1953 Aston Martin DB3S

Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford founded Aston Martin in 1913. In 1947, it was acquired by David Brown, becoming the company's latest savior. He also acquired the Lagonda business for its 2.6-liter W.O. Bentley-designed engine. Thus began the classic 'DB' series of road-going and racing cars.

The DB3 was introduced in 1951. It was powered by the 2.6-liter Lagonda straight engine from the DB2 Vantage. The design was by Eberan von Eberhorst (a former Auto Union designer) and its aluminum two-seater open body rested on a twin-tubular platform with a torsion bar and trailing arms in the front and torsion bars, parallel links, Panhard rod, and DeDion axle in the rear. Between 1951 and 1953, a total of 10 examples were built, with chassis numbers from DB3/1 to DB3/10. The first five cars were Works car while the remaining examples were sold to privateers.

The DB3 proved to be uncompetitive, partially due to its weight. Engineer A.G. 'William' Watson approached Aston Martin competition director John Wyer with an alternative design, in hopes of presenting it to Mr. Brown without upsetting the more senior designer. The tactic worked and the first DB3S was ready for competition by May of 1953.

The DB3S had a smaller footprint than the DB3, being both shorter and less wide. Its height was just an inch taller than the outgoing model. The Lagonda straight-six engine was enlarged to 2,992cc and fitted with three twin-choke Weber 35 DCO carburetors and backed by a David Brown S430 4-speed manual transmission. Initially, the engine offered just over 180 horsepower, but by the time production of the DB3S had come to a close, a twin-spark version helped raise output to nearly 230 horsepower. The aluminum bodywork was designed by in-house stylist Frank Feeley.

The refined DB3S raced in May of 1953 at Charterhall where Reg Parnell drove it to its first victory. Next came the 24 Hours of LeMans, where two examples were entered to contest this grueling race. Unfortunately, both were forced to retire prematurely due to accident damage and ignition failure. Despite this setback, it would win at the Tourist Trophy (a 1-2 victory), Goodwood Nine Hours, and British Empire Trophy in 1953. Aston Martin would finish the 1953 season 3rd in the championship.

Modifications, improvements, and further refinement continued on the DB3S into the 1954 season. The most significant of these was a low-drag body specifically designed and fine-tuned in wind-tunnel testing for the high-speed Le Mans track. A prototype example was also given disc brakes at the front and the engine was fitted with a supercharger.

The 1954 season, however, would be a disappointment. The highest place finished was a third place in the Buenos Aires 1000 km. The team would miss the opening two rounds of the 1955 season at Buenos Aires and Sebring. A single DB3S was entered at the Mille Miglia but it failed to finish. At LeMans, the DB3S driven by Collins/Frere finished 2nd (1st in class). Walker/Poore drove a DB3S to 4th overall at the Tourist Trophy which helped Aston Martin finish the season in 5th place.

For the 1956 season, Aston Martin was focusing their resources on the development of the new DBR1. While work continued, the factory raced the DB3S at Sebring where it finished in 4th. At the Nurburgring 1000Km, it finished 5th. Another second place overall (1st in class) was cored at Le Mans in the hands of Moss/Collins although due to the change of regulations after the 1955 tragic disaster this event was a non-championship race. Aston Martin would finish the season 4th in the championship.

For the 1957 season, the Aston Martin DBR1 became the company's main sports racer. The racing resume of the DB3S was not quite over yet, as the Whitehead brothers raced an example at LeMans in 1958 and finished in second place after all the works DBR1s failed to finish.

During the production lifespan of the DB3S, 31 examples were built with 11 being Works cars and the other 20 sold to privateers.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: DB3S/1

The Aston Martin DB3S was built as a replacement for the heavier Aston Martin DB3. In total 31 DB3Ss were made, including 11 works cars. This if the first DB3S built, and it was the first development prototype first tested at Monza in 1953. The car first won at Charterhall that year driven by Reg Parnell, who followed this win with others at Silverstone and at the Isle of Man in the British Empire Trophy. His win at the Isle of Man came after Parnell had driven the car at full speed all the way from Le Mans to Liverpool to get to the race. Parnell raced it again at Le Mans in 1954 with the late great Roy Salvadori. This car has also won many races in the hands of other Aston works drivers such as Peter Collins, Peter Walker and Graham Whitehead. It retired from front line competition in 1957 although continued to be raced in AMOC events. Its current owner bought the car in 1975 and has kept it in this very original condition.

Roadster
Chassis number: DB3S/4

Just 30 (possibly 31) DB3Ss were built, and 10 (possibly 11) of these were works cars, including this early chassis DB3S/4 with its original egg-crate grille. Later cars had smaller grilles and faired-in headlights. This car first raced at LeMans in 1953 but retired there. It later raced at Silverstone, Goodwood and the Mille Miglia with mixed results. Drivers included Reg Parnell, Dennis Thompson and Peter Collins. The company sold the car to privateer Graham Whithead who later sold it to the Hon. S. Plunkett. The car also spent several years in New Zealand.

