24h Le Mans
During Monterey Car Week, which draws countless vintage car enthusiasts every year and kicked off this past Friday, an Aston Martin DBR9 that took the start at the 2006 and 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans is included in RM Sothebys' auction catalog of offerings.
Several Aston Martins will be available for sale on August 18th, but if your coffer prevents you from spending millions of dollars on a vintage car (see article), you can perhaps fall back on the DBR9 that finished sixth at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007 - if you are able to stroke a check for as much as $325,000 (nearly 275,000 euros), the high range of the estimate given by RM Sothebys.
Surprisingly, the Aston Martin DBR9 served as replacement for the…Ferrari 550 Maranello, winner in the class at the time called GTS at Le Mans in 2003. The British marque was partly taken over by David Richards, former World Rally Champion co-driver and founder of the Prodrive company that had developed the racing version of the Italian car. He set out to do the same with the DB9.
The Aston Martin DBR9's debut was stunning, with a win for its first outing at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2006 in the hands of the factory team, but the DBR9/9 chassis up at auction began its career at Silverstone and mainly competed in the FIA-GT championship in which it earned the honorary title of vice-champion in 2006 thanks to the BMS Scuderia team.
The Italian outfit also entered the DBR9/9 chassis at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2006 and 2007. Though the first participation ended in a retirement (three short laps in), the second was more successful with an 11th place overall a sixth place finish in the GT1 class for the trio Fabio Babini, Jamie Davies (winner in 2003 with the Ferrari) and Matteo Mallucelli.
Nonetheless, the sporting career of the DBR9/9 chassis suddenly came to a close at the 24 Hours of Spa, a little more than a month after the 24 Hours of Le Mans, subsequent to a dramatic accident: due to the impact, the engine (located at the front of the car) detached from the chassis, leading to the unusal image of a wrecker discharging the engine!
Rebuilt, the Aston Martin DBR9, one of 10 produced, was delivered in 2008 - the year of the second consecutive class victory of one of the two at the 24 Hours of Le Mans - to its current owner who has since kept the car in storage.
PHOTO (Copyright - Michel Jamin, ACO/Nikon): The BMS Scuderia team's Aston Martin DBR9 at qualifying for the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans.
