A truly great car is judged by the company it keeps, and ‘2 VEV’ raced internationally throughout 1961-62
against rival Ferrari 250 GT SWB and Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinettas, vehicles which now count amongst the
most valuable cars in the world. ‘2 VEV’ was campaigned by owner John Ogier’s Essex Racing Stable team
as a quasi- works Aston Martin entry against some of the most notable grids ever assembled in GT World
Championship history. Driven by the revered Jim Clark, two-time Formula 1 World Champion Driver and winner
of the world’s richest single race - the American Indianapolis 500-Miles - this is a ‘DP209’ lightweight version
of the already rare Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato model - of which only 19 were made.
Jim Clark most notably drove ‘2 VEV’ for John Ogier and Aston Martin to confront the Ferraris in the RAC
Tourist Trophy race at Goodwood in both 1961 and 1962. He brought the car home fourth behind
contemporary team leader Roy Salvadori’s sister car ‘1 VEV’ in the 1961 race, but in 1962 he became
involved in a multi-car accident. Just after re-joining the race following a pit stop, the future World Champion
spun at Madgwick Corner in the path of race leader John Surtees’s Ferrari 250 GTO. The two cars collided
and crashed into the safety bank, only to be joined a few laps later by Robin Benson’s Ferrari 250 GT SWB
which careered into both of them. The scene, involving three of the most valuable 1960s motor cars in today’s
market, has become one of the most celebrated and extraordinary images.
By that time, the DB4GT Zagato had already been reconfigured by Aston Martin into the factory’s latest
‘DP209’ ultimate-lightweight specification following a crash while being driven by Belgian Lucien Bianchi at
Spa-Francorchamps earlier in 1962. In 1961, it had competed in the Le Mans 24-Hour race and the Paris
1,000 Kilometres in which it finished 6th, driven by Jim Clark/Innes Ireland. In 1962, the car was repaired after
the TT incident to reappear at Montlhe?ry, this time co-driven by Jim Clark (yet again) and Sir John Whitmore.
The car later achieved tremendous success in historic racing throughout the 1980s-90s campaigned by Roger
St John Hart and then, for the family, by prominent Aston Martin Owners’ Club personality Nick Cussons. It
has now been in one caring stewardship for nearly 50 years. Its racing career has taken a gentler pace since
a full Aston Martin factory restoration in the mid- 90s, but it remains ready for track action.
This is an opportunity to own one of the most charismatic, historically important and rarest of all great British
racing GT cars, ex-Le Mans, ex-Goodwood TT, ex-Jimmy Clark and a truly great product of this most
charismatic British marque, combining the best of British engineering with Italian styling flair.
James Knight, Group Motoring Chairman, commented: ‘Bonhams is absolutely delighted to be bringing this
landmark vehicle to auction, which continues our history of offering the world’s most important and celebrated
sports and collectors’ motor cars to market. It is, by some distance, the most valuable British motor car ever
to be offered at a European auction, and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for this historically
significant vehicle.’
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