Once described as the “most important Aston Martin ever produced,” the DBR1 is now the most expensive car made in Britain.
A 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 sold for a record-breaking $22.5 million at the annual Monterey Car Week auction Friday. The classic car was once driven by Sir Stirling Moss and one of five built between 1956 and 1958.
Developed by Aston Martin’s racing design chief Ted Cutting, this particular model was the first one ever made and designed to race at Le Mans. It is comparable to the Ferrari 250 GTO and Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, according to The Telegraph.
While it never won Le Mans, the DBR1 sold Friday won the Nurburgring 1000 kilometer race in 1956 and later sold before being converted for a street-legal use in 1962. Although it’s new engine ups that output to 301hp, the original engine was included with the auction price since the upgraded one has no historical value.
RM Sotheby’s says the 1956 DBR1 is the first Aston Martin to sell for over $15 million. Monterey Car Week also auctioned off a 1959 DB4GT and a 2006 DBR9 for $6.765 million and $616,000, respectively.
Previously, the most expensive British-made car was a Jaguar D-Type that won Le Mans in 1956. According to The Telegraph, it sold for $21.7 million.
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