Aston Martin DBR3
Encyclopedia
The Aston Martin DBR3 was a sports
racing car built in 1958 as an alternative to the DBR1
, using a different engine and front end setup. The car was very short lived and eventually converted into a DBR1.
based 2.9L Straight-6 was replaced by an engine based on that used in the newly released Aston Martin DB4
road car. While the DBR2
used this engine in its original 3.7L form, the DBR3 had the engine destroked to 3.0L (2990cc) in order to compete in the 3-Liter Sportscar category, just like DBR1.
The second difference between the two was that instead of the standard front suspension from DBR1, DBR3 used a new wishbone suspension that was being developed for the DBR4
Formula One
car at the same time. It was believed this setup would be superior to the one used on DBR1 and DBR2.
Only one DBR3 chassis was built, known as DBR3/1.
, and failing to finish. The new engine was proven to be unreliable and prone to overheating in comparison to the older familiar engine in the DBR1. Thus the decision was made to cancel the DBR3 and instead concentrate on the DBR1. DBR3/1 had its engine removed and the suspension was returned to a normal configuration, with the car being redesignated as DBR1/4 and racing on in this form in 1959.
The engine from DBR3 would later be placed in a DB4GT
and raced in the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans
, although again with little success.
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
racing car built in 1958 as an alternative to the DBR1
Aston Martin DBR1
The Aston Martin DBR1 was a sports racing car built by Aston Martin starting in 1956, intended for the World Sportscar Championship as well as non-championship sportscar races at the time...
, using a different engine and front end setup. The car was very short lived and eventually converted into a DBR1.
Design
The DBR3 was built from a DBR1 chassis and body but featured two major changes. First, the LagondaLagonda
Lagonda is a British luxury car marque, founded as a company in 1906 in Staines, Middlesex by a former opera singer from Ohio, but of Scottish ancestry, named Wilbur Gunn . He named the company after a river near the town of his birth, Springfield, Ohio, United States...
based 2.9L Straight-6 was replaced by an engine based on that used in the newly released Aston Martin DB4
Aston Martin DB4
The DB4 is a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1958 until 1963. It was an entirely different car from the DB Mark III it replaced, though the 3.7 L engine was externally visually related to the 2.9 L unit found in that car....
road car. While the DBR2
Aston Martin DBR2
The Aston Martin DBR2 was a sports racing car built in 1957 as a sibling to the Aston Martin DBR1, yet competing in a larger engine capacity group.-Development:...
used this engine in its original 3.7L form, the DBR3 had the engine destroked to 3.0L (2990cc) in order to compete in the 3-Liter Sportscar category, just like DBR1.
The second difference between the two was that instead of the standard front suspension from DBR1, DBR3 used a new wishbone suspension that was being developed for the DBR4
Aston Martin DBR4
The Aston Martin DBR4/250, commonly referred to simply as the DBR4, is a Formula One racing car, designed by Ted Cutting for the sports car manufacturer Aston Martin...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
car at the same time. It was believed this setup would be superior to the one used on DBR1 and DBR2.
Only one DBR3 chassis was built, known as DBR3/1.
Racing history
The DBR3's racing history was very short; it appeared at only two races, competing in only one at SilverstoneSilverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
, and failing to finish. The new engine was proven to be unreliable and prone to overheating in comparison to the older familiar engine in the DBR1. Thus the decision was made to cancel the DBR3 and instead concentrate on the DBR1. DBR3/1 had its engine removed and the suspension was returned to a normal configuration, with the car being redesignated as DBR1/4 and racing on in this form in 1959.
The engine from DBR3 would later be placed in a DB4GT
Aston Martin DB4
The DB4 is a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1958 until 1963. It was an entirely different car from the DB Mark III it replaced, though the 3.7 L engine was externally visually related to the 2.9 L unit found in that car....
and raced in the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans
1959 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 27th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 20 and 21 1959. It was also the fourth round of the World Sportscar Championship.-Official results:-Not Classified:...
, although again with little success.