VIN: the Graham Whitehead / Vermin Stable Aston Martin DB3 chassis 10
History of chassis DB3/10
Aston Martin built ten DB3s in total. The first five (completed between late 1951 and 1952) were reserved for works use. The second batch (assembled in the first half of 1953) were sold off to customers. At this point the factory squad moved up to the new DB3S.
Chassis 10 was the last DB3 customer car built. It was purchased by Graham Whitehead, a wealthy 30-year old privateer from Berkshire.
Whitehead was influenced by his older half-brother, Peter, who briefly raced an Alfa before World War 2.
Peter Whitehead then took the sport up again from 1950 with his new semi-works Jaguar XK120. Graham and Peter also both occasionally raced their old single seat ERA B-type as well.
After his brother won the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours with a works Jaguar C-type, Graham began to take on a couple of sports car drives for other owners.
Graham’s racing became much more serious in 1953 when he purchased his own brand new Jaguar C-type (chassis 039). This was promptly joined by the DB3. Once chassis 10 arrived, Graham did not race his Jaguar again. For the 1953 season, he dovetailed drives in his own cars with professional outings for HWM and Bristol.
With his immaculately prepared Aston Martin (registered TPB 641, and fitted with the very best bits from the factory), Whitehead finished all eight of the races he contested. He took in events at World Championship, international and national level; that year’s highlights with the DB3 were fourth overall at the Dundrod Tourist Trophy and fifth overall at the Casablanca 12 Hours.
Whitehead’s most significant result of the year was second at the Goodwood 9 Hours in Tom Cole’s Ferrari 225 Sport. He also entered the British Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone in an F2 Alta. Amazingly, he qualified and finished twelfth (out of 32 cars).
For 1954, Graham was was promoted to a works Aston Martin sports car drive and sold chassis 10.
He subsequently raced his own DB3S and DBR1 until the early 1960s. In 1960, he switched primarily over to his new GT class Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta.
During 1954 (and for one event in 1955), DB3 chassis 10 was campaigned largely at national level by The Vermin Stable. It was shared by Joscelyn Stevens (who picked up podium finishes at Snetterton and Silverstone) and Tony Everard (who claimed a brace of victories and always finished in the top four).
Everard also scored the car’s most significant result that year with fourth overall and a class win at the Snetterton International meeting.
During the summer of 1955, chassis 10 is believed to have been purchased by one S.J. Boshier who, after entering the car for proprietary outing at Snetterton, had it contest the biggest British Sportscar race of the year: the Goodwood 9 Hours.
Ellis Cuff-Miller and Terry Hind finished 15th overall and seventh in the over two-litre class at Goodwood. Not bad for what was by now an over two-year old car.
Chassis 10 was raced once more at club before being retired from front-line competition.
Notable History
Sold to Graham Whitehead, Berkshire
Registered TPB 641
20/06/1953 IND Roubaix GP (G. Whitehead) 5th oa (#34)
18/07/1953 IND British GP Sports Car Race, Silverstone (G. Whitehead) 7th oa (#16)
25/07/1953 IND Caen GP (G. Whitehead) 5th oa (#7)
05/09/1953 WSC Dundrod Tourist Trophy (T. Gaze / G. Whitehead) 4th oa, 3rd S3.0 class (#22)
26/09/1953 IND Goodwood International Sport (G. Whitehead) 5th oa (#66)
26/09/1953 IND Goodwood International Handicap (G. Whitehead) 7th oa (#66)
03/10/1953 IND Castle Combe (G. Whitehead) 3rd oa (#108)
20/12/1953 IND Casablanca 12 Hours (G. Whitehead / P. Whitehead) 5th oa, 4th 2.0+ class (#7)
Sold to The Vermin Stable
24/04/1954 IND Snetterton Aston Martin Handicap (J. Stevens) 3rd oa (#81)
29/05/1954 IND Silverstone Handicap (T. Everard) 3rd oa (#142)
05/06/1954 IND Silverstone Unlimited Sports (J. Stevens) 3rd oa (#4)
05/06/1954 IND Silverstone Handicap (T. Everard) 1st oa (#4)
07/06/1954 IND Goodwood Handicap (J. Stevens) 5th oa (#54)
19/06/1954 IND Snetterton Aston Martin Handicap (T. Everard) 1st oa (#62)
24/07/1954 IND Silverstone Aston Martin Handicap (T. Everard) 4th oa (#101)
24/07/1954 IND Silverstone Handicap Relay (T. Everard) 1st oa (#??)
02/08/1954 IND Crystal Palace Unlimited Sports (J. Stevens) ran (#41)
14/08/1954 IND Snetterton International (T. Everard) 4th oa, 1st S3.0 class (#32)
21/08/1954 IND Goodwood Handicap (T. Everard) 3rd oa (#36)
30/05/1955 IND Goodwood International Sports (J. Stevens) ran (#64)
S.J. Boshier
14/08/1955 IND Snetterton International (T. Hind) ran (#100)
20/08/1955 IND Goodwood 9 Hours (E. Cuff-Miller / T. Hind) 15th oa, 7th S2.0+ class (#5)
17/03/1956 IND Goodwood Novice Handicap (E. Portman) 3rd oa (#46)
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
