The original DBR1 helps RM Sotheby’s set new benchmarks during Pebble Beach

One of the most important Aston Martins in history, DBR1/1, fetched $22million at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction, a record for a British car sold at auction.

It was the car shared by Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman to victory in the 1959 Nürburgring 1000kms, its biggest win. Roy Salvadori was most often found behind its wheel, claiming the runner-up spot in the 1957 British Empire Trophy, Goodwood Easter meeting, the British Grand Prix sports car race and the 1958 RAC Tourist Trophy, the latter sharing with Jack Brabham.

Once Aston Martin had exited the sports car scene as a works entry, Jim Clark and Bruce McLaren drove it for Essex Racing Stables.

Among the other Astons that went under the hammer, the AMR1 driven by Brian Redman and David Leslie and a DBR9 both sold for $616,000 each. A remarkably original DB4GT Prototype broke the world record for a non-Zagato bodied Aston, which Moss handed a debut victory to at Silverstone in the Grand Touring Car race on the 1959 International Trophy bill.

The Ferrari 166 featured on these pages recently tipped $4.5million, while an F40 cleared $1.5million. A 1951 Porsche 356 1500 by Reutter broke the record for a Pre-A Porsche.

Among the race cars, the Porsche 908/3 shared by Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood to second place in the 1970 Nürburgring 1000Kms sold for $3,575,000.

Elsewhere, a three-wheel Peel sold for $121,000, while another sold for $140,250…

RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2017 – Top 10 Sales

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Photos courtesy of RM Sotherby’s