View source for Aston Martin DBR4

{{Short description|Formula One racing car}}
{{More footnotes|date=May 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2017}}
{{Racing car |
| Car_name         = Aston Martin DBR4 
| Image            = [[File:Aston Martin DBR4 Mallory Park.JPG|frameless|upright=1.25]] 
| Category         = [[Formula One]] 
| WC_results_only  = Y 
| Constructor      = [[Aston Martin in Formula One|Aston Martin]] 
| Designer         = [[Ted Cutting]] 
| Successor        = [[Aston Martin DBR5]] 
| Team             = [[David Brown Ltd.|David Brown Corporation]] 
| Drivers          = {{flagicon|UK}} [[Roy Salvadori]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Carroll Shelby]] 
| Chassis          = [[Steel]] [[spaceframe]]. 
| Front suspension = [[Double wishbone suspension|Double wishbone]], with [[coilover]] spring/damper units.
| Rear suspension  = [[de Dion tube]], located by [[trailing arm]]s, with [[torsion bar]]s. 
| Wheelbase        = {{convert|2362|mm|in|2|abbr=on}} 
| Track            = {{convert|1308|mm|in|2|abbr=on}} 
| Engine name      = [[Aston Martin in Formula One|Aston Martin]] ''[[Aston Martin RB6 engine|RB6]]''
| Capacity         = {{convert|2493|cc|cuin|1|abbr=on}} 
| Configuration    = [[Overhead camshaft#Double overhead camshaft|DOHC]] [[straight-6]]. 
| Turbo/NA         = [[Naturally aspirated]], 
| Engine position  = [[FMR layout|front-mounted]]. 
| Gearbox name     = [[David Brown Ltd.|David Brown]] ''CG537'' 
| Gears            = 5-speed 
| Type             = [[Manual gearbox|manual]]. 
| Differential     = 
| Weight           = {{convert|575|kg|lb||abbr=on}} 
| Fuel             = 
| Tyres            = {{F1|1959}}: [[Avon Rubber|Avon]] <br> {{F1|1960}}: [[Dunlop Tyres|Dunlop]]
| Debut            = [[1959 Dutch Grand Prix]] 
| Races            = 5 
| Wins             = 0 
| Poles            = 0 
| Fastest_laps     = 0 
}}
The '''Aston Martin DBR4/250''', commonly referred to simply as the '''DBR4''', is a [[Formula One]] [[racing car]], designed by [[Ted Cutting]] for the sports car manufacturer [[Aston Martin in Formula One|Aston Martin]]. Following notable successes in [[sports car racing]] during the mid- to late-1950s — culminating in winning the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] endurance race and the [[World Sportscar Championship]] title in {{24hLM|1959}} — the DBR4 was intended to repeat this success in the highest tier of [[Formula racing|open-wheel racing]].

The DBR4 was largely based on the [[Aston Martin DB3S|DB3S]] sportscar, and borrowed that vehicle's basic chassis and engine layout. Although it was tested as early as 1957, the DBR4 did not make its World Championship debut until the [[1959 Dutch Grand Prix]], driven by [[Roy Salvadori]] and [[Carroll Shelby]]. However, its long gestation period meant that by the time it finally entered competition much of its concept and technology had been superseded, and the car was not a success. The DBR4 was replaced by the lighter [[Aston Martin DBR5]]/250 in early 1960, but when that car also failed to provide competitive results Aston Martin abandoned Formula One to concentrate on their more successful sports car projects.

==Design==
A potential open-wheeled Aston Martin racing car had been discussed as early as 1955, and a hastily constructed prototype was tested in the Australian and New Zealand races in early 1956, driven by [[Reg Parnell]]. Following successes in this Antipodean experiment, and despite the majority of Aston's racing department being fully occupied with the sports car program, Aston Martin decided to pursue a Formula One entry in earnest. However, the company's emphasis on sports car competitions meant that attention was often diverted from the Formula One program, and development delays were common almost from the outset.

[[File:Aston Martin DBR4 cockpit Donington.jpg|thumb|left|The cockpit of an Aston Martin DBR4, showing the generous proportions of the chassis and details of its spaceframe construction.]]
Building on Aston Martin's established road car and sports racer template, the chassis of the DBR4 was a conventional [[spaceframe]] structure, skinned with aluminium bodywork. Beneath the skin the DBR4's basic design was closely related to the [[Aston Martin DB3S|DB3S]] sports car of 1956, but with its ancillary components more tightly packaged to enclose them in the smaller, single-seater body. Although some manufacturers had started to use [[wind-tunnel]] testing for racing cars, such as the [[Bristol 450]], [[aerodynamics]] as a science was still in its infancy where road vehicles were concerned. As a result of this, although the DBR4's bodywork appeared svelte and streamlined, the effect was ruined by the decision to mount a large air intake on the side of the bonnet, and to install a relatively tall, near-vertical windscreen.

