Guide: Aston Martin DB2 Le Mans Prototype
Background
Early in 1949, Aston Martin decided to enter a team of three works DB2 prototypes for the first post-World War 2 running of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Known as Experimental Le Mans Fixed Head Coupes, the three Almond Green team cars destined for Le Mans were registered on April 26th as UMC 64, UMC 65 and UMC 66. A fourth example was also built up alongside for David Brown's personal use (UMC 272, painted Maroon).
A millionaire industrialist with a diverse portfolio of companies, David Brown had acquired Aston Martin in 1947 followed by Lagonda in 1948. He combined them to create Aston Martin Lagonda.
The very first David Brown-era Aston Martin arrived in the shape of a cycle-winged prototype that won first time out at the 1948 Spa 24 Hours. Displayed at the London Motor Show in October 1948, the 2-litre Spa Special was shown alongside a new drop-head production model dubbed the 2-litre Sport (which unofficially became known as the DB1).
Unfortunately, in the gloom of post-war Britain, there were few buyers for the expensive four-cylinder 2-litre Sport and just 15 were made.
Attention switched to what would become the DB2, a high-speed two-seat GT suitable for competition use - something to take on the Ferrari Inter, Maserati A6 and forthcoming Jaguar XK120.
Claude Hill Four Cylinder Engine
DB2 Prototypes LMA/49/1 and LMA/49/2 would both use specially prepared versions of the Claude Hill-designed four cylinder engine as found in the 2-litre Sport.
This was an overhead valve pushrod motor that displaced 1970cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 82mm and 92mm respectively. For Le Mans, high compression engines were installed along with a pair of sidedraught SU carburettors. The power output was around 100bhp.
WO Bentley Six Cylinder Engine
Having realised the Claude Hill engine was not a long-term solution for his plan to manufacture the finest GT car available, Aston Martin's new owner had purchased Lagonda in early 1949. Brown bought Lagonda primarily to get his hands on their new highly rated straight six engine that was being designed under the guidance of WO Bentley.
DB2 Prototypes chassis LML/49/3 and LML/49/4 were the first in a long line of Aston Martin's to be equipped as such.
The WO Bentley engine was an extraordinarily smooth dual overhead camshaft engine with cast iron block and four bearing crankshaft. A displacement of 2580cc was achieved thanks to a bore and stroke of 78mm and 90mm respectively.
Unlike those units found in Lagondas of the period, the high compression Aston Martin units used a modified water off-take from the centre of the existing light alloy head. They were further enhanced with a bank of three SU carburettors. In this form, these engines produced around 115bhp at 5000rpm.
There was also a complicated water circulation arrangement with the header tank positioned between the front bulkhead and cylinder block. It was a defect with this system that put the solitary six cylinder Le Mans entry out of the 1949 race.
Chassis
These prototypes used a short wheelbase chassis derived from the 2-Litre Sport that was simpler than that found on the subsequent DB2.
A rectangular steel tube unit, it carried independent suspension via coil springs and trailing arms at the front and a live rear axle located each side by a pair of parallel radius arms with a transverse Panhard rod.
Armstrong hydraulic shock absorbers were installed along with Girling 12-inch hydraulic drum brakes and 18-inch diameter Dunlop wire wheels.
Bodywork
The rakish DB2 Prototypes were clothed in a beautiful new body designed by Frank Feeley.
It featured a one-piece bonnet hinged at the front - a feature that would be adopted on the subsequent DB2 production cars.
Production
The first three of these experimental cars were equipped for racing while the fourth was destined for David Brown to use as a development car on the road. Brown’s example came with full upholstery and a smaller fuel tank to free up some additional luggage space.
1949 Le Mans 24 Hours
For 1949, the Le Mans 24 Hours re-appeared on the motor sport calendar. As arguably the most prestigious event of the season, it drew a strong international field.
Ferrari had already won the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia in 1949 and were favourites for outright victory, even against the contingent of much bigger-engined Delages and Delahayes.
The event took place over the weekend of June 25th and 26th. The three Aston Martin prototypes were driven down to Le Mans where the brace of four cylinder cars would be entered in the two-litre class for Pierre Marechal / Donald Mathieson (chassis 1) and Arthur Jones / Nick Haines (chassis 2). The six cylinder entry was allocated to Leslie Johnson / Charles Brackenbury (chassis 3).
The grid order at Le Mans was not based on practice times. Instead, the cars lined up in numerical order. Numbers were allocated according to engine size with the biggest getting number 1. This meant the six cylinder car started 19th while the pair of four cylinder examples started 27th and 28th.
