108 replies to this topic

[aston_man]

Hi everyone,

Very interested to read about this car.

Any ideas what chassis modifications were required to make it a two-seater, if any?

Thanks

[Dutchy]

If we knew what the chassis really was we could give you some idea - sadly no one really knows its true identity yet

[bradbury west]

Just to keep this alive, there is a good 3/4 front circuit shot of Richardson in the RRA, wrongly captioned as RRH, at Snetterton in '57- perhaps the shot to which Simon refers- on page 120 in the Jim Loveridge book "Boy's Own Stuff" which came today. Apart from a different bonnet line to reflect the different engine fitted then, the car appears almost identical to DP155 in its original form.
Have we heard of any more news or developments with this car?
Roger Lund.

[bradbury west]

Just thought I would keep this one fresh
RL

[IGSYA]

I saw this car at Wiscombe - it has an Aston martin gearbox.

[Doug Nye]

I understand that the DVLA has now withdrawn the old UK road registration number from "the Wiscombe car" following representations from the US owner of "the actual 'Tasman'/Geoff Richardson" DB3S"...

DCN

[David McKinney]

Thanks very much for that, Doug

The question has been the subject of considerable off-forum discussion ;)

[bradbury west]

Indeed it has , David. It will be interesting to see what nomenclature will be given to the vehicle henceforward.
Roger Lund

[Squire Straker]

I see from Stoneleigh the car is now a DB3 Special. Wonder what DB3 bits are in it? I suppose it may eventually become an Aston Martin Special.
SS

[bradbury west]

Out of interest, I note that there is a very good Peter Burn action photograph of UUY504 leading a group of other cars at Oulton on page 57 of Autosport 16.8.73. No details in the Ian Titchmarsh report, but it may have been Bob Owen at the wheel.
Roger Lund

[msquire]

Just found this topic after seeing the car in a Brightwells catalogue Brightwells Aston. Bit of a mark up from the 2006 'unrestored' Bonhams 30 -40 estimate.

[Allan Lupton]

Just found this topic after seeing the car in a Brightwells catalogue Brightwells Aston. Bit of a mark up from the 2006 'unrestored' Bonhams 30 -40 estimate.

It says: "Road registered as 866 XUM (formerly UUY 504)".
DVLA doesn't know that, as it has UUY 504 but not 866 XUM in its records!

[David McKinney]

It says: "Road registered as 866 XUM (formerly UUY 504)".
DVLA doesn't know that, as it has UUY 504 but not 866 XUM in its records!

...and thereby hangs a tale

[Red Socks]

Out of interest, I note that there is a very good Peter Burn action photograph of UUY504 leading a group of other cars at Oulton on page 57 of Autosport 16.8.73. No details in the Ian Titchmarsh report, but it may have been Bob Owen at the wheel.
Roger Lund

And that car as I understand it ,indeed driven by Bob Owen is a completely different car from the one described above and now for sale.

Edited by Red Socks, 15 May 2009 - 08:19.

[bradbury west]

And that car as I understand it ,indeed driven by Bob Owen is a completely different car from the one described above and now for sale.

Red Socks, I have never thought otherwise, nor have I intimated that the 2 cars were in any way linked other than, some might consider, perhaps by someone's wishful thinking.
Roger Lund

[Ted Walker]

How can it advertised as DP155 ?????????

[Simon Thomas]

How can it advertised as DP155 ?????????

It will be very interesting to see the auction catalogue with a full description of the car. Will any of the details posted here be quoted......I very much doubt it.

[D-Type]

It says: "Road registered as 866 XUM (formerly UUY 504)".
DVLA doesn't know that, as it has UUY 504 but not 866 XUM in its records!

It doesn't say that any more.

How can it advertised as DP155 ?????????

Nor does it say that any more

It will be very interesting to see the auction catalogue with a full description of the car. Will any of the details posted here be quoted......I very much doubt it.

