David Brown bought Aston Martin in 1947, and his line of high-performance luxury cars was named with his initials. One of his famous racers, the DB3S was based on a street-legal car, as per regulations at the time. But a change to the rulebook for 1956 allowed for competitors to build race-only cars.
The DBR1 was the first Aston Martin specifically built as a race car. Only five cars were produced, and they brought home numerous wins. The prototype was this car "DBR1/1", and it won the 1,000 km of Nürburgring in 1959. After a complete restoration, it has also become the most expensive British car ever sold. At RM Sotheby's Monterey auction, it hammered for $22,550,000. From the light alloy body to a futuristic 5-speed transaxle, this car was built to dominate. RM Sotheby's had very strict criteria on bidders, who required vetting and a background check. They also chose to showcase it on the world's greatest car website, so that prospective buyer could see all the details. We're glad we could help it find a new home, and congratulations to RM Sothebys on a successful weekend. Stay with us for a breakdown of Monterey highlights and more Aston Martin news.
