Bonhams to Sell 'VMF 65' at May Aston Martin Auction

tag. * * If you do not want to deal with the intricities of the noscript * section, delete the tag (from ... to ). On * average, the noscript tag is called from less than 1% of internet * users. */--> Post-War Astons do not get much more famous than this. Chassis LML/50/9 was raced by a dazzling line-up of British drivers including Stirling Moss, Peter Collins, Roy Salvadori, Major Tony Rolt, Lance Macklin, George Abecassis and Eric Thompson. The car was one of a triple factory entry at Le Mans in 1950, when works driver Jack Fairman crashed it badly enough en route to the French classic for it to be a non-starter. This was the time, of course, when racing cars were routinely driven on the roads to meetings. The sister cars, VMF 63 and VMF 64, did start the 24-hour race, finishing sixth and fifth overall, respectively. VMF 65 was repaired and became a works entry at Silverstone (Eric Thompson), the Ulster Tourist Trophy (Abecassis) and the MCC Daily Express 1000-Mile Rally (Moss/Macklin), before its sale out of works ownership to the legendary British private owner/entrant Rob Walker. Having further top-flight excursions in the hands of Abecassis, Rolt, Thompson, and Walker himself, it then passed into collectors� hands, including the late Robert Leyba in whose collection it joined two other DB2 works cars, VMF 63 and XMC 76. Bonhams estimates its price at �380,000-�440,000. For the record (as indeed it was, for the type), RM Auctions sold �VMF 64�, another ex-Factory DB2, for �550,000 last October. The Bonhams Aston Martin sale will be held on May 22, 2010 at Aston Martin Works Service, Newport Pagnell. Text: Steve Wakefield Photos: The Klementaski Collection ClassicInside - The Classic Driver NewsletterFree Subscription!