Has someone realised the Trade Descriptions Act applies

[Allan Lupton]

It's now been withdrawn.
This process of attrition should eventually lead either to a true description or the car being given away - and who can say which is more likely?

[Ted Walker]

Good News.Its an interesting special and should be sold as one. Its a shame that the cockpit is built for midgets.

[fuzzi]

I was looking at this thread the other day and looking at Roger Lund's photographs which started it off. The photocopy pegged to the aeroscreen comes from "Aston Martin: A Racing History" by Anthony Pritchard (on pps 179 and 180) and tells the story of the car up to Geoff Richardson's final disposal of the car fitted with a DB3S body, bought from Lord O'Niell registered UUY 504. Richardson sold it to finance the purchase of Connaught B5 from Brian Naylor.

Isn't it slightly ironic that we are all rightly concerned about copyright in photographs but sometimes the photos can contain copyright material from other media which may not be fully credited?

AP interviewed Geoff Richardson about his full life as engineer, driver, soldier, clay pigeon shooter and private pilot - he won the King's cup in 1972 amongst other exploits. If you want more information on Geoff Richardson AP wrote a piece for The Automobile published in March 2007

[bradbury west]

It's back again, at the Revival auction. See below for the details

http://www.bonhams.c...SaleSectionNo=2
Usual disclaimers.
Roger Lund

[David McKinney]

At least no-one's claiming it to be DP155 any more

[Ted Walker]

David .But what a complete load of rubbish and all those mentions of "Uncle Reg" A nd as for the description of lot 360 ????????????

[Dutchy]

I think this takes the proverbial biscuit "with the extra cachet of a suitably mysterious and complicated background history"

I'd always believed a straightforward traceable history was desirable!

[bradbury west]

If I have read the results chart here correctly >
http://www.bonhams.c...p;iSaleNo=18216
Lot 343 failed to entice a new owner to emerge.
Roger Lund

[chrisadams]

some pictures of the Real RRA special when it belonged to on of our customers - Mike Jefferson - Neville Hay will confirm that Mike owned the car until the early seventies, they were great mates.
Mike is still a customer with a Jaguar engined Healey 3000.

Well I would if I could find out how to load them !

Edited by chrisadams, 03 October 2010 - 18:14.

[bradbury west]

Try this system; e mail or pm me if you need instructions. We look forward to seeing the photographs.
http://www.postimage.org/
Roger Lund.

[chrisadams]

Thanks Roger, its a bit more complicated than Ten Tenths & AMOC forums, so I might just email them to you

Edited by chrisadams, 03 October 2010 - 18:56.

[chrisadams]

Here is a link to more info on the RRA Special / DP155

http://astonuts.free...S/DB3SFHCE.html

Scroll right down to bottom of the page

I think that is a very young Guy Broad in the Austin 3 ltr

[bradbury west]

I came across this in Autosport May 29 1959. Designed by Lord O'Neill, built by Panelcraft

Copyright not known but via Autosport, for history and educational purposes.
Roger Lund

[DKW]

This picture of the DB3 Special that was raced in the Tasman Series of 1955/1956 is on Historicracing.com's Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/historicracing

[David McKinney]

Sorry to be hard on a new member, but there was no Tasman Series until 1964

The Aston Martin was raced in the New Zealand internationals of 1956

Edited by David McKinney, 14 July 2011 - 19:38.

[chrisadams]

This picture of the DB3 Special that was raced in the Tasman Series of 1955/1956 is on Historicracing.com's Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/historicracing

When I looked at the 1st pictures of this car by Roger I thought it was a bit strange as Parnell was supposed to sit over the gearbox, not to one side, this photo proves it was a central steering wheel.
In the last few weeks I have found out who owned the gearbox top for the last 35 years or so, it puts the stick out to one side of the box.

[bradbury west]

When I looked at the 1st pictures of this car by Roger I thought it was a bit strange as Parnell was supposed to sit over the gearbox, not to one side, this photo proves it was a central steering wheel.
In the last few weeks I have found out who owned the gearbox top for the last 35 years or so, it puts the stick out to one side of the box.

