The Aston Martin DP215 is one of the most significant racing prototypes the British automaker has ever built. It was the final project in the DP (Development Project) series and was designed exclusively to compete in the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was also Aston Martin’s last factory race car from the David Brown era.
The development was led by some of the most prominent figures in automotive history— Ted Cutting, John Wyer, and engine designer Tadek Marek. The result was an exceptionally lightweight car with an aerodynamic body made of a magnesium-aluminum alloy, designed based on wind tunnel tests.
Under the hood was a 4.0-liter inline-six engine producing approximately 326 koní, paired with a dry sump system and a 4-speed manual transmission. During practice at Le Mans, the DP215 reached a speed of 198.6 mph (319.6 km/h) on the Mulsanne Straight, becoming the first car to officially break the 300 km/h barrier on that circuit.
At first glance, it catches the eye:
- with an extremely aerodynamic body
- with a long, flowing Kamm tail
- with an exceptionally low profile
- lightweight magnesium-aluminum construction
Although a transmission failure ended its race at Le Mans after just a few hours, the DP215 has gone down in history as one of the most advanced prototypes of its time. To this day, it remains the only one ever built and is among the rarest Aston Martin cars.
