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The things you see...
David Jenkins - 7/8/22 at 06:14 PM

Drove out early this morning for a walk on the seashore... a few miles from home I saw a really nice classic car, but couldn't identify it - there was a major car show at Helmingham Hall, Suffolk today, so I guess he was heading for that. Early numberplate (3 letters, 2 numbers) and it looked 'vintage' rather than 'replica'.

Found it on-line later - an Aston-Martin DBR1 - they only made 5, and one was sold in the US for £17M...

And, before anyone says it, it wasn't the famous (and magnificent) replica built by someone in Norfolk, as that one has a totally different registration number. It's possible that it was a replica made by someone else, but it did look 'old and used'. If it was a real one, I'd be terrified to take it on the road!

Late update: I have found that there a very small number of good replicas around, but I didn't see one with such an early numberplate. Even so, they sell for around £100,000, so still not cheap.

[Edited on 7/8/22 by David Jenkins]


theconrodkid - 7/8/22 at 06:26 PM

i saw a boat tail style Bugatti once, just parked up and all alone on the roadside, even a tatty one would be
worth a couple of bob, people were looking but not touching tho


rusty nuts - 7/8/22 at 07:18 PM

When I worked in Wimbish we had a boat tail Bugatti come in for fuel a few times. We also had a little old lady that drove a 1929 Delarge as well as another lady who had restored the bull nose Morris she drove


David Jenkins - 7/8/22 at 07:59 PM

A few years back we went to the Lavenham Rare Breeds show - now called Lavenham Classics - loads of nice old cars, alongside a village fete! Spent some time wandering round trying to find all of the cars I used to drive, then found a couple of Stanley steam cars, a genuine Bugatti 35 (maybe a 37), and two Mercedes-Benz 300 SL - one in the gull wing form, and one sportster (both owned by the same person!). These were all parked in a field with spectators milling around.

There must be something in the Suffolk air!

Note - it's a much smaller-scale show now, thanks to the effects of Covid over the past few years...

[Edited on 7/8/22 by David Jenkins]


JAG - 8/8/22 at 07:43 AM

WoW - such a pretty car



GaryM - 8/8/22 at 10:14 AM

Ant Anstead (Wheeler Dealers, etc) was responsible for one of the replicas, I remember chatting to him about it at Stoneleigh one year.


David Jenkins - 8/8/22 at 12:21 PM

quote:
Originally posted by JAG
WoW - such a pretty car



That picture makes it look quite big - in reality it's fairly compact; perhaps about the size of an Austin-Healey 3000. It did look really good though, and the driver wearing a leather flying helmet and goggles enhanced it as well!


jps - 8/8/22 at 03:56 PM

Funny you mention the Healey 3000, I saw one on the A12 at Martlesham heading south last Sunday afternoon.

Followed a D-type Jag (with the big fin) into Goodwood FoS one year, but I guess they are 10 a penny compared to that Aston…


mark chandler - 8/8/22 at 08:45 PM

That AM1 is a replica owned by Neil Sims, it’s a work of art.

All aluminium panels, the pressings came from japan.

It’s fitted with Jaguar running gear with an older (smooth casting) mildly tuned 3.8 Jaguar motor with modified Webber’s as throttle bodies.

It’s not just for show as he is happy to compete in hill climbs and sprints with it.

He’s a very nice man so if you see him have a chat about his car, lots of attention to details even down to correct seat fabric and horsehair stuffing.


David Jenkins - 8/8/22 at 09:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by jps
Funny you mention the Healey 3000, I saw one on the A12 at Martlesham heading south last Sunday afternoon.



I saw this thing heading north on the Copdock roundabout, Ipswich, early last Sunday morning. Probably going to the same place!


overdriver - 9/8/22 at 06:18 PM

Just to clarify matters the picture posted by JAG is of the genuine DBR1 which won the 1959 Le Mans race in the hands of Roy Salvadori & Carroll Shelby and not a replica.

To some extent the Jaguar powered replicas can be distinguished by having left hand side exhaust outlets. Having said that, during the history of the DBR1 Aston did use two different cylinder heads - one with exhaust manifold on the left & one with it on the right. XK engines, however, were always left side exhausts.


Mike Wood - 10/8/22 at 09:55 PM

Here is info on an Aston Martin DBR1: https://simeonemuseum.org/collection/1958-aston-martin-dbr1/

Cheers
Mike


overdriver - 11/8/22 at 09:02 AM

That's an interesting article with further links. I was a little put off by the glaring error in the sidebar which states that the DBR1 has 8 cylinders!!!

Beautiful car although the '59 Le Mans cars were slightly 'uglified' by the fitting of 'spats' to cover the rear wheels for aerodynamic purposes.

Incidentally 'Mike Wood' can you cease and desist in impersonating me as Michael Wood is my birth name (I have documentation to prove it - birth certificate, cycling proficiency award [without stabilisers], 25 yards swimming cert. [widths only] etc. etc.) and I claim first dibs on using the name by virtue of my undoubted seniority in years.

Right, having dealt with you I now need to sort out the owners of an M5 service station and that bloke who does history programmes on the telly.....

Michael Wood (the real one).