Your opening sentence is the reason why I posted the pictures in the first place.
Roger Lund

[arttidesco]

Thanks to Tim Murray who pointed me in the direction of this thread after I mentioned I'd seen a "DBR 3R Exprimental" at Sherborne Castle yesterday afternoon. If I had known there was a mystery surrounding the car I would have attempted to take more pics.

Edited by arttidesco, 16 July 2012 - 12:57.

[Tim Murray]

Well at least they've stopped referring to it as 'DP155'.

[arttidesco]

Well at least they've stopped referring to it as 'DP155'.

"They" being a Mr David Toms of Honiton Devon according to the signage.

[Alan Cox]

Prototype model for sale by auction
http://www.coys.co.u...mp;auctionID=32

[D-Type]

That looks very detailed for a wind tunnel model! With seat cushion and transmission tunnel for example. I suppose it is just credible that a wind tunnel model was used as the basis for a display model.

[MarkBisset]

Article on DP155’s 1956 NZ Tour with Reg Parnell.
Lots of Gaze and Whitehead and a dose of early post war NZ Racing History

https://primotipo.co...n-martin-dp155/

Mark

[arttidesco]

I understand that the DVLA has now withdrawn the old UK road registration number from "the Wiscombe car" following representations from the US owner of "the actual 'Tasman'/Geoff Richardson" DB3S"...

DCN

 

 

Seen at Autosport International with the leaflet also posted below, shown on the DVLA website as built in 1953 first registered in 1957

 

 

Aston Martin DB3S Special Sporting Two Seater :- Reg 866XUM, Chassis DP155, Engine LB6V50507 Gearbox DBRW/152/RH

 

 

No info yet on the www.AstonMartinSpecial.com website.

[D-Type]

The leaflet apparently still tries to perpetrate the myth.

"Frame stamped DP155" - how easy is it to stamp a bit of metal?

The rest of the narrative very carefully doesn't say it applies to this car but it implies it does.

[arttidesco]

Some new information regarding the current owner at Race Retro

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bradbury west]

This car is the subject of a multi page article in the May Classic Cars magazine, written by a chap called Sam Dawson who is their News Editor, and seems to perpetuate its claims to links or origins via DP155, if I have read it correctly, although it now seems to claim some lineage from an HWM chassis, so one assumes Simon Taylor has included in his award winning book on that marque.
Current valuation is "in excess of £350,000" which may seem a lot for what some might consider a tidily built bitsa.
Usual disclaimers.
Roger Lund

Edited by bradbury west, 09 April 2020 - 08:04.

[MarkBisset]

Guys,

 

My (primotipo) article makes no mention of this bitza at all.

I was aware of the car in the research I did but it seemed to me it had none of the dinkum DP155 bibs and bobs as part of its constituent parts and was therefore nothing more than the usual Dealers Masturbatory Cash Grab Spl, lets call them DMCG Spl’s for short. 
 

https://primotipo.co...n-martin-dp155/

M

[bradbury west]

Mark, my apologies if I misread the material in both pieces. I have now withdrawn all reference to primotipo. No offence or condoning of info was intended.
Notwithstanding other known cars with DP155 lineage, a critical issue with this car is that DP155 was a central seater, a point made by the late David McKinney, who was kind enough to send me a copy of one of his own photographs of the car in NZ in period.
Best regards
Roger Lund

Edited by bradbury west, 09 April 2020 - 08:13.

[MarkBisset]

Thanks Roger,

Much appreciated and no offence taken.

go well,

Mark

[LittleBertha]

Interesting display partner there in the 'pride of the paddock'

 

VUD 701 by the looks of things - a car which has also seen very many changes over the years

[Tim Murray]

VUD 701 by the looks of things - a car which has also seen very many changes over the years

Recently offered for sale at a cool £420,000.

https://www.carandcl....uk/car/C865299