Early Aston for 2013 Island Classic

One of the rare Le Mans-specification Aston Martin DB2 coupes that formed Briggs Cunningham's three-car entry in the 1950 Sebring Six-Hour race in the USA will be driven in Regularity events at the Island Classic by Australia's first Le Mans 24-Hour race winner, Vern Schuppan.

Chassis LML/50/13, was the first DB2 delivered to Canada and is notable as being the 13th of the first 50 DB2 coupes built. These early DB2s are visually similar to the class-winning Aston Martin team cars that competed with distinction at Le Mans in 1949 and 1950 and are instantly recognisable to enthusiasts by their 'washboard' side vents and distinctive three-piece grille design.

Briggs Cunningham fielded a team of three Aston Martin DB2s at the December 1950 Sam Collier Memorial Grand Prix at Sebring in Florida. Chassis LML/50/13 was driven from Toronto to Sebring for the six-hour endurance race, where it finished fourth in class and was awarded the Adele Chinetti Cup for the 'Most Sporting Effort'.

LML/50/13 was recently restored to its former glory at an estimated cost of US$250,000 before being purchased by Australian enthusiast Peter Harburg at last year's RM Monterey Auction and brought to Australia.

While retaining its original chassis and body panels during the restoration, the Aston's 2.6-litre Bentley-designed twin overhead camshaft six-cylinder engine was uprated to 2.9 litre DB3S sports car specification and now develops around 200 horsepower (150kW).

"As I own a similar but road-going DB2, I have followed this car for many years," said Schuppan, whose 1983 Le Mans victory for the Rothmans Team Porsche was a highlight of his long Formula 1, Indianapolis and sports car endurance racing career.

"This DB2 is a great car and as it is fully track prepared I'm really looking forward to experiencing it on a circuit like Phillip Island, where I can really open it up.
"Other than when I practiced a DB4 for the Goodwood Revival one year, it will be the first Aston I have driven on a racing circuit."

The classic DB2 is one of more than 450 special vehicles - 36 of them from overseas - taking part in the 2013 Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport from Friday, March 8 to Sunday, March 10.
The highlight of the meeting will be the International Sportscar Challenge for 'big banger' sports cars from the 1960s-1980s.

The 24th annual Phillip Island Classic is being staged by the Victorian Historic Racing Register (VHRR) and is supported by Shannons, CoolDrive, Penrite and Bosch, with race officials supplied by the Victorian Mini Club.

For more meeting details, visit www.vhrr.com