Tag Archives: Martin

Ferrari Friday – Autosport International

A couple of weeks ago the motor racing season kicked off with the Autosport International trade fair at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and I popped along to snacth a preview of the motor sporting year ahead. Today’s post show’s some of the Ferrari’s present.

Ferrari 158, Autosport International, NEC Birmingham

Undoubted star of the show was this Ferrari 158 as driven by John Surtees to the 1964 World Drivers Championship, unusually despite not winning the most races, an honour that fell to 1963 Champion Jim Clark who won 3 races to John’s 2, or the most points, an honour that fell to 1964 Champion Grahmam Hill who had to drop two points because only the best 6 from a maximum 10 results counted, leaving John to win the Championship by one point from Graham. John will be demonstarting the 158 which is owned by George Barber and usually found at the Barber Museum in Alabama.

Ferrari 250 GT/TR, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

Oldest of the Ferrari’s that I noticed at the show was this 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano which in 1988 was fitted with a Scglietti pontoon style 250 TR Body by Giovannu Giordanengo in 1988 the car which was on the Coy’s Stand.

Ferrari F10, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

This 2010 Ferrari F10 was looking a little dated among the contemporary Formula One cars on display, with it’s long outlawed outsize fin twixt air box and rear wing.

Oakley Design Ferrari FF, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

This Ferrari FF is fitted with subtle “Ultimate Performance Enhancing” goodies by Oakley Design.

Ferrari F12, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

The Autocar stand featured a Ferrari F12, the first time I have seen one in the flesh.

Ferrari 458 Challenge GTC, Autosport International, NEC,

Looking a little like a work of art by Damien Hurst in one of his vitrene’s this Ferrari 458 Challenge GTC has been developed by FF Corse to make it suitable for competition in The Pirelli Ferrari Open and The GT Cup Championships in 2014. Last year Alex Martin won the GTC class and FF Corse the overall teams title in the GT Cup.

Ferrari 458 Italia GT2, Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham

While drivers with a bigger budget will be competing for a drive in the JMW Motorsports Ferrari 458 Italia GT2, which finished 34th in last years Le Mans 24 hours with Andrea Bertolini, Abdulaziz al Faisal and Khaled al Qubaisi at the wheel.

Serviceability – Aston Martin Vantage V8 GTE

In 2012 Aston Martin returned to racing a GT programme with up to three Gulf sponsored works cars, split between the Pro and Am subdivisions, appearing in last seasons Le Mans Series races.

Aston Martin Vantage V8 GTE, Donington Park

The GTE is similar to the previous GT2 incarnation of the Vantage V8 though it is lighter, features improved cooling for the driver, has improved aerodynamics and also improved serviceability which means that the motor can now be changed in an hour without altering the suspension settings where as previously the same operation took four hours.

Aston Martin Vantage V8 GTE, Donington Park

The dry sump lubricated 4474 cc / 273 cui V8 motor produces 600 hp that is transmitted to the rear wheels by a six speed X-trac sequential semi automatic gearbox that is operated by paddle shift from the steering wheel. A carbon fiber prop shaft is fitted between the gearbox and rear axle.

Aston Martin Vantage V8 GTE, Donington Park

To bring the car to rest ventilated disc brakes are used with six pot calipers on the front and four pot calipers at the rear.

Aston Martin Vantage V8 GTE, Donington Park

Helping to keep the dry weight down to 1195 kgs 2634 lbs are a lithium battery, carbon fibre body panels and seat.

Aston Martin Vantage V8 GTE, Donington Park

At Le Mans last year two GTE’s were entered the #97 Pro car driven by Adrian Fernandez, Stefan Mücke and Darren Turner finishing 19th over all 3rd in class while the #99 Am car driven by Danes Allan Simonsen, Christoffer Nygaard and Kristian Poulsen after 31 laps.

Aston Martin Vantage V8 GTE, Donington Park

Last season Aston Martin finished 2nd in the LMGTE Pro series with one class win and six further class podiums. At the time of writing the week before Le Mans Aston Martin are leading both the Pro and Am 2013 LMGTE series.