Roadster
Chassis number: DB3S/2
Engine number: DP101/17

This Aston Martin DB3S is the second of the ten surviving Works cars, and the first of three cars prepared by John Wyer's competition department for the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans. Unfortunately, Reg Parnell crashed DB3S/2 before Peter Collins could assume the driving duties. A month later, the car was raced at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix where Collins finished 3rd overall - helping secure an all-Aston Martin podium.

For the Goodwood 9 Hours, Parnell was partnered with Eric Thompson. For the race, Wyer fitted DB3S/2 with a shorter final drive in a strategic effort to have it play the hare, hoping to break the Works and Ecurie Ecosse C-Type Jaguars. The plan worked and DB3S/2 would go on to victory, with a full two laps ahead of the nearest C-Type in 3rd.

The final 1953 outing for DB3S/2 was the last round of the World Sportscar Championship, the RAC Tourist Trophy at Dundrod. Parnell and Thompson were tasked with driving duties for DB3S/2, and despite a slipping clutch, they finished in 2nd behind the sister car, but still three laps ahead of any C-Type. This result secured 2nd in the unofficial drivers' title for Reg Parnell, ahead of Fangio, Moss, and Walker.

For the 1954 1000 KM of Buenos Aires, Parnell shared driving duties with Roy Salvadori in DB3S/2. Sadly, they were out at over half distance with distributor failure. Parnell and Salvadori were paired again for the 12 Hours of Sebring, but after 24 laps, the car was forced to retire due to a broken conrod. The next race was the Mille Miglia where Parnell was tasked with driving the car solo, with photographer Louis Klemantaski as his co-driver. Wyer chose to run the car on a hard compound Avon tire, hoping to avoid tire changes, however, the wet weather made the decision a poor choice. Both DB3Ss crashed and suffered significant damage.

Racing had not been kind to the DB3Ss and by the later part of the 1954 season, most were damaged. Wyer commissioned DB3S/1 and /2 to be rebuilt with new chassis and Frank Freeley-designed bodies. After the work was completed, DB3S/2 raced in the RAC Tourist Trophy at Dundrod with Peter Collins starting and Pat Griffith in his final race. Collins had the car in 4th when the differential gave out. At Aintree, Collins came in second to Masten Gregory in a 4.5-liter Ferrari 375MM, just two seconds behind the winning car. Collins was 22 seconds ahead of Parnell in DB3S/1.

After the 1954 season, Peter Collins acquired DB3S/2 with the agreement that it could be called back to Works duty when required. Collins had the car registered as UDV 609 and raced it mainly in British sports car races where he secured several overall or class podiums. His first Works outing with DB3S/2 was in 1955 at the Silverstone International Trophy, where he suffered a loose differential but still finished in 7th overall (and 3rd in Class). DB3S/2 was sent to Kristianstad for the Swedish Grand Prix round of the World Sportscar Championship, however it's Works racing career would come to a close in practice with conrod failure.

The final outing for DB3S/2 with Collins behind the wheel was at the Daily Herald Trophy race at Oulton Park. He would finish the hard-fought race in 3rd overall.

Collins later sold the DB3S/2 to Tom Kyffin who raced it throughout 1956, gaining wins at Goodwood and Silverstone, but would retire from the 1000 KM of Paris at Montlhéry (sharing with Ken Wharton). Ownership later went to John Dalton for 1957, scoring several wins in minor races before it passed into the hands of Roy Bloxam. DB3S/2 was used sparingly by Bloxam in 1958 before putting it up for sale with the Chequered Flag garage.

Next, it entered George Gale's ownership, who gave it a full windscreen, a passenger door, and a cigar lighter for more practical road use. The car remained in Gale's care for over two decades. It was then sold to Richard Forshaw of Aston Martin Service Dorset, who began restoring it to Works specifications. At the time, it was very original with its matching-numbers engine from when it was sold to Collins and an entirely original body, except for the passenger door and metal tonneau lip.

The car remained in Mr. Forshaw's care until 1992, when it was acquired by Peter Read, who raced it at the Monterey Historics and displayed it at the 1999 Louis Vuitton Concours. John McCaw acquired it in 2004, and the car was awarded 3rd in Post-War Sports Racing at the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. In 2015, it entered the ownership of its current caretaker. Since then it has been shown at the Goodwood Revival and other events.

During the production lifespan of the DB3S, ten were Works cars. Of those, one was scrapped and four received new bodies and chassis. After the Works cars left the factory ownership, three have been severely damaged. This leaves just two in their original form when they were first built.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: DB3S/5

The fifth of 31 examples built (and one of only 11 works racers), this particular DB3S (serial number DB3S/5) was originally built for the private use of the company's owner, David Brown. But after three other examples were destroyed at Le Mans in 1954, Brown handed his car over to John Wyer at the racing department, who replaced the fiberglass bodywork with aluminum and put it to work. It had twelve wins with drivers like Sir Stirling Moss, Peter Collins, and Roy Salvadori, who drove it at Spa, the Nurburgring, and the Mille Miglia. Later it became the first to be fitted with Girling disc brakes that necessitated the one-off Borrani rims and wheel arch extensions for which the model became famous. It also was raced at Spa-Francorchamps and local circuits such as Goodwood and Silverstone. As if that provenance weren't enough, the roadster then went on to appear in the 1960s comedy School for Scoundrels alongside Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas, and Janette Scott.

