Starting Grid of the Le Mans 24 Hours 1959…
# 5 is the winning Carroll Shelby/Roy Salvadori Aston Martin DBR1/300, # 4 the Stirling Moss/Jack Fairman sister car, and # 3 the Innes Ireland/Masten Gregory Jaguar XK’D’ Type, both DNF.
1959 was the only Aston Martin Le Mans victory so far, Astons’ also won the World Sportscar Championship that year with wins in 3 of the 5 rounds; LeMans, Nurburgring 1000Km, and RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood. Ferrari and Porsche were second and third in the Championship respectively.
The DBR1 was one of the greatest cars produced under the 3 litre sports car formula, in addition to its 1959 successes it also won the Nurburgring 1000Km and the Tourist Trophy at Goodwood in 1958.
Its essential elements are laid bare in this James Allington period cutaway drawing for Automobile Year.
The engine is an inline 6, all aluminium, the crankshaft supported by 7 main bearings. Two valves per cylinder were fitted at an included angle of 95 degrees operated by twin gear driven overhead camshafts. Fuel was provided by 3 Weber carburettors, the ignition fired by 2 Lucas distributors driven off the end of each camshaft, 2 plugs per cylinder.
The engine was ‘undersquare’, bore and stroke 83X90mm for a capacity of 2932cc, the engine produced circa 265bhp@6500rpm on a compression ratio of 9:1.
Cockpit of the Moss/Fairman DBR Le Mans 1959. (unattributed)
A five speed gearbox was mounted transversely at the rear in unit with a ZF differential.
Front suspension was by twin trailing links springing by transverse torsion bars. At the rear a De Dion rear axle was used with twin trailing arms, a Watts linkage and again torsion bars were the springing medium.
Girling disc brakes were used and rack and pinion steering. The car had a wheelbase of 90 in, a track front and rear of 51.5 in, a width of 64 inches and a height to the top of the scuttle of 38.5 in…the whole lot weighing 1760lb.
The #4 Moss/Fairman and #5 Salvadori/Shelby Aston DBR/1’s at rest. Chez Aston, Le Mans 1959. (Unattributed)
Carroll Shelby, AstonMartin DBR1/300 Le Mans 1959 (unattributed)
Carroll Shelby driving, Roy Salvadori, David Brown the owner of Astons’ and Stirling Moss post victory. (unattributed)
Etcetera…
Front of the Le Mans grid 1959. #8 Flockhart/Lawrence Tojeiro Jaguar, #1 Bueb/Halford Lister Jaguar, #2 Hansgen/Blond Lister Jaguar and #3 Ireland/Gregory Jaguar D Type…all DNF. Stirling Moss is talking to the photographers priod to the ‘start sprint’. (Unattributed)
Le Mans start 1959. # 8 Flockhart Tojeiro Jag, # 1 Bueb Lister Jag, # 6 Trintignant Aston DBR/1, #2 Hansgen Lister Jag, # 5 Salvadori Aston DBR/1 and the rest. (Unattributed)
Trintignant/ Frere Aston post fuelling Le Mans 1959, the pair finished 2nd a lap behind the winning DBR/1. (Unattributed)
Photo Credits…
Jesse Alexander, James Allington cutaway drawing
Finito…
primotipo... 
It is interesting how much success Aston Martin was having in sports car racing with the DBR1, while at the same time they were having an abysmal season in Formula 1 with the DBR4.
As you know Graham the cars were simply 3 years too late, as was the Scarab. The Lotus 16 were far more advanced front engined GP cars but even they were well blown off by the Cooper T51’s in ’59. I will get to the DBR4 given 2 of them came here!
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