Rare Aston Martin fetches US$21.455 million under new partnership

A 1963 Aston Martin DP215 Grand Touring Competition Prototype went under the auctioneer’s gavel at Pebble Beach in Californian for an astonishing US$21,455,000 – becoming one of the most expensive British cars ever.

That’s the best possible start for a new partnership which sees the world’s largest auction house for investment-quality automobiles RM Sotheby’s become the official auction partner to Aston Martin.

The most significant one-off Aston Martin Works car, the DP215 was driven by Lucien Bianchi and Phil Hill at Le Mans in 1963 and is the final David Brown competition Aston Martin.

It broke the 300km/h barrier on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans in practice, recording 318.65km/h, but retired with gearbox issues during the race and never raced again.

British racing drivers and collectors Neil and Nigel Corner bought the car in 2002 and restored it, even finding the original 4-litre engine which had been removed many years earlier.

“The market for historic cars is booming so it is vital that Aston Martin is represented by the best auction house in the business,” Aston Martin Works president Paul Spires says. ”RM Sotheby’s give us the opportunity to reach a global audience with their international clientele.”

RM Sotheby’s was formed in 2015, when RM Auctions and Sotheby’s joined.

“It’s certainly an honour to join Aston Martin in celebrating a milestone anniversary of its motorsport history in 2019 and the exceptional road cars that have come to define the brand,” RM Sotheby’s president Kenneth Ahn says.

Starting in 2019, RM Sotheby’s will hold an annual Aston Martin single-marque sale, set to become a highlight of Monterey Car Week. Aston Martin’s successful Second Century Plan, which is delivering a new Aston Martin model every year for seven years, also promises two ‘specials’ per year, likely to become collectibles of the future.