Sunday 27th August 2017

Aston Martin DBR1: £17.5m

First DBR1 built becomes the most valuable British car ever sold at auction - where next?!

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If you're thinking it wasn't that long ago that a British car set an auction record, that's because it wasn't: in fact the feat was achieved a year ago, at Pebble Beach, by a Jaguar D-Type.

But now its paltry $21,780,000 has been surpassed by this Aston Martin DBR1, which sold at RM's Monterey sale for $22,550,000. Cripes. At the current exchange rate that's £17.5m...

Of course all DBR1s are fantastically important - only five were ever built - but this one is especially significant as the 1959 Nurburgring 1000KM winner and sister to the Le Mans-winning car. The list of drivers for chassis number DBR1/1 reads like a roll call of the great sportscar pilots of the 50s and 60s: Roy Salvadori, Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Carroll Shelby. It's enjoyed a colourful history since then - including 12 years untouched between 1964 and 1976 - and has been used at the Goodwood Revival in recent times. It is, and remains, one of the most important Aston Martins ever built.

In other Aston news a DB4GT Prototype made $6,765,000 (£5.2m), which was right on estimate, and a 2006 DBR9 racer smashed its pre-auction prediction and made $616,000. Probably worth it for the noise alone, right?

The remaining auction results will be on the RM site soon - expect some very, very big numbers...

[Photos: Tim Scott, Tom Gidden for RM Sotheby's]

[Marwood79]

Was that Mark Knopfler's car?

[Mr-B]

Wonder if that DB9 will reach the same stratospheric heights 20 or 30 years from now, seems a bargain at $600k.

[Krikkit]

Mr-B said:

Wonder if that DB9 will reach the same stratospheric heights 20 or 30 years from now, seems a bargain at $600k.

Probably not, but a sound GT1 machine with history like that should be a good investment. Really they need to win a significant event, then maintain their presence in the scene to be really £££. That DBR9 would be a great millionaire's track-day toy.

[Snubs]

That picture from above is close to being automotive perfection.

[sidesauce]

That DBR9 - oof! Yes, yes, yes please...

[rtz62]

I wonder if there will be a time in the next, say, 10 years, when we look back on this article and think, "wow, that was cheap" or "wow, that was a sound investment for some millionaire"?
I'm not convinced that it will appreciate as much as lesser cars, but then, it is the first DBR1 so has that cachet.
Personally, unless I was going to drive it, I would suggest buying an oil by some famous artist... But if it was me, and I could get it insured, I'd drive it everywhere, to the shops, to the beach, you name it, I'd drive it there.

[R66STU]

Snubs said:

That picture from above is close to being automotive perfection.

'close' ? it 'is' automotive perfection.. show me something better and i will stand corrected

[Chris Stott]

IMO, right up there alongside the D Type as the most beautiful British car ever built.

Some years ago, I went to the FOS as a guest of a friend of my wife. Her ex-husband, Peter Hardman, drove DBR1/2, that won Le Mans in '57, as well as a number of other landmark races between '57 and '60. A particularly memorable day out as it included a ride in the DBR, some time sat in Nick Mason's 250GTO, and access to a whole heap of amazing race cars from thee 50's and 60's.

[anonymous-user]

I prefer these to the 250GTO, stunning car. In time I can see them becoming more valuable than the Ferrari.

[Fane]

ash73 said:

Bonkers money,

Looks cheap compared to a Van Gogh or a Monet. At least you can drive a DBR1.

[Simes205]

I saw one of these, in the capable hands of Peter Hardman going sideways at the FOS in '99!

Edited by Simes205 on Monday 21st August 17:57

[Marwood79]

R66STU said:

Snubs said:

That picture from above is close to being automotive perfection.

'close' ? it 'is' automotive perfection.. show me something better and i will stand corrected

Maserati 300S runs it v close...

[Harry Flashman]

sidesauce said:

That DBR9 - oof! Yes, yes, yes please...

Agreed. Wow!

[Plinth]

A good friend of mine, many years ago, used to own a DBR1, chassis number 4.
It was raced by him in classic events and could sometimes be seen on the road, complete with trade plates.

[ukaskew]

The DBR9 seems like a bargain, wonder if it came with a comprehensive spares package?

If it went for that one of the wonderful Morgan Aero GT3s from 2009 must almost be in reach, best racecar noise I've ever heard.

[unsprung]

ash73 said:

I wonder how much it would cost to get an expert craftsman to make a 1:1 replica

An interesting idea. What could be achieved with £1-million?

A relative handful of people might enjoy possession of the original, but many more would be happy to have a go behind the wheel of something very like it.

[thegreenhell]

unsprung said:

ash73 said:

I wonder how much it would cost to get an expert craftsman to make a 1:1 replica

An interesting idea. What could be achieved with £1-million?

A relative handful of people might enjoy possession of the original, but many more would be happy to have a go behind the wheel of something very like it.

If you're mainly interested in the look and general feel of the car, and not too worried about complete authenticity then you could have one of these

http://www.asmotorsport.co.uk

[unsprung]

thegreenhell said:

unsprung said:

ash73 said:

I wonder how much it would cost to get an expert craftsman to make a 1:1 replica

An interesting idea. What could be achieved with £1-million?

A relative handful of people might enjoy possession of the original, but many more would be happy to have a go behind the wheel of something very like it.

If you're mainly interested in the look and general feel of the car, and not too worried about complete authenticity then you could have one of these

http://www.asmotorsport.co.uk

Perfect. And from their site:

"Each car is built to drive and handle like the 1950's car which it emulates. When fitted with period cross-ply tyres a skilled driver can enjoy a real Le Mans experience."

I found no pricing, but a quick zip around the web unearthed a lightly used example offered at £85,000. Not unreasonable.

[lotus116tornado]

A friend of mine bought a secondhand one of these a few years ago, lovely looking replica.
Unfortunately it set itself alight and is no more. He did not buy another one.

[hondansx]

What an amazing car. The DBR9 too - wow.