Aston Martin DBR1
In 1956 new rules for the World Sports Car Championship and Le Mans prompted Aston Martin to build a sports racing prototype rather than a production-based car. Designed by Ted Cutting, the DBR1 had a multi-tube chassis, torsion bar suspension and an all-aluminium six-cylinder racing engine, originally of 2.5 litres (to the early rules) and from 1958 3 litres. Its single-car 1956 Le Mans debut ended in retirement but the DBR1 started winning in 1957 (at Spa and the Nürburgring), and completed a Nürburgring hat-trick in 1959, by which time five examples had been built.
- Dates: 1956 – 1959
- Category: Le Mans Racer Sports car racing
- Constructor: Aston Martin Lagonda LTD
- Debuting at the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans
- Races: (18) Including (4) Le Mans
- Wins: (8) Including 1959 Le Mans
- Notable drivers:
- Tony Brooks,
- Reg Parnell,
- Roy Salvadori,
- Les Leston,
- Noël Cunningham-Reid,
- Stuart Lewis-Evans,
- Carroll Shelby,
- Stirling Moss,
- Jack Brabham,
- Maurice Trintignant,
- Jack Fairman,
- Paul Frere,
- Jim Clark
- Designer: Ted Cutting
- Chassis: Multi-tubular, space frame design
- Suspension:
– (front) Torsion bar and trailing arms Suspension
– (rear) De Dion with longitudinal Torsion bars and Watt linkage - Length: 13 ft 2.5 in (402.6 cm)
- Width: 5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
- Height: 3 ft 2.5 in (97.8 cm)
- Axle track: 4 ft 3.5 in (130.8 cm)
- Wheelbase: 7 ft 6 in (229 cm)
- Engine: Aston Martin 2,493 cc / 2,922 cc, Straight six, FR Layout
- Transmission: David Brown CG537 5-speed Manual
- Weight: 1,765 lb (801 kg)
