The Aston Martin DBR4 is one of the Aston Martin entries the open record knows by name, and by little else. That is not nothing: a name in the catalogue is where a car's story starts to be recoverable. Its designer of record is Ted Cutting.
How it came about
The Aston Martin DBR4/250, commonly referred to simply as the DBR4, is a Formula One racing car, designed by Ted Cutting for the sports car manufacturer Aston Martin. Following notable successes in sports car racing during the mid- to late-1950s – culminating in winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race and the World Sportscar Championship title in 1959 – the DBR4 was intended to repeat this success in the highest tier of open-wheel racing. The DBR4 was largely based on the DB3S sportscar, and borrowed that vehicle's basic chassis and engine layout.
Although it was tested as early as 1957, the DBR4 did not make its World Championship debut until the 1959 Dutch Grand Prix, driven by Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby. However, its long gestation period meant that by the time it finally entered competition much of its concept and technology had been superseded, and the car was not a success. The DBR4 was replaced by the lighter Aston Martin DBR5/250 in early 1960, but when that car also failed to provide competitive results Aston Martin abandoned Formula One to concentrate on their more successful sports car projects.
Family and rivals
Where it sits in Aston Martin's history is not in doubt: the Aston Martin DBR5 followed it. Its Aston Martin stablemates include the Aston Martin Mark II and the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3.