After nearly 50 years in single family ownership – this iconic Aston Martin race car – DB4GT Zagato ‘2 VEV’ is due to go under the hammer at Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale on 13 July.
‘2 VEV’ the legendary Aston Martin is one of the most important DB4GT Zagato in history. The number plate is highly recognised and re-known for being one of only two of the legendary ‘VEV’ quasi-works cars, and one of only three configured in the ultra-light DP209 specification driven by many notable drivers of its day, including Jim Clark.
From ’61 – ’63 the Essex Racing Stables team campaigned ‘1 VEV’ and ‘2 VEV’ with a line-up of serious names such as Innes Ireland, John Whitmore, Roy Salvador and Jim Clark.
And it was Jim Clark at the wheel of ‘2 VEV’ for John Ogier and Aston Martin confronting 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.
Earlier in the same year, ‘VEV-1’ was lent to Belgian Lucien Bianchi to race at Spa-Francorchamps on 20 May 1962. Lucien – who qualified 2nd, left the track whilst leading the race and rolled. According to the in-depth research published by Zagato expert Stephen Archer this is where chassis 0183’s life ended and the car in this form was never seen again.
However, the story continues, 7 weeks later a DB4GT Zagato with the same chassis no 0183 & number plate ‘2- VEV’ was seen at Clermont-Ferrand (15 July 1962) – in the same colour but bearing little other resemblance.
Research confirmed an Insurance inspection to the ‘2 VEV’ wreck on 12 June, where the inspector requested the old battery was kept and put into the new build. Further research showed that the fully repaired car was collected on 11 July less than one week after the repair green light had been given and just four days before the race.
Confirming to those in the know, that this ‘2 VEV’ most likely inherited the history and perhaps a battery but was an MP209 or a new factory supplied car. This reincarnated and updated ‘2 VEV’ went on to compete at the TT in August, as noted above, and replace 1-VEV after the big incident. The car’s rich and famous history continued at Le Mans 24-Hour and the Paris 1,000 Kilometres in which it finished 6th, driven by Jim Clark/Innes Ireland.
Estimates are around the £10m mark and full listing for the car can be found here
Stephen Archer has a new book coming out in April 2018. Covering the history of the Aston Martin Ulster.
