Aston Martin

Lore & Background

Aston Martin has been involved in motorsport at various points in its history, mainly in sports car racing, and also in Formula One. The company achieved its singular outright victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959, a triumph that remains the only time the marque has won the endurance classic. The winning car was DBR1/1, with DBR1/2 finishing second. The victory was part of three consecutive wins in 1959 at the Nürburgring, Le Mans, and the Tourist Trophy, securing the World Sports Car Championship.

In Their Own Story

The 1959 race concluded in dramatic fashion at the final round, the Tourist Trophy at Goodwood, which decided the World Sports Car Championship. During the event, the leading DBR1/3 caught fire while refuelling, damaging it beyond repair and leaving the factory without a pit stall to service their remaining cars. In a display of sportsmanship, privateer Graham Whitehead withdrew his entry (DBR1/5) from the race to allow Aston Martin to use his pits. This strategic move enabled Stirling Moss to take over DBR1/2, which had been driven by Shelby and Fairman, securing victory for the team. The remaining car, DBR1/4, finished fourth with Trintignant and Frere. These three victories across the season earned Aston Martin 24 points, beating Ferrari's net 18 points to claim their only World Sports Car Championship title.

Reader's Guide

The headquarters and main production of its sports cars and grand tourers are in a 55-acre (22 ha) facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire, England, on the former site of RAF Gaydon, adjacent to the Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon Centre. The old 3.6-acre (1.5 ha) facility in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, is the present home of the Aston Martin Works classic car department, which focuses on heritage sales, service, spares and restoration operations. The 90-acre (36 ha) factory in St Athan, Wales, features three converted 'super-hangars' from MOD St Athan, and serves as the production site of Aston Martin's SUV, the DBX.

Did You Know?

• The 1959 Le Mans winner was DBR1/1.
• Aston Martin's only outright victory at Le Mans came in 1959.
• The 1959 victory was part of three consecutive wins that year at the Nürburgring, Le Mans, and the Tourist Trophy, securing the World Sports Car Championship.