Unfortunately, the six cylinder car of Johnson / Brackenbury went out in the first hour due to loss of water after completing just six laps. By contrast, the pair of four cylinder entries ran with no major problems until disaster struck when the race had little more than an hour remaining.
Pierre Marechal's car (chassis 1) was seventh overall and fourth in the Index of Performance when a brake line fractured coming into Maison Blanche. The subsequent brake failure caused Marechal to crash at high speed. Chassis 1 barrel rolled, the engine was torn from its mountings and the roof was completely flattened.
Sadly, Pierre Marechal succumbed to spinal injuries in hospital the next day.
The sole remaining works entry of Jones / Haines (chassis 2) eventually finished seventh overall and third in the two-litre Sport category.
Outright victory fell to the Ferrari 166 Mille Miglia driven by Luigi Chinetti and Lord Selsdon which gave Ferrari a clean sweep of the three Blue Riband endurance races run so far in 1949.
Henri Louveau and Juan Jover were second in Louveau’s privateer Delage D6S. Third spot went to the works Frazer Nash High Speed Le Mans Replica of Harold Aldington and Norman Culpan.
1949 Spa 24 Hours
The most significant race left on the calendar was the Spa 24 Hours two-weeks later and, having won this event outright the previous year with their cycle-winged 2-litre ‘Spa Special’, Aston Martin returned to defend their title with the DB2 Prototypes.
Chassis 1 had of course been destroyed in Pierre Marechal's fatal accident so just a two-car team made the drive to Belgium. This comprised the four cylinder chassis 2 for Haines / Macklin and the six cylinder chassis 3 for Johnson / Brackenbury.
Le Mans winner, Luigi Chinetti, was also present at Spa and, for this race, he would be partnered by Jean Lucas in the Ferrari 166 Mille Miglia. Alongside the Ferrari and Astons, the other pre-race favourite was the Delage D6S of Henri Louveau who had placed second at Le Mans. Louveau was co-driven at Spa by Edmond Mouche.
Unfortunately for Aston, back-to-back Spa wins were not to be, although both DB2 Prototypes ran for the duration of the 24 hour race.
Johnson / Brackenbury placed third overall and second in class with Haines / Macklin fifth overall and third in class. Remarkably, first and second was a duplicate of the Le Mans result with the Chinetti Ferrari winning from Louveau’s Delage.
1949 Montlhery Speed Records
Later in 1949, Aston Martin went on to use chassis 3 for a series of speed records at the Montlhery circuit in France.
Attention then turned to the forthcoming DB2.
Close Season
At the end of the season, Aston Martin stored the four-cylinder chassis 2 and kept the six-cylinder chassis 3 in reserve.
In March 1950, David Brown's personal six cylinder car (chassis 4) was sold to factory driver, Lance Macklin. Prior to handover, chassis 4 was repainted dark green, converted to a floor-mounted gear shift and fitted with a new engine uprated to run three Weber 35 DCO carburettors.
1950 Monza Coppa Inter Europa and Targa Florio
Macklin entered chassis 4 for the Monza Coppa Inter Europa on 26th March 1950. He finished ninth overall and second in the over two-litre class.
An outing at the Targa Florio on April 2nd ended in disaster though. Macklin’s car left the road and fell down a ravine where it ended up on its roof.
Chassis 4 returned to the factory and was rebuilt but not in time for Macklin's planned Mille Miglia entry.
After repair, it was sold to John Dalton who subsequently used it to contest a number of minor club events.
1950 Le Mans 24 Hours
The other six cylinder DB2 Prototype (chassis 3) was also raced in 1950.
It made a one-off appearance at the Le Mans 24 Hours when it was drafted in to replace one of the works DB2 team cars that had crashed en-route to the circuit.
Driven by Thompson / Gordon, chassis 3 lasted just eight laps although the remaining pair of factory DB2s went on to finish fifth and sixth overall, winning the up to three-litre class.
Subsequent History
By 1951, the DB2 Prototypes were no longer of much use to Aston Martin and both of the remaining works-owned examples were sold early in the year.
The four cylinder example (chassis 2) was purchased by Bill Whitehouse who went on to race it a number of times that season. Most notable were outings at the Silverstone 1 Hour Production Car Race in May (16th overall) and at the British Empire Trophy in Douglas on the Isle of Man in June (DNF, clutch failure).
The six cylinder example (chassis 3) was sold to John Sykes and used in a few minor club level events over the next couple of seasons.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Aston Martin - https://www.astonmartin.com
