VIN: the works / Michel Poberejsky Aston Martin DB3 chassis 3
History of chassis DB3/3
Chassis 3 was one of five DB3s produced for use by the works team.
During 1952, it raced on four occasions.
The car’s best result that year came in its opening event at the Silverstone International Trophy where Reg Parnell finished second overall and first in the under three-litre class. On that occasion, it was one of four DB3s entered. Parnell’s team-mates, George Abecassis and Lance Macklin, finished third and fourth to secure Aston Martin the International Trophy team prize.
Three weeks later, the car was in Monte Carlo to contest the 1952 Monaco Grand Prix which was unusually organised for sports cars instead of single seaters.
For this event, Aston Martin took a trio of DB3s, all of which were equipped with the firm’s experimental 2.9-litre DP101 engines. Reg Parnell again drove chassis 3 and qualified fourth, best of the DB3s.
In the race, Parnell made an early visit to the pits as his car was overheating. Soon after he emerged, chassis 3’s engine emitted a great ploom of smoke and Parnell stopped at Saint-Devote corner.
Realising his car was partly blocking the track, Parnell began to manhandle it to a space between the straw bales.
However, before he could get it to safety, the car was hit up the rear by Antonio Stagnoli’s Ferrari 225 Sport.
Leader Robert Manzon approached at high speed in his Gordini T15S and dodged the stricken Ferrari but crashed into Parnell’s Aston. Stirling Moss, right on Manzon’s tail, did likewise in his C-type.
Pinned against a straw bale, Parnell was lucky to only suffer a severely bruised leg.
The Le Mans 24 Hours was less than two weeks away which didn’t leave much time for chassis 3’s damaged bodywork to be repaired. With this in mind, David Brown sent the car to Carrosserie Henri Chapron in Paris where its crumpled rear end was neatly shortened.
Pat Griffith and Dennis Poore drove chassis 3 at Le Mans but, in the second practice session, Griffith crashed into the sandbank at Tertre Rouge. Delayed, the pair eventually qualified 33rd.
In the race, Poore stopped on the fourth lap to report issues with his gearbox. He continued until the third hour when the car’s water pump packed up.
Disappointingly, neither of the other two DB3s finished either.
Goodwood’s 9 Hour day and night race was the last event for Aston Martin in 1952. Once again running the experimental DP101 engine, Reg Parnell and Eric Thompson proved quickest of the DB3 trio and started eleventh.
Parnell was up to third when he handed chassis 3 over to Thompson. In the third hour, Thompson went past the pits with smoke pouring from his rear axle. He brought the car in to refuel so Parnell could take over but the pit crew over-estimated the amount of fuel required and several gallons of petrol slopped over the back. Either the overheating axle or hot exhausts caused the fuel to ignite and chassis 3 was quickly engulfed in flame.
Over the close season, the fire-damaged car was repaired and its Chapron-modified bodywork returned to standard configuration.
It raced twice as a works car in 1953 before eventually being sold.
The first outing was at the Mille Miglia as part of a three car factory entry where it was driven by Reg Parnell and navigated by photographer, Louis Klemantaski. Parnell drove one of the best races of his life and managed to finish fifth despite a prang on the nearside rear wing and a door that was difficult to keep closed.
Next up was the Silverstone International Trophy meeting which marked the last major race for Aston Martin with the works DB3s. A trio were entered including chassis 3 for Parnell who qualified fastest of the Aston team cars in seventh.
Parnell got a great start and, by lap two, was up to second behind Hawthorn’s works 4.1-litre Ferrari. After 10 laps he was relegated to third by Tom Cole’s similar 340 America.
Parnell and fellow DB3 driver, Peter Collins, eventually finished third and fourth to take first and second in the under three-litre class.
Later that month (May 1953), chassis 3 was sold to wealthy French privateer, Michel Poberejsky, who usually raced under the pseudonym “Mike Sparken”. Poberejsky purchased the car to replace his DB2 and commissioned Carrozzeria Vignale to reconfigure chassis 3 with a lightweight Berlinetta body.
The car was ready in time to compete at the last major race of 1953, the Casablanca 12 Hours.
Poberejsky had Roy Salvadori flown out to co-drive along with Aston Martin team manager, John Wyer, who supervised proceedings.
The little Berlinetta ran fast and reliably throughout the twelve hour event. Poberejsky and Salvadori finished fourth overall (third in the over two-litre class).
After the race, chassis 3 was returned to the factory where it was fitted with the latest DB3S engine.
Poberejsky did three races with his Aston in 1954 before he replaced it with a Ferrari 750 Monza for the 1955 season.
What then happened to chassis 3 is a mystery. The Vignale bodywork was removed in the late 1950s and fitted to a Ferrari 340 America (chassis 0196 A).
The Aston chassis is yet to re-surface…
Notable History
David Brown / Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd.
10/05/1952 IND Silverstone International Trophy (R. Parnell) 2nd oa, 1st S3.0 class (#32)
Fitted with a 2.9-litre DP101 engine for the Monaco GP
02/06/1952 IND Monaco GP (R. Parnell) DNF (#72)
Damaged rear bodywork from the Monaco shunt shortened by Henri Chapron, Paris
15/06/1952 IND Le Mans 24 Hours (D. Poore / P. Griffith) DNF (#26)
Fitted with a 2.9-litre DP101 engine for the Goodwood 9 Hours
16/08/1952 IND Goodwood 9 Hours (R. Parnell / E. Thompson) DNF (#15)
Reconfigured with standard DB3 bodywork after its fire at Goodwood plus DP101 engine
26/04/1953 WSC Mille Miglia (R. Parnell / L. Klementaski) 5th oa, 5th S2.0+ class (#611)
09/05/1953 IND Silverstone International Trophy (R. Parnell) 3rd oa, 1st S3.0 class (#21)
5/1953 sold to Michel Poberejsky aka "Mike Sparken", France
Fitted with Vignale Berlinetta bodywork
20/12/1953 IND Casablanca 12 Hours (M. Poberejsky / R. Salvadori) 4th oa, 3rd 2.0+ class (#8)
Returned to the factory and fitted with a DB3S engine
28/02/1954 IND Agadir GP (M. Poberejsky) 5th oa, 5th S2.0+ class (#42)
07/03/1954 IND Dakar 2 Hours (M. Poberejsky) 4th oa, 2nd S2.0+ class (#??)
19/09/1954 IND Montlhery Coupe d'Automne (M. Poberejsky) 4th oa (#??)
The Vignale bodywork was fitted to a Ferrari 340 America in the late 1950s
Aston Martin chassis whereabouts unknown
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Aston Martin - https://www.astonmartin.com
