1954 Aston Martin DB3S

This car took part in the HGPCA Sports Car Race at the Christie's International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1992.

It's Simon Draper's 1954 Aston Martin DB3S, chassis DB3S/7. This car has the straight-6 Lagonda 2,992cc engine and was originally built with a coupe body as part of the works Aston Martin sports car team. Peter Collins and Prince Bira shared the driving in this car in the 1954 Le Mans 24 hour race, but it was severely damaged in an accident after 13 hours when being driven by Prince Bira, who escaped with cuts and bruises. The car was rebuilt for the start of the 1955 season with an open body and for 1956 received the new nose, as seen above, then was sold off by the works at the end of that season. A note in the programme of the event says:

'There are two DB3S Aston Martins in the field. Simon Draper's is one of the very successful works cars, winner of the 1955 Goodwood Nine Hours race and a string of lesser events, and has been raced more or less regularly ever since.'

Aston Martin DB3S

This car took part in the 'Pre-War Sports Cars with Feltham Aston Martins' race at the Aston Martin Owners Club's meeting at Oulton Park in September 1992.

It's Simon Draper at Lodge Corner in his 1954 Aston Martin DB3S, chassis DB3S/7. This car has the straight-6 Lagonda 2,992cc engine and was originally built with a coupe body as part of the works Aston Martin sports car team. Peter Collins and Prince Bira shared the driving in this car in the 1954 Le Mans 24 hour race, but it was severely damaged in an accident after 13 hours when being driven by Prince Bira, who escaped with cuts and bruises. The car was rebuilt for the start of the 1955 season with an open body and for 1956 received the new nose, as seen above, then was sold off by the works at the end of that season.

Rainy Day at Oulton Park

I took this photograph of two Aston Martins in the paddock at Oulton Park on a very wet day at the Aston Martin Owners Club's Autumn Historic Car Races meeting in September 1992.

On the right is Simon Draper's straight six 2,992cc 1954 Aston Martin DB3S, chassis #DB3S/7. Originally built with a coupe body but was rebuilt with an open body after an accident in the 1954 Le Mans 24 Hour race. The car on the left is a straight six 3,670cc 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, the first one built, and it's chassis #200R. On 23 January 2016 I showed a photograph of this car that I'd taken at Silverstone in 2010.