DAVID BROWN'S DREAM of winning Le Mans finally came true in 1959, with Carroll Shelby crossing the line to achieve Aston Martin's first and only outright triumph there. The DB3S had been a worthy warm-up act, but the DBR1 finally toppled Ferrari. Work on this ultimate Aston started in 1955, to keep in line with the changing regulations following that year's Le Mans disaster. Designed and engineered almost entirely by Ted Cutting - Aston's chief racing car designer from 1955 - the DBR1 was a radical change in direction from its predecessor.
Based around a new strong and lightweight perimeter spaceframe, the DBR1 weighed in at just over 800kg. It was powered by a 3.0-litre evolution of the DB3S's straight-six, but with a new 95° twin-plug cylinder head and dry-sump lubrication to keep centre of gravity low. Cutting designed the elegant bodywork, too, with some refinement by John Wyer.
Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Octane.
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Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Octane.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Will China Change Everything? - China is tearing up modern motor manufacture but is yet to make more than a ripple in the classic car world. That could be about to change dramatically
China now dominates the automotive world in a way even Detroit in its heyday would have struggled to comprehend.Helped by Government incentives, the new car world is dominated by China's industries: whether full cars that undercut Western models by huge amounts, ownership of storied European brands such as Lotus and Volvo, or ownership and access to the vast majority of raw materials that go into EV cars, its influence is far-reaching and deep. However, this automotive enlightenment hasn't manifested itself in the classic world in any meaningful way - until now.
Jem Marsh
The hard-bitten Marcos boss was driven like few others and never knew when he was beaten. Thankfully
Vandamm House
A Mid-Century Modernist masterpiece that was immortalised on celluloid - despite never actually existing
Making light
Alfa Romeo's post-war renaissance began with the 1900 saloon - and matured with Zagato's featherweight coupé version, as Jay Harvey discovers
FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE
Is burgeoning classic car interest in the Middle East good for the global classic market? Nathan Chadwick investigates
Before the beginning
This rare Amazon Green pre-production Range Rover is Velar chassis number 4. James Elliott charts its historically revealing factory restoration
Ben Cussons
As the outgoing chairman of the Royal Automobile Club hands on to his successor, Robert Coucher quizzes him about the evolution of this great British institution
BULLDOG & THE PUPPIES
We gather five motoring masterpieces by avant-garde designer William Towns - and drive all of them
Below the tip of the Audrain iceberg
As the Audrain organisation grows, we take a look behind the scenes at the huge car collection that feeds it
Flying the Scottish flag
Young Ecurie Ecosse driver Chloe Grant gets to grips with the Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar C-type at Goodwood. Matthew Hayward is Octane's witness
