Aston Martin DBR1
1956-1959 · Aston Martin DBR1 — Competition, Inline-6, designed by Ted Cutting.
The Story
The DBR1 is the most important racing car Aston Martin ever built – and the source of its greatest triumph. Designed entirely by Ted Cutting (body, engine, chassis, suspension), this 3.0-litre straight-six works sports-racer won the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans – Aston’s ONLY outright Le Mans victory – with Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori, then clinched the 1959 World Sportscar Championship.
Only five were built. Stirling Moss drove one to a virtuoso Nurburgring win; Shelby took the Le Mans flag battling flu, a nitroglycerin capsule under his tongue. In 2017, DBR1/1 sold for $22.55m – then a record for any British car.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Competition class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Ted Cutting
British engineer who joined Aston in 1949 and became chief racing-car designer in 1955. He designed the body, engine, chassis and suspension of the DBR1 – Aston’s only outright Le Mans winner (1959). Source: Wikipedia / Autosport.
Studio Motors POV
The single most valuable and significant car in Aston Martin history – the only one to win Le Mans outright. A grail among grails.
The Engine
Aston Martin RB6 I6 (race)
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About DBR1
Worth Knowing About the DBR1
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1. It scored Aston Martin's ONLY outright Le Mans win (1959) and the 1959 World Sportscar Championship – the brand's greatest racing feat.
- 2. Carroll Shelby drove the winning Le Mans stint battling flu, with a nitroglycerin capsule under his tongue.
- 3. Only five were built; DBR1/1 sold for $22.55 million in 2017 – then a world record for any British car.
5 Fast Facts
- 1. 1956-1959; 5 built.
- 2. 3.0 straight-six (~250 bhp); designed entirely by Ted Cutting.
- 3. 1959 Le Mans winner (Shelby/Salvadori) + 1959 World Sportscar Champion.
- 4. Driven by Stirling Moss, Carroll Shelby, Roy Salvadori, Jack Fairman.
- 5. DBR1/1 = $22.55m (2017), then a record for any British car.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
Documented drivers: Stirling Moss, Carroll Shelby, Roy Salvadori, Jack Fairman (works team, 1959). DBR1/1 publicly auctioned for $22.55m (RM Sotheby’s, 2017).
Studio Buyer’s Brief
A five-car works racer – auction-house, museum-grade territory where chassis history is everything (DBR1/1-/5 each have distinct race provenance). Originality, period race record and continuous history define value. A car you steward, not merely own.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Aston Martin DBR1
- Class
- Competition
- Production years
- 1956-1959
- Units built
- 5 built (DBR1/1 – DBR1/5)
- Variants
- Works sports-racer (5 built)
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- Inline-6
- Engine family
- Aston Martin RB6 I6 (race)
- Displacement
- 2,992 cc (3.0L) straight-six (2.5L early)
- Power
- 250 hp
- Torque
- lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- s
- Top speed
- mph
- Power-to-weight
- 312 hp/tonne · 7.1 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual (David Brown CG537)
- Drivetrain
- RWD (front engine) · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 1765 lb
Questions
DBR1 FAQ
Did Aston Martin ever win the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright?
Yes, once. The Aston Martin DBR1, driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori, won the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans — Aston Martin’s only outright victory at the race. The DBR1 also clinched the 1959 World Sportscar Championship that year.
Who designed the Aston Martin DBR1?
Ted Cutting designed the entire DBR1 — body, chassis, suspension, and engine — entirely in-house at Aston Martin. He also designed the DB3S predecessor. Aston Martin team manager John Wyer developed the race programme with drivers Stirling Moss, Carroll Shelby, Roy Salvadori, and Jack Fairman.
How many Aston Martin DBR1s were built?
Exactly five DBR1s were built between 1956 and 1959, designated DBR1/1 through DBR1/5. Each car competed as an Aston Martin Works sports-racer with distinct race provenance — DBR1/2 is the 1959 Le Mans-winning car (driven by Shelby and Salvadori); DBR1/1 set a world record for any British car at auction when sold by RM Sotheby’s in 2017.
What engine did the Aston Martin DBR1 use?
The DBR1 was powered by a 3.0-litre (2,992 cc) straight-six racing engine designated the RB6, designed by Ted Cutting and producing approximately 250 bhp. An earlier 2.5-litre specification was used in some events; the 3.0-litre became the definitive engine for the 1959 Le Mans and World Championship campaign.
What is an Aston Martin DBR1 worth?
Aston Martin DBR1/2 — the 1959 Le Mans-winning car — and DBR1/1 — which set the world auction record for any British car at $22.55 million at RM Sotheby’s in August 2017 — are the two most-known chassis. The remaining DBR1s are held in private collections or museums; when offered, they are expected to command similar premium values.
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