The first "GT3"

[S1MMA]

Manufacturers have been sticking bigger, and more powerful engines into sports cars for many decades. The link between racing and road cars is something that generates interest in a brand, gains loyalty and ultimately sells cars. The audience for these machines has always been fairly limited, but usually due to budget and not from lack of interest! The "trickle down" association effect from seeing a Porsche win a race at Le Mans then jumping in a Cayenne is something Porsche has been benefitting from for as long as I can remebmber, and is similar for many mainstream manufacturers.

Whilst upgrading sports and supercars is well documented, I started to think: the 911 GT3 started life in the 996, which for most people is not a bare bones sports car or supercar, but a well rounded GT with 4 seats, storage, a Bose stereo, relatively comfortable ride, even a Merc automatic gearbox if you wish! I think we would all agree this is a GT car, one with many fine qualities and a great drivers car, but the 996 was not designed primarily as a lightweight or highly compromised racer for the road. The GT3 took this GT base and went to the next level - creating a road racer with a competition engine, light weight interior etc.

I stumbled across an advert for a car auctioned in the states in 2013, which got me thinking: what was the first GT3? What was the first GT car, which through association with the manufacturers racing programme was modified and lightened for the road? The car in question is a beautiful 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT - a car which the modern GT3 shares many points of lineage. This car was first debuted in 1959, the interesting GT3 style modifications include:

-thinner bodywork
-shorter wheelbase
-rear seats delete
-power up from 240bhp to 302bhp (in 1959!)
-uprated girling brakes as used on the racing cars
-faired in headlamps with Perspex covers
-back lights and rear quarter windows made from Perspex
-frameless roll down windows
-quick fill fuel flaps and high capacity fuel tank
-light weight wheels
-centre locks (!)

http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1061...

Lots of these upgrades are seen on today's GT3, but I'd like to ask if anyone knows of something similar to this released before 1959? What is the first GT3, a GT car (not light weight sports or super sports car/supercar) that was put through a programme to create a road racer with racing heritage. Maybe an older Bentley or similar could claim this title?

I also liked the story in the advert about a road ready DB4 GT being "borrowed" from a customer to be used by Stirling Moss in a race which he then won! Reminds me of the GT3 RS which was driven to the endurance race and then driven back to the factory....

[V8KSN]

The Ferrari 250 range is in with a shout for the title surely....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_250