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| Aston Martin DB2/4 Team Cars (1955) |
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The DB2/4 was never campaigned on the race track by a
works team due to the arrival of the pure racing DB3 and DB3S. But after privately owned
DB2/4's had shown their worth in rallying, the Works Racing Department prepared
three cars for the 1955 Monte Carlo Rally. These featured cylinder heads from
the DB3S and thus had useful increase in power output to 170 bhp @ 5500 rpm. 54DMF (LML/857) was driven by the
young Peter Collins and Graham Whitehead and achieved 11th in class. 55DMF (LML/784)
was driven by Maurice Gatsonides, the winning driver from the 1953, partnered
by Marcel Becquart. Gatsonides would have almost certainly won had he not
missed a secret checkpoint - they eventually came in 7th and 1st in class. 56
DMF (LML/855) was driven by Reg Parnell, co-driven by Louis Klementaski and
came 17th in class. As third and fourth places were won by privately entered
DB2/4's, Astons were awarded the team prize. Louis Klementaski is a personal hero of mine since he was the official AM photographer at that time and also perhaps the greatest motor racing photographer of time, if not ever. Maurice Gatsonides is also famous for another reason: he went on to develop the Gatso speed camera Later that year, the two entries for the Mille Miglia (54 and 56) both dropped out due to clutch failure in the early stages. |
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| 55DMF was offered as a star lot at the Bonhams & Brookes/AML auction in May 2001. The pre-sale estimate of £50,000 to £70,000 was smashed when the hammer dropped at an incredible £95,000. |
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| Page Updated Tuesday January 01, 2008 |
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