Description
The Aston Martin ‘Project’ GT Racing Cars
Available to order Pre-Publication
In 1959, Aston Martin reached the zenith of its motor sport achievements with triumphs for DBR1 cars in the Le Mans 24 Hours, along with overall victory at the World Sportscar Championship, ahead of Porsche and Ferrari. With these successes, owner, David Brown had achieved his two great ambitions, and his racing team’s reputation was fully established.
Brown withdrew from sports car racing at the end of the 1959 season but returned three years later, with a series of much faster GT racing coupes. These four pure and now famous Project cars built between 1962 and 1963 – a DP212, two DP214s and a DP215 – had derived from the humble DB4 and developed into ever more lightweight and pure-bred racing cars. Though they raced with mixed success, competing in only eight major events, they gained a notable victory in Monza in 1963, winning the Coppa Inter-Europa, and beating Ferrari’s iconic GTO on its home ground. And though they were few in number, they played a crucial role in spurring the progress of GT cars globally, not least at Ferrari which was quick to recognise them as a threat and responded accordingly.
Despite these achievements, and their impact on the development of motor sport, these Project cars, the last of the David Brown racing team, have been significantly under-represented in motor racing literature. Until now. THE ASTON MARTIN ‘PROJECT’ GT RACING CARS brings these truly great cars out from the shadows to acknowledge and celebrate their influence and legacy.
Aston Martin historian, Stephen Archer, and motor sport writer, David Tremayne, explore in-depth this seminal period of motor sport history, which includes Aston’s final racing years. Archer and Tremayne take the most detailed, and meticulously researched, look yet at the very special Project cars of 1962 and 1963 and the vital Project cars that preceded them, the lightweight DB4GTs and Zagatos. They examine the key personnel, reveal the dramatic track stories, and explore how the cars were created, raced and what became of them afterwards.
While Archer focuses on the genesis of the Project Cars, their, design, build, development and technical specification, Tremayne considers their racing history and track stories, including David Brown’s final throw of the racing dice, the AM prototype V8 engine (installed in the rear of the Lola T70 MkIII GT).
This is set to be the definitive work about the final appearance of David Brown Astons on the world motor racing stage. Both authors and experts in their field, Archer and Tremayne’s knowledge of the subject matter, and love for the marque, is evident on every page.
Reviews:
Yes, the price of this book is more than some of us would pay for a functioning car – and £750 is just the starting price for entry, applicable to the first 150 copies. If you’re a bit tardy getting your order in, the cost rises to £1000 and then £1500 for the final batch. Should you prefer a more exclusive version, you’ll be looking at a minimum of £1750 for a leather-bound edition, while for one of the ultra-limited ‘chassis editions’ – well, if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it. Though, if you are an Aston DP’ project car owner, you probably can. Nevertheless, it’s nice to know that some people are willing to a) create such beautiful objects, and b) purchase them. Palawan Press was founded by ex-Virgin Music chairman Simon Draper, who as a 20-year-old student hooked up with the equally youthful Richard Branson. The rest, as they say, is history, and Draper rewarded himself by acquiring Aston Martin DB4 GT project car DP214 in 1993 – so beautiful books about Aston have been a recurring subject for his publishing house. The book begins by explaining how Aston itself used the coded abbreviations ‘DP’ and MP, the former standing for Design Project and not Development Project, as is often supposed, while the latter meant Master Project. In theory, DP cars were one-off prototypes while MPs were intended for some sort of production run, but there was no great consistency and codes were also sometimes assigned to engines rather than cars. From this starting point, you’re treated to a straightforward chronological account of engines, cars and the evolution of both, beginning with Tadek Marek’s straight-six and the DB4, and running through to the lesser-known 1967 Lola Aston that married a T70 with Marek’s then-new V8 engine. Because these subjects all date to almost 60 years ago or longer, most of the extensive personal recollections gathered here have been published before, although the anecdotes bear repeating – such as when, after the DP214s had finally bested Ferrari’s 250 GTOs on the latters’ home turf at Monza in 1963, Aston’s mechanics inveigled themselves into Enzo Ferraris private party and, having drained several bottles of Enzo’s whisky, persuaded him to sign one of the empties! What’s new is the presentation, and the way that a large number of fabulously dramatic factory shots, such as the ones shown here on the left, have been given full rein, so to speak. There are also insights into what it’s been like to own and race such machines in more recent times, plus extensive individual histories of each chassis from conception to the present day. Last but not least, it’s worth remembering that these exceptional books are likely not only to hold their value but to appreciate. As a wise man once commented, there is a finite quantity of top-flight classics in the world, but the number of ultra-rich people who’d like one continues to increase. Mark Dixon – Octane 265, July 2025
Palawan Press has produced some of the most beautiful automotive books, and its latest magnum opus teams Aston authority Stephen Archer with motorsport writer David Tremayne. From Peter Sutcliffe’s foreword, recalling his ’63 Le Mans co-drive in DP212, to absorbing post-period histories, this is a fine tribute to John Wyer and the Hanworth Park team. Complementing the development DB4GT to the ultimate Project 215 and Lola-Aston V8, there’s a welcome chapter on driving these cars, including Neil Corner’s road trip across Italy when he swapped DP215 with Paul Vestey’s Ferrari 250 GTO for a 130mph chase. Tremayne brings history alive with reports of key battles, including Roy Salvadori’s victory in 0194/R over Mike Parkes’ GTO at Monza. As expected, the printing is superb, with exquisitely reproduced images – those of DP212 and DP214 in build are worthy of an art gallery – joined by Jeremy Dickinson’s fun Project Stack Painting, which reimagines 15 GT’s as toys. The bold graphic artwork for chapter sections may divide opinion though. With just 250 Standard Editions, it’s super exclusive, but no Aston Martin library would be complete without a copy. Mick Walsh – C&SC, July 2025