Photos courtesy RM Sotheby’s
This sweetheart of a sports racer is a better track toy than an investment
In its maiden season, the DB3S accelerated Aston Martin’s rise as a highly competitive Works outfit during a golden era of sports-car racing. Based on the earlier DB3 — noted to be heavy and struggling against rival cars such as the Jaguar C-type — the DB3S was a transformation overseen by Willie Watson, who enhanced Professor Robert Eberan von Eberhorst’s initial blueprint. Redesigned with a shorter chassis, the sports car was lighter and more agile as a result, all the while wearing timeless bodywork styled by Frank Feeley.
The example offered here, chassis number DB3S111, was constructed between August and October 1955. Finished by the factory in Almond Green with a silver-painted grille and green leather upholstery, the DB3S was initially retained by the factory. Almost immediately after completion, the car was taken to the 1955 British Motor Show at Earls Court, where it was exhibited on the Aston Martin show stand.
In 1990, Aston Service Dorset oversaw the restoration of chassis number DB3S111, with the process led by John Lambert, former technician for Team Lotus and John Surtees’ self-named race team. The car was rebuilt, retrimmed and repainted by the time it was finally completed in 1992. In 2014, the DB3S was acquired by its next keeper, this time in the United States, after four decades of single-family ownership. The car later returned to Europe, where it has been enjoyed in the most significant events and rallies, not limited to the Mille Miglia Storica.
(Introductory description courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.)
