A classic Aston Martin raced by Sir Stirling Moss has become the most expensive British car after it was bought for £17.5 million.
The 1956 DBR1 was built to be raced at Le Mans and has been labelled the ‘most important’ Aston Martin ever produced.
It was the headline lot at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale in California and drew a huge crowd when it crossed the auction block over the weekend.
A 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 which was raced by Sir Stirling Moss at Le Mans sold for £17.5million at an auction in California, making it the most expensive British car ever sold
It was the headline lot at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale in California and drew a huge crowd when it crossed the auction block over the weekend
The Aston had a guide price of ‘in excess of $20 million’ (£15.5m) and two rival collectors battled it out for almost seven minutes to get their hands on the green racing car.
RM Sotheby’s eventually sold it to the unnamed phone bidder for $22.55 million (£17.5m) for it to set a world record for any British car sold at auction.
This is enough to buy 120 brand-new Aston Martin DB11 supercars from a British showroom.
It is also now the seventh most valuable car ever sold publicly – with only five Ferraris and one Mercedes fetching more.
The Jaguar D-Type which won at Le Mans in 1955 was previously the most expensive British car sold publicly – selling for $21.78 million last year.
Just five Aston Martin DBR1s were built between 1956 and 1958 and the model sold was chassis number one, a purpose-built model developed by racing design chief, Ted Cutting.
It is the British firm’s equivalent to the Ferrari 250 GTO and Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR – and DBR1/1 was designed to win at Le Mans.
The car sold at auction never won Le Mans, but paved the way for another of the same model to do so. Just five of the cars were ever produced
The Aston had a guide price of ‘in excess of $20 million’ (£15.5m) and two rival collectors battled it out for almost seven minutes to get their hands on the green racing car
RM Sotheby’s eventually sold it to the unnamed phone bidder for $22.55 million (£17.5m) for it to set a world record for any British car sold at auction
The car debuted at the 1956 race when Tony Brooks and Reg Parnell drove for 22 hours before suffering an engine bearing failure.
It was raced at two more runs at Le Mans in 1957 and 1958, the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1958 and 1959, as well as three entries at the Nürburgring 1000 KM, in 1957, 1958 and 1959, the latter of which saw an overall victory with Sir Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman at the helm.
The car never won Le Mans, but another DBR1 did, and it was chassis number one which paved the way for the success and 1959 World Sportscar Championship victory – the first time victory for a British manufacturer.
The Aston Martin wasn’t the only British car to sell for megabucks in the US over the weekend.
A 1995 McLaren F1 was auctioned by Bonhams for $15.6 million (£12 million) to set a record for a modern car at auction.
The Aston Martin topped the list of cars sold at six separate auctions in America over the weekend – as collectors spent almost £250 million in total.
It was one of four cars which went for more than $10 million (£7.75m).
Any colour as long as it’s pink! Petrolhead tycoon splashes out £500,000 on two bright fuchsia supercars
A petrolhead has spent more than £500,000 two British cars decked out in pink -after he was inspired by a flower he saw at a show.
Mattress tycoon Michael Fux picked the bright fuchsia at last year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, USA.
He then presented the petals to Rolls-Royce and asked them to build him a Dawn coupe model in the identical garish colour.
A petrolhead has spent more than £500,000 two British cars decked out in pink -after he was inspired by a flower he saw at a show
Mattress tycoon Michael Fux picked the bright fuchsia at last year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, USA
He then presented the petals to Rolls-Royce and asked them to build him a Dawn coupe model in the identical garish colour
Rolls-Royce, which already has more than 44,000 colour options with its cars, set about recreating the petal for Mr Fux’s luxury 155mph coupe.
But one ‘Fuxia’ coloured car wasn’t enough for the Cuban-born American businessman – he also wanted a supercar in a similar tone.
So Surrey-based McLaren got involved and their Special Operations team did the same to one of its 212mph 720S supercars.
Both cars have pink elements inside and, while neither Rolls-Royce or McLaren will reveal the price, it is believe Mr Fux paid well over £500,000 for the pair.
Rolls-Royce, which already has more than 44,000 colour options with its cars, set about recreating the petal for Mr Fux’s luxury 155mph coupe
Both cars have pink elements inside and, while neither Rolls-Royce or McLaren will reveal the price, it is believe Mr Fux paid well over £500,000 for the pair
The Rolls-Royce and McLaren are the latest in a lined of outlandish cars added to Mr Fux’s collection.
He has more than 100 vehicles including 25 Ferraris, 12 Porsches, 11 Aston Martins, 11 Rolls-Royces and a number of McLarens.
The cars were unveiled over the weekend at the Pebble Beach in USA.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ CEO, said: ‘Michael is a very special patron of Rolls-Royce.
‘Rolls-Royce designers love working with him because he constantly challenges them to take their work to a higher level.
‘This constant challenge from hundreds of demanding individuals is what makes Rolls-Royce the best car in the world and a true work of art.’
Jolyon Nash, an executive at McLaren Automotive, said: ‘Challenging the art of the possible to meet the most demanding customer requirements and then delivering beyond expectations are integral to the service that McLaren Special Operations offers.’
He has more than 100 vehicles including 25 Ferraris, 12 Porsches, 11 Aston Martins, 11 Rolls-Royces and a number of McLarens