Cars for Stars News

Aston Martin’s only outright Le Mans 24 Hours winner is predicted to sell for more than $20 million when it goes on sale at auction in August.

The car is arguably the most important race car that the manufacturer has ever released. The 1956 DBR1 chassis 1 was the very first of five cars built to win Le mans. According to documents the motor was the counter to the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR and the Ferrari 250 GTO, at the heart of David Brown’s dream to win Le Mans.

The success came in 1959 with a sister DBR1 being put up for auction.

Racing design chief, Ted Cutting, developed the Chassis 1, which made its debut at Le Mans in 1956 driven by Tony Brooks and Reg Parnell. Although it retired after roughly 22 hours due to the engine bearing failing.

The car was then raced by Roy Salvadori, Carrol Shelby, Stirling Moss and Jack Brabham who took the victory in the Nurburgring 100km in the year of 1959 with Jack Fairman and Moss.

That win played a massive role in securing Aston Martin’s 1959 World Sports Car Championship victory.

Later on it was run by the Essex Racing Stable before being entered by Viscount Downe for Mike Salmon in the early 1980s.

The car generally raced at Godwood with Brian Redman at the wheel, and it is the first ever DBR1 to have been offered at public auction.

If it beats the $21,780,000 price that was paid for the 1955 Jaguar D-Type XKD 501 it will be setting an impressive brand new record. The Jaguar D-Type was sold at auction last year following its huge success.

However, it will be interesting which motor will cash in the most money. It will certainly determine which is the most popular amongst car goers and collectors.

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