Photos Geoffry Harrison Archive

Text by John Sutton

Photos from Geoffrey Harrison archive

Text by John Sutton

First outing for Aston Martin Grand Prix car

Sponsored by the Daily Express this was the major event of the year for the Silverstone circuit.  There was a crowd of over 80,000 and we were there too!

One of the attractions for the main race was the debut of the new 2.5 litre Aston Martin Grand Prix cars.  According to contemporary reports these new cars were beautifully turned out under David Brown’s ownership.  

Aston Scrutineering

Their technical specification was as follows:-

The engines were 6 cylinder in line units with twin overhead camshafts and the valves inclined at an included angle of 95° and dry sump lubrication.  Ignition was by dual Lucas magnetos driven from the rear of each camshaft.  Three twin choke Weber carburettors provided the fuel/air mixture.  The space frame chassis was constructed from small diameter chrome-molybdenum steel tubing on which was hung the wishbone independent front suspension with coil springs and Armstrong telescopic dampers.  A torsion bar anti-roll system was included.  The rear suspension was by a De Dion type live axle mounted on trailing links with torsion bar springs and a ZF limited-slip differential was incorporated.  Damping was by Armstrong as for the front.  The braking system was by Girling with outboard discs and Ferodo pads.  The wire wheels were made by Borrani with Rudge Whitworth centre lock hubs and were 6.00 by 16 at the front and 7.00 by 15 at the rear.  Tyres were supplied by Avon and were similar to their “Road Speed” design but with a special rubber compound.

Tony Brooks	Ferrari Dino

One of the new Astons, of which two were entered, caused a sensation by qualifying for the front row of the grid in the hands of Roy Salvadori at 1 min 40.4 secs was only 0.4 seconds behind Tony Brooks’s Ferrari and 0.2 seconds behind Stirling Moss in the BRM.  Jack Brabham in the Cooper, the eventual winner, was equal with Salvadori.

The second Aston, drive by Carol Shelby, was on the second row having qualified with 1 min 44.8 secs.  Alongside him were Ron Flochhart BRM and Lovely in the Team Lotus Climax.

The starter was no less than Fangio and by the end of the first lap Brabham was in the lead closely followed by Moss in the BRM with the Astons third and fourth.

Flockhart BRM

On the fourth lap there was a major drama.  After Stirling Moss passed the pits at over 100 mph he arrived at Copse corner only to find the BRM had no brakes!  In a masterful display of driving he deliberately put the car into a spin to reduce it’s momentum and parked it against the outer railings.  I particularly remember this and saw the whole thing from the viewing position above the pits (those were the days!).  Stirling leapt out of the car and ran across the track and back to the pits where he found Rivers Fletcher whom he then escorted back across the track to inspect the BRM at first hand.  Stirling was not a happy bunny. 

Of the 23 entries only 14 finished and the 150 mile race was won by Jack Brabham in 1 hour 25 mins and 28.6 seconds followed by Salvadori in the Aston Martin only 17.6 seconds behind.  Shelby in the second Aston suffered engine failure two laps from the finish whilst lying 4^th after his pit crew had urged him to try to make it a two/three finish.

Ferrari Dino

The final result was therefore :-

1st Brabham – Cooper

2nd Salvadori – Aston Martin

3^rd Flockhart – BRM

4^th Hill - Ferrari

It was nevertheless an excellent debut for the new Aston Martins.