Aston Martin Vantage V8 GTE, Donington Park

The #99 featured today is seen at a test day at Donington Park prior to the Silverstone Six Hour race where the car driven by Jonathan Adam, Andrew Howard and Paul White failed to finish.

Thanks for joining me on this “Serviceability” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

“LMS Series Winner” – Lola Aston Martin DBR 1-2

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With the announcement of the discontinuation of Group C, from 1991 on, at the end of 1989 Aston Martin decided to withdraw it’s AMR1 V8 Prototype from the top line Sports Car series with immediate effect as they had no engine to with which to compete under the proposed new rules mandating 3.5 litre / 213 cui motors.

Lola Aston Martin DBR 1-2, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

In 2008 the Aston Martin name appeared in the top Le Mans Prototype category with a pair of Lola B08/60’s powered by the 6 litre / 366 cui Aston Martin V12 that had been used in Aston Martin’s class winning DBR9 GT programme. The Lola Aston Martins were run in a collaboration between Prodrive and the Czech Charouz Racing System with Jan Charouz, Tomas Enge and Stefan Mücke sharing the driving of a single entry per race.

Lola Aston Martin DBR 1-2, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Charouz and Mücke finished season high 2nd in the Silverstone 1000kms. The following year one car chassis HU01 was sold to Speedy Racing who continue to race the car now under the Rebellion banner having used a motors from Aston Martin, Rebelion V10 and most recently Toyota.

Lola Aston Martin DBR 1-2, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

For 2009 Aston Martin increased their involvement in the Le Mans Prototype (LMP) class using Lola chassis again both the second Charouz Racing B08/60 HU02 and newer B09/60 types all fitted with updated body work. Gulf Oil sponsored, two cars entered by Aston Martin Racing, and an occasional single AMR Eastern Europe entry. All three cars are known as Lola Aston Martin DBR1-2’s and are again powered by DBR9 V12 variants producing around 650hp.

Lola Aston Martin DBR 1-2, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Jan Charouz, Tomáš Enge and Stefan Mücke driving the #007 got the 2009 Le Mans Series off to a fine start with a win in the Catalunya 1000 kms, though the #009 of Harold Primat, Miguel Ramos and Darren Turner retired. At Spa the team finished 3rd and 5th in numerical order, while at Le Mans the team were out classed by the works diesel powered Peugeots and Audi’s, which did not take part in the rest of the Le Mans series races.

Lola Aston Martin DBR 1-2, Silverstone 1000kms

The #007 salvaged a 4th place while the #008 driven by Turner, Anthony Davidson and Jos Verstappen finished 13th and the #009 driven by Primat, Stuart Hall and Peter Kox crashed out while lying 3rd. For some reason the Le Mans 24 Hours was not however part of the Series to which it lent it’s name.

Lola Aston Martin DBR 1-2, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

#007 and #009 next competed at Algarve where the original driver line ups finished 3rd and 5th in numerical order, at the Nurburgring #007 won a 1-2-3 finish followed by the #009 and #008 driven by Stuart Hall, Chris Buncombe and Miguel Ramos the latter had been scheduled to drive the #009.

Lola Aston Martin DBR 1-2, Silverstone 1000kms

Three cars were again entered at Silverstone, where today’s on track photo’s were taken, and third place for the #007 was enough to clinch the LMS drivers championship for Jan Charouz, Tomáš Enge and Stefan Mücke, the #009 in 4th helped seal the Teams championship for Aston Martin Racing and the Manufacturers Championship for Aston Martin.

Lola Aston Martin DBR 1-2, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Over the following two years Aston Martin Racing sent cars to events on an apparently as hoc basis to events in Asia and Europe often joined by a chassis that had been acquired by Signature Racing. No more wins were recorded in 2010, but in 2011 the Aston Martin Racing team now sponsored by Muscle Milk driven by Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr won at Mosport while a Gulf sponsored AMR 1-2 won at Laguna Seca driven by Harold Primat, Stefan Mücke and Adrian Fernandez.

