Aston Martin DP215
Discussion
Morning chaps,
A friend of mine described last night how he bumped into a couple of exotics yesterday afternoon during a drive from his native Lancashire over the border into (the superior) Yorkshire.
He was passed first by a dark blue 250-series Ferrari, with BRDC shield on the back. He's uncertain of its precise identity but he was even more startled to see an Aston Martin, which he described as having '250 GTO' type bodywork and wearing the registration XMO 88.
I realised to my amazement he'd spotted the one and only Aston Martin DP215 project car. So, my question is: does anybody know who owns DP215 these days? I have seen it on a number of occasions down the years, so will check my race programme archive but the last information I can see online suggests it is now owned by perhaps Tony Smith or Neil Corner. Being fascinated by this kind of stuff, I'd love to close the loop on who actually owns the car now - and perhaps figure out the identity of the mystery Ferrari too. I wonder if it might have been a magazine feature.
Any info much appreciated.
Chev.
A friend of mine described last night how he bumped into a couple of exotics yesterday afternoon during a drive from his native Lancashire over the border into (the superior) Yorkshire.
He was passed first by a dark blue 250-series Ferrari, with BRDC shield on the back. He's uncertain of its precise identity but he was even more startled to see an Aston Martin, which he described as having '250 GTO' type bodywork and wearing the registration XMO 88.
I realised to my amazement he'd spotted the one and only Aston Martin DP215 project car. So, my question is: does anybody know who owns DP215 these days? I have seen it on a number of occasions down the years, so will check my race programme archive but the last information I can see online suggests it is now owned by perhaps Tony Smith or Neil Corner. Being fascinated by this kind of stuff, I'd love to close the loop on who actually owns the car now - and perhaps figure out the identity of the mystery Ferrari too. I wonder if it might have been a magazine feature.
Any info much appreciated.
Chev.
Wolfgang Friedrich has an original Project Aston (212) and also a rep.
Martin Brewer races a rep.
They are stunning cars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_DP215
velocemitch said:
Bet it's a feature for Octane or Classic and Sports Car.
I'm sat looking at an early Aston soft top at the moment, in for MOT at the garage next door, pretty sure it's a DB3 drophead.
Paul put a pic on Facebook and asked to 'guess the engine' It was a DB2/4. At first I thought that it would be a Lagonda, but then the design of the Lagonda and Aston straight sixes are very closely intertwined.I'm sat looking at an early Aston soft top at the moment, in for MOT at the garage next door, pretty sure it's a DB3 drophead.
Chewykneeslider said:
velocemitch said:
Bet it's a feature for Octane or Classic and Sports Car.
I'm sat looking at an early Aston soft top at the moment, in for MOT at the garage next door, pretty sure it's a DB3 drophead.
Paul put a pic on Facebook and asked to 'guess the engine' It was a DB2/4. At first I thought that it would be a Lagonda, but then the design of the Lagonda and Aston straight sixes are very closely intertwined.I'm sat looking at an early Aston soft top at the moment, in for MOT at the garage next door, pretty sure it's a DB3 drophead.
velocemitch said:
Ah that's me proved wrong then, I thought it was a DB3, others said DB2/4..... lovely machine either way.
The DB3 is a very rare bird indeed. A fairly unsuccessful sports/racing car, it came out while the DB2 variations were still being made. Over time, the DB2 became the DB2/4, the DB2/4 MkII and the DB2/4 MkIII. Being followed by the DB4 encouraged some to refer to the MkIII as the DB3. It isn't.
When the price of classic cars went berserk in the eighties, someone announced that they had found the remains of Project 214 (0195) in a scrap yard in Germany and had commissioned a rebuild. Alarm bells rang at the AMOC. Both Project 214 cars were racing at the Nurburgring in 1964 when 0195 crashed and the driver, Brian Hetreed, was killed.
At the next AGM of the AMOC, the President of the club, Viscount Downe, addressed the problem of this particular car's recreation, in particular the claim that it used genuine parts from the original car. Lord Downe had been at the Nurburgring supporting the team in 1964 where several works Astons, including the Project cars, were being raced. He told the meeting that the crashed car had not been scrapped in Germany at all. Its remains were put on to the car transporters and unfortunately took up all the room. This meant that the race cars had to be driven home. They set off in convoy and it wasn't until they reached the border that they realised they had a problem. Although the cars were quite capable of being driven on the road, they weren't registered for the road and were driven on trade plates with the trade plate's number being painted on the bodywork. The team had never envisaged all the cars being driven on the road together and here they were approaching the border with several cars sharing the same registration number.
Whether the authorities didn't notice or had been invited to turn a blind eye to aid a team in distress Lord Downe was unable to say, but he recalled no problems whatever crossing several borders between the circuit and Calais.
After discussions with Brian Hetreed's widow the remains of the car with the exception of the engine were cut up and scrapped. Scrapped in England. There was no chance whatsoever of any of the parts claimed to have been discovered in a scrapyard in Germany being genuine.
The recreated car is now referred to a replica.
At the next AGM of the AMOC, the President of the club, Viscount Downe, addressed the problem of this particular car's recreation, in particular the claim that it used genuine parts from the original car. Lord Downe had been at the Nurburgring supporting the team in 1964 where several works Astons, including the Project cars, were being raced. He told the meeting that the crashed car had not been scrapped in Germany at all. Its remains were put on to the car transporters and unfortunately took up all the room. This meant that the race cars had to be driven home. They set off in convoy and it wasn't until they reached the border that they realised they had a problem. Although the cars were quite capable of being driven on the road, they weren't registered for the road and were driven on trade plates with the trade plate's number being painted on the bodywork. The team had never envisaged all the cars being driven on the road together and here they were approaching the border with several cars sharing the same registration number.
Whether the authorities didn't notice or had been invited to turn a blind eye to aid a team in distress Lord Downe was unable to say, but he recalled no problems whatever crossing several borders between the circuit and Calais.
After discussions with Brian Hetreed's widow the remains of the car with the exception of the engine were cut up and scrapped. Scrapped in England. There was no chance whatsoever of any of the parts claimed to have been discovered in a scrapyard in Germany being genuine.
The recreated car is now referred to a replica.
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