 to 1962 in sports car racing.

History

1956 Aston Martin was forced through an amendment of the regulations to build a thoroughbred sports car for the race of the World Sportscar Championship. The rules saw before now that the vehicles were allowed to be no more road vehicles. Therefore, the charge of Aston Martin decided to build the DBR1. The chassis was acquired by Aston Martin DB3, but fundamentally revised. When engine was a 2.6-liter six -cylinder engine is used, which was drilled in the course of evolution to 2.9 liters.

The DBR1 made ​​his race debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1956, with Reg Parnell and Tony Brooks at the wheel. After 246 laps the duo forced to retire the race after a gearbox failure.

In 1957, the DBR1 became the standard patrol car of the Aston Martin works team. Roy Salvadori was second in the Empire Trophy and the Sussex Trophy at Goodwood. The first victory in the World Cup, there was the 1000- km race at the Nürburgring with Tony Brooks and Noël Cunningham -Reid at the wheel.

At the 24 - hour race at Le Mans both factory DBR1 fell out according to technical defects. A year later there were three DBR1 at Le Mans at the start and came back none of the race car to the finish. At the Nürburgring the factory team was able to repeat last year's victory. This time Stirling Moss and Jack Brabham were the driver.

After some successes in not for the World Cup scoring race followed in 1959, the greatest success in the racing history of the DBR1. At Le Mans, Aston Martin celebrated a double victory - until today the only victory of Aston Martin in the standings in the race at the Sarthe. Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby won by just one lap ahead of the duo Maurice Trintignant and Paul Frère. In the world championship race before - the 1000 km race at the Nürburgring - achieved the factory team to third consecutive victory on the Nordschleife. This time Jack Fairman was the partner of Moss.

At the end of the year, Aston Martin secured the overall victory in the World Sportscar Championship and tried the following season with the DBR4 and the DBR5 entry into Formula 1 sports car activities were discontinued and sold the DBR1 to private drivers.

84287
de