Lola Aston Martin DBR 1-2, Silverstone 1000kms

At the end of the 2011 seasons the DBR 1-2’s were retired and scheduled to be replaced by the ill feted AMR-One.

Thanks for joining me on the “LMS winner” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Cat Under The Bonnet ! – Aston Martin DB3 #DB3/6

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The Aston Martin DB3 was designed to compete at Le Mans in 1951 by ex Auto Union D-Type designer Eberan von Eberhorst. Ten cars were built the first five for the factory team, who’s most notable success was a victory in the 1952 Goodwood 9 hour race won by Peter Collins and Pat Griffith.

Woodgate, Aston Martin DB3, VSCC, Castle Combe

Originally the DB3’s used the 133 hp Vantage version of the 2.6 litre / 158 cui straight six designed by W O Bentley for Lagonda that was also used in the Aston Martin DB2. However despite the win at Goodwood in 1952 this motor proved uncompetitive when run against the 3.4 litre Jaguar C-Typesand eventually a 2.9 litre / 178 cui straight six was introduced to the model. Later still the DB3 was replaced by the lighter DB3S.

Woodgate, Aston Martin DB3, VSCC, Castle Combe

This particular chassis #DB3/6 was the first of the customer cars is known to have been raced by Bob Dickson in 1953, with the FHH534 registration plate, when he scored a best finish of 5th with Desmond Titterington at Dundrod in the Tourist Trophy. Bob is also known to have won his class in the 1953 Rest And Be Thankful Hillclimb which ran at Glen Croe in Argyll, Scotland.

Woodgate, Aston Martin DB3, VSCC, Castle Combe

The following season R H Dennis acquired #DB3/6 and took part in at least won event at Goodwood in September 1954 where he finished 6th. By this time the car had been fitted with a larger 200hp Jaguar motor, acquired a hard top, first seen on the works racer #DB3/1 at Le Mans in 1952 and had large sections of body work removed from behind the front and rear wheels.

Woodgate, Aston Martin DB3, VSCC, Castle Combe

Dennis raced the #DB3/6 until mid way through 1956 without much success and then entered Geoff Richardson for at at least three events at Mallory and Goodwood in which he finished 2nd, 3rd and 2nd before the car vanished from the known racing records.

The DB3’s body could be removed in twenty minuets and this may have had a role being fitted with a bizarre two tone body, initially with conventional doors, and later with gull wing doors and a third headlight.

In 1965 it was all change again as #DB3/6 was united with an Aston Martin motor and the body was swapped for again with the body from a 1957 Aston Martin DBR2.

In 1989 #DB3/6 was sold for a £180,000 pounds without anybody work or even a motor, 14 years later the gullwing body also passed through auction. #DB3/6 is seen in these photo’s with a 2.9 litre / 178 cui Aston Martin 6 cylinder motor being driven by Chris Woodgate on his way to victory in the Historic Aston Martin race at Castle Combe last year.

During the research for today’s post I stumbled across the Aston Martin Scrap Book which I can heartily recommend to anyone interested in the marque and one off Aston Martin bodies.

Thanks for joining me on this “Cat Under The Bonnet !” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at another racing Aston Martin, albeit from an altogether more recent era. Don’t forget to come back now !

Standard Fire Extinguisher – Aston Martin DB5 Convertible

Aston Martin, DB5 Convertible, Race Retro, Stonebridge

The Aston Martin DB5 billed as a luxury Grand Tourer was introduced in 1963, it was an evolution of the DB4 models that preceded it.

Aston Martin, DB5 Convertible, Race Retro, Stonebridge

Standard on the DB5 were the faired in headlights first seen on some DB4 and DB4GT models.

Aston Martin, DB5 Convertible, Race Retro, Stonebridge

Mechanically the the DB5 received a 240hp 4 litre version of the straight six designed by Tadek Marek for the DB4, fitted to a new ZF 5 speed synchromesh gearbox. With three carburetors the enlarged engine produced 280 hp enough to give the DB5 a top speed of 145 mph. Operation of the disc brakes was aided by twin servo’s.

