Aston Martin Plans for Le Mans 2009

[Full Canvas]

It was fifty years ago "today",
Aston Martin taught the band to play.

In June of 1959 Carol Shelby and Roy Salvadori took the outright win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. More recently, Aston has supplied V-12 engines to one of the Lola chassis teams in prototype racing for this year's event.

Aston Martin Racing, now under Dave Richards (Prodrive) management, decided to take delivery of some of those same basic Lola chassis for a new works Aston Martin team effort for the fifty-year anniversary. They are adding their own design modifications to the car and will run with Gulf Oil sponsorship in June of 2009.

Here's Salvadori on one of his stints while winning the 1959 race. He's exiting Mulsanne on the way to the Indianapolis and Arnage corners. Note the road sign indicating the tiny village of Arnage is 5 kilometers ahead.

Here's the restored car today sans the "aerodynamic" rear fender skirts.

The Lola as currently run by Charouz Racing Systems with an Aston Martin V-12

More of Aston Martin's planned cosmetic/aerodynamic modifications. Planned chassis modifications have not been revealed.

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[crazyquik]

Originally Posted by Full Canvas

It was fifty years ago "today",
Aston Martin taught the band to play.


Here's the restored car today sans the "aerodynamic" rear fender skirts.

Didn't Sterling Moss wreck this car a few years ago in a vintage race or Goodwood-type event?

 

[Full Canvas]

Originally Posted by crazyquik

Didn't Sterling Moss wreck this car a few years ago in a vintage race or Goodwood-type event?

If that's true I am not aware of the incident. But, I really don't pay attention to every event any longer. The only Goodwood crash that I know of for Moss was his famous 1962 Easter Monday crash in Rob Walker's Lotus during the non-championship Glover Trophy Formula One race.

There are plenty of videos and still photos of that 1962 crash floating around the Internet. Moss was in a coma for nearly a month after the crash. Below is an old wire service file photo of him leaving the hospital. I am fairly certain the photo is not online anywhere.

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[Southern-Nupe]

That's sweet....I just hope it's more competitive than their GT class.

 

[magnus_h]

More competitive? Didn't they win the GT class last year?

 

[Southern-Nupe]

Originally Posted by magnus_h

More competitive? Didn't they win the GT class last year?
They've been doing pretty well, the last couple of years, but prior to, they've had a few problems here and there. I'm just not yet ready to call them dominant, unless they can close out 09' on the good foot. Regardless, they still make one of my favorite GT class teams. I I just noticed it would be utilizing a lola chassis.....with that said, I may have jumped the gun a bit, a lola chassis design + Aston V12, could make for a very competitive LMP class car.