1955 Aston Martin DB3S Roadster

On of the more successful privateers of the DB3S was the Australian team that would become known as 'The Kangaroo Stable.' Their stable consisted of customer cars DB3S/102, 103, and 104. The cars were painted in the matching, Aston Martin racing color of Almond Green metallic with a yellow flash on the bonnet.

DBS3/102 would finish second overall at the Hyeres 12 Hours in 1955, and in 1957 it would set a new Australian Land Speed Record of 143.9 mph.

DB3S/103 was driven to a Fourth overall at Hyeres and later earned a Second in the South Pacific Sports Car Championship.

DB3S/104 was completed on May 23, 1955. It was built just a few days prior to the Hyeres 12 Hours, where it would finish Third overall with owner/driver Les Cosh and co-pilot Dick Cobden. At the close of the European season, it was the only one of the three Kangaroos Stable cars which did not go Australia. Instead, it was sold by Cosh to a California racer named Rob Carveth in October of 1955. The car was brought to San Francisco in January of 1956 and a short time later, had its body removed and re-painted. It was given a black paint scheme and the 'lucky' number 54. Its first US race was at Stockton, CA on March 18th where it finished Seventh overall. The car would race another 22 events in 1956, earning at least two podium finishes and many Firsts in Class.

In January of 1957, during a practice lap in Pomona, the crankshaft broke and damaged the block. VB6K/104 was replaced by the engine from DB3S/115 (VB6K/115).

Carveth ordered a second DB3S in 1957. The factory promised him an ex-Works DB3S (chassis number DB3S/9), which was slated to go too the Nürburgring as a spare car for its last team race. The car was driven over rough roads from Dunkirk to Nürburgring and damaged its body mountings at the front and rear of the car, making it unsuitable for competition. The Aston Martin team manager, John Wyer, who had promised Carveth a Works car, commissioned a 'new' Works car produced by the Aston Racing Department to fulfill his commitment. This 11th and final Works car was given chassis number DB3S/11 and painted black. It was shipped to San Francisco, arriving in August of 1957.

With two DB3S cars, Carveth usually brought both cars to his races, often loaning out DB3S/104 to others. Phil Hill drove the car in some practice laps and Carroll Shelby achieved a lap record at Ford Sumner, New Mexico in 1956.

Carveth's final outing with DB3S/104 was at Laguna Seca on June 13, 1958. It was sold in early 1959 to Larry Albedi who raced it only once. In June of that year, the car was sold to Bob downing, also of California, who raced it twice more at Laguna Seca.

Downing intended to create a V8 street rod project out of the car, and sold the original body to Ken Wallis who installed it on DB3S/8. By 1964, Downing changed his decision for the car, and had the body from DB3S/112 which had been damaged in the right rear end racing at Laguna Seca in 1963, installed on the car. A short time later, DB3S/104 was put in a chicken coop where it would remain until the 1970s, when it was acquired by Len Auerbach.

While in Auerbach's care, the car was given a nut-and-bolt restoration which was completed in 1976. It was then raced in historic competition until 1989, when it was sold to Peter Agg in the UK. Agg re-restored the car putting it back to its original Almond Green livery. Agg ran the DB3S in several vintage races in the mid 1990s.

In 2005, the car was purchased by its current owner, a U.S. citizen. The car returned back to the United Sates and has since kept a low profile. It was shown only once, at the Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in Carmel, CA in 2007, where it took a First in Class Award.

This car, chassis number DB3S/104, is one of 20 'customer' DB3S, and one of only 31 examples built in total, including the Works team cars.

In 2009, this Aston Martin DB3S was offered for sale at the Sports & Classics of Monterey auction in Monterey, California presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $1,750,000-$2,250,000. The lot was sold for the sum of $1,980,000 including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2009