Photo: Tim Scott courtesy of RM Sotheby's.
Motor racing was more simple back in the olden days, and for what is worth, the lack of electronic paraphernalia made it that bit more enjoyable. The driver lineup made it even more exciting, for the late 1950s was a period when drivers such as Carroll Shelby were gunning for an outright victory.
The man behind the Shelby-branded Mustangs made his fortune with Aston Martin’s incredible DBR1, an open-top sports racing car that was manufactured in only five examples. The pictured DBR1 is the bearer of chassis number 1, a legendary brawler that was driven by iconic racers including Carroll Shelby, Stirling Moss, Roy Salvadori, and Reg Parnell.
Scheduled to go under the hammer this August at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction, the headliner of the event presents itself in immaculate condition. This detail, as well as the exclusivity factor and overall win at the 1959 Nurburgring 1000km, weigh a lot as far as the estimate is concerned.
Expected to sell for more than $20 million, DBR1/1 has a chance to become the most expensive British car ever sold at auction. The current record is held by XKD 501, a bewitching Jaguar D-Type that went for $21,780,000.
DBR1/1 is equipped with engine number RB6/300/3, a straight-six that sends all of its goodies to the De Dion rear axle through a five-speed manual. The thing, however, is that the engine is a “completely correct reproduction” built by R.S. Williams. As part of the sale, the final works-spec powerplant is also included to whoever bids the most on the first DBR1 ever produced.
Whoever gets to acquire the car and for whatever amount of green dollar bills, the Monterey sale marks the first time the DBR1 has been offered for auction publicly. For what it’s worth, this set of circumstances is like catnip for the keenest classic car collectors out there, the kind of chaps who would be equally interested in two more lots heading for Monterey. One of them is represented by the 1935 Aston Martin Ulster Competition Sports ($2.5 million), and the other is a 1959 Aston Martin DB4 GT ($7 million).
Scheduled to go under the hammer this August at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction, the headliner of the event presents itself in immaculate condition. This detail, as well as the exclusivity factor and overall win at the 1959 Nurburgring 1000km, weigh a lot as far as the estimate is concerned.
Expected to sell for more than $20 million, DBR1/1 has a chance to become the most expensive British car ever sold at auction. The current record is held by XKD 501, a bewitching Jaguar D-Type that went for $21,780,000.
DBR1/1 is equipped with engine number RB6/300/3, a straight-six that sends all of its goodies to the De Dion rear axle through a five-speed manual. The thing, however, is that the engine is a “completely correct reproduction” built by R.S. Williams. As part of the sale, the final works-spec powerplant is also included to whoever bids the most on the first DBR1 ever produced.
Whoever gets to acquire the car and for whatever amount of green dollar bills, the Monterey sale marks the first time the DBR1 has been offered for auction publicly. For what it’s worth, this set of circumstances is like catnip for the keenest classic car collectors out there, the kind of chaps who would be equally interested in two more lots heading for Monterey. One of them is represented by the 1935 Aston Martin Ulster Competition Sports ($2.5 million), and the other is a 1959 Aston Martin DB4 GT ($7 million).
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