The DB3 was not as successful as Aston Martin had intended so they tasked Watson to design and engineer a new car. The result was the DB3S, a design that was based on its predecessor but featured a smaller wheelbase and a lighter chassis. The DB3S were built in two series, the first being numbered one through ten, from 1953 through 1956, and built primarily for the works team. The second series was produced from 1954 through 1956. The coupe bodies benefited from a lower drag coefficient which resulted in greater top speeds, unfortunately, there was excessive lift causing the vehicles to become very unstable at speed. The designs and mechanics were changed throughout the years to compensate for aerodynamic and performance limitations.

During its production run, lasting from 1953 through 1957, 31 examples were produced. Eleven were used by the factory for their racing endeavors.

The DB3s were campaigned by Aston Martin at many international racing events where it was met with mixed results, some victories and some disappointments. Arguably the most prestigious and challenging race, the grueling 24 Hour of LeMans, is a true test of a vehicles capabilities. The DB3S was entered in 1953 where it failed to achieve the success it had accumulated throughout the season.

In 1954, two 225 horsepower coupe versions of the DB3S were created to compete at Silversone. More power was needed, especially to be competitive at LeMans. By applying a supercharger, the car developed 240 horsepower. It was entered in LeMans but it was a Ferrari that would capture the overall victory. Due to the high speed and instability of the design, the DB3S coupes crashed.

In 1955 the coupes were rebodied as open cars. The DB3S captured victory at Silverstone and a second place finish at LeMans. In 1956, the DB3S repeated its prior year performance at LeMans, finishing with a second place.

Through design, development, and testing, the DB3S was able to achieve higher success than the DB3. Though never capturing an overall victory at LeMans, they were able to capture many prestigious victories and successes.

by Dan Vaughan

David Brown, who later became Sir David, purchased the Aston Martin and Lagonda company's from receivership in 1948. The Lagonda Company appealed to Mr. Brown for its W.O. Bentley-designed twin-cam, 2.6-liter six-cylinder engine. The Aston martin company had a modern chassis, a solid reputation, and a sporting heritage. From the purchase, David was committed to motorsport competition. One of the earliest endeavors was at the 1948 Spa 24 Hours with a post-war Astons. DB2s were entered at LeMans in 1949. Within just two years, DB2s finished First, Second and Third in class at the 1951 LeMans 24 Hours, and Third overall against a very competitive field. David Brown would field a factory team at LeMans each year from1 1950 through 1959. His greatest success was with the iconic DBR1, which finished First and Second at LeMans and the World Sportscar Championship.

The Aston Martin DB3 was a sports racer that was introduced in 1952. It was developed by Eberan von Eberhorst, a former Auto Union racing engineer, who designed an all-new, tubular chassis with a DeDion rear setup and slab-sided body.

The DB3 suffered from reliability issues, so Brown commissioned A.G. 'William' Watons to engineer an improved version of the car. A prototype appeared at Charterhill, UK in May of 1953, called the DB3S. The prototype introduced many new improvements including a lighter chassis and a reduced wheelbase. The Salisbury hypoid-bevel final drive was replaced with a David Brown spiral-bevel version. This was an important replacement, as the hypoid spiral drive had retired two DB3s at LeMans in 1952. The rear suspension geometry was re-worked and a new aluminum body designed by Frank Feeley, was added. The body was elegant and refined, featured the classic cutaway section behind the front wheels and a 'humped oval' grille theme in the front. The new grille design became the trademark identifier of Aston Martin production cars through the present day.

The DB3S made its racing debut at Charterhill, where it was driven by Reg Parnell to an overall victory, defeating an Ecurie Escosse C-Type. A short time later, three DB3Ss raced at LeMans but with little success. This would be the only race Aston Martin would lose in 1953.

In 1954, Aston Martin introduced a new 12-cylinder sports racer, bearing the Lagonda name. The Watson developed engine displaced 4.5-liters and was basically two standard VB6J Aston engines combined and mated to a common crankshaft. Both the block and crankcase were made from aluminum, to counterbalance the weight penalty. The engine endured many teething problems, and became a distraction from the development of the parallel DB3S program. Finally, the Lagonda sports racer program was abandoned in 1955 to focus on the DB3S.

By 1955, racing regulations had changed, dictating a 3-liter limitation on the engine capacity in the sports car championship. The DB3S would continue to win races and managed a second place at LeMans, driven by Peter Collins and Paul Frere. It would repeat its accomplishment at LeMans in 1956, with a Second place overall in the hands of Stirling Moss and Peter Collins.

By this point in history, ten Works examples of the DB3S had been completed by the factory. Production of customer cars continued as demand continued to be strong. The 'customer' cars were identifiable by their three-digit chassis numbers. They were fitted with an upgraded version of the production VB6J engine with a high compression head featuring larger valves and competition camshafts, with the addition of triple, dual-throat side-draft Weber carburetors. The connection rods were competition spec and the main bearing housings were of solid type. In this guise, the engine was named the VB6K. In total, 20 customer cars were produced.

by Dan Vaughan