Aston Martin, DB5 Convertible, Race Retro, Stonebridge

The the body work again designed by Carrozzeria Touring and used the Superleggera tube frame to attached the panels to the chassis.

Aston Martin, DB5 Convertible, Race Retro, Stonebridge

The 1964 convertible seen here in the car park, at last years Race Retro exhibition in Stonebridge, is one of just 123 DB5 convertibles built between 1963 and 1965.

Aston Martin, DB5 Convertible, Race Retro, Stonebridge

In all 1,023 Aston Martin DB5’s of all types were manufactured which included 13 that were built or modified into shooting brake / estate / station wagons which came fitted with a fire extinguisher as standard.

Thanks for joining me on this “Standard Fire Extinguisher” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Longer Taller – Aston Martin DB4 Series V

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The Aston Martin DB4 launched in 1958 was an all new car that would be updated and modified through the DB5 and DB6 models built up until 1971.

Aston Martin DB4, Brooklands, Double Twelve

The all aluminium six cylinder Tadek Marek designed motor featured twin overhead cams and produced 240hp. Enough to propel the car from rest to 60 mph in 9.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 139 mph. DB4’s were fitted with servo assisted disc brakes.

Aston Martin DB4, Brooklands, Double Twelve

The superleggera body was designed by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan and could be ordered with the headlights faired in.

Aston Martin DB4, Brooklands, Double Twelve

DB4’s were built in five distinct series, the model seen here at Brooklands Double Twelve meeting last year is a 1963 Series V, first seen in 1962, which is distinguished by having a longer and taller body on smaller diameter wheels than the first four DB4 series.

Aston Martin DB4, Brooklands, Double Twelve

In all 1,110 DB4’s were built with 2+2 coupé, 2 seat Coupé or 2+2 drophead bodies, additionally 75 DBGT’s were built on a shorter wheel base shared with 19 DB4GT Zagato’s and one DB4GT with bodywork by Bertone known as the Bertone Jet.

Thanks for joining me on this “Longer Taller” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an Aston Martin DB5 Convertible. Don’t forget to come back now !

Unique Among Rare – Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato #0188/L

In 1958 Aston Martin launched it’s all new DB4, which owed very little to the Claude Hill designs that spanned the 1939 concept Atom through the; DB2, DB2/4 and concluded with the 1957 Mark III. In September 1959 a short wheel base of the DB4GT was announced of which 75 were built and in October 1960 a DB4GT with light weight body work and further weight saving by Ercole Spada at Zagato was shown at the London Motor Show.

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato, Danville Concours d'Elegance

The DB4GT Zagato was powered by a Tadek Marek designed 314 hp, 3670 cc / 223 cui, all aluminium straight six motor fitted to a 4 speed all synchromesh gearbox that could push the car from rest to 60mph in just 6.1 seconds, 3 seconds faster than a standard DB4, and on to a top speed of 154mph. The disc brakes however did not have servo assistance.

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato, Danville Concours d'Elegance

The plan was to build 25 DB4GT Zagato’s however at £5,470, they were not a fast seller and production was halted with just 19 original cars built. Today’s featured car is unique among the 19 because it does not feature the faired in front head lights common to it’s 18 siblings.

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato, Danville Concours d'Elegance

With the relative rarity of these cars pushing up prices and numerous of the 75 DB4GT’s being converted to Zagato specification, in 1988 Aston Martin approved the uprating of four DB4 chassis to DB4GT specification and for these chassis to be sent to Zagato in Italy to be built into works approved replica’s known as Sanction II’s, which were outwardly similar to the original but in no way identical. These four cars sold for over US$ 1,000,000 … each !

In 2000 Aston Martin sanctioned two further DB4’s to be similarly upgraded by Zagato and this pair of cars are known as Sanction III’s.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photograph’s taken at Danville Concours d’Elegance last year.

Thanks for joining me on this “Unique Among Rare” edition of Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another Aston Martin DB4. Don’t forget to come back now !