Suspension was handled by [[double wishbone suspension|double wishbones]] with [[coil spring]]s and telescopic [[Shock absorber|dampers]] at the front, and a [[de Dion tube]] system with [[torsion bar]] springs at the rear. While this arrangement had been state-of-the-art in the early years of the 1950s, by the time that the DBR4 made its first public appearance most racing car manufacturers were moving to all-round [[independent suspension]], offering better handling, traction and road-holding than the older system employed at the rear of the Aston.  The DBR4 was the last new Grand Prix car to use the de Dion system. This same suspension system would be adapted to the [[Aston Martin DBR3|DBR3]] sports car which was being developed at the same time as the DBR4, but would be abandoned less than a year later when the DBR3 was considered a failure.  To bring the car to a halt, [[Lucas Industries#Girling|Girling]] [[disc brake]]s were fitted all round.

The DBR4 also shared the basic [[Overhead camshaft#Double overhead camshaft|double overhead camshaft]] [[straight-6]] Aston Martin engine design with its brethren, but sleeved to reduce its capacity to 2.5-litres. Although [[Tadek Marek]]'s design was a reliable and powerful unit in its 3.7-litre road car form, the reduced capacity racing motor was hard-pressed to cope with the heavy chassis and poor aerodynamics, and frequent engine failures blighted the DBR4's brief racing career. Aston Martin claimed a {{convert|280|bhp|kW|-1|abbr=on}} output for the DBR4's engine. However, it was common practice at the time to overquote engine power, and a more realistic value is closer to {{convert|250|bhp|kW|-1|abbr=on}}. This value is still higher than that provided by the [[Coventry Climax]] ''FPF'' [[straight-4]], used by contemporary manufacturers such as [[Team Lotus|Lotus]] and [[Cooper Car Company|Cooper]], but the Aston Martin engine weighed appreciably more. The engine drove the rear wheels through a proprietary [[David Brown Ltd.|David Brown]] gearbox, provided by Aston Martin's owners.

A total of four Aston Martin DBR4/250s were built between 1957 and 1959, with three surviving to date. Recognising their failings, the Aston Martin race team reworked the DBR4 into the DBR5 for the {{F1|1960}} season. The DBR5 was smaller and lighter, and engine modifications meant that the power output was finally close to the figure originally claimed by the Aston Martin workshop. The DBR5 also boasted all-independent suspension, but results did not improve from those of the DBR4 and both DBR5s were eventually broken up.

==Competition career==
[[File:Aston Martin DBR4 Donington pits.jpg|thumb|right|The Aston Martin DBR4 had a sleek bodywork shape, broken by large air intakes and upright windscreen.]]
The Aston Martin DBR4/250 was unveiled to the public in April 1959, and made its competition debut on 2 May in the non-Championship [[BRDC International Trophy]] race at [[Silverstone Circuit|Silverstone]]. Two cars were entered, for works drivers [[Roy Salvadori]] and [[Carroll Shelby]]. Salvadori immediately began to show some promise in the car, posting third fastest time in qualifying, beaten only by fellow Britons [[Stirling Moss]] and [[Tony Brooks (racing driver)|Tony Brooks]], driving a [[British Racing Partnership|BRP]] [[BRM P25]] and works [[Ferrari 246 Dino]] respectively. Shelby also posted some fast lap times, taking sixth place. In the race both Brooks and Moss retired with mechanical problems, but the Astons performed faultlessly for the majority of the distance, before Shelby's oil pump failed two laps from the finish. He placed sixth, two laps down. However, Salvadori was well-placed and competing hard for the lead. He posted the fastest lap of the race, en route to finishing second behind [[Jack Brabham]]'s works Cooper-Climax. Unfortunately for Aston Martin, the DBR4's debut performance flattered to deceive.

[[File:Aston Martin DBR4 Donington paddock.jpg|thumb|left|A DBR4 is push-started in the paddock at Donington Park, 2007.]]
At the DBR4's World Championship debut in the [[1959 Dutch Grand Prix]] on 31 May, Shelby and Salvadori could only manage 10th and 13th fastest in qualification, respectively. During the race both cars succumbed to engine problems in the early laps and failed to finish. Further delays and shifted priorities meant that the light green Astons only appeared at a further three races of the [[1959 Formula One season]]. The DBR4s failed to score even a single point during this time; their best results being a pair of 6th places for Salvadori, taken at the [[1959 British Grand Prix|British]] and [[1959 Portuguese Grand Prix|Portuguese]] rounds. Following a second disappointing outing in the BRDC International Trophy (Trintignant was tenth and Salvadori's engine expired on lap 4), a solitary DBR4 appeared in practice for the [[1960 Dutch Grand Prix]], entered for Salvadori when the DBR5 was not ready. The car was saved further possible embarrassment when a starting money dispute caused Aston Martin to withdraw prior to the start.

The coda to the DBR4's racing career came in mid-1960, when a car was shipped to Australia for local racers [[Lex Davison]] and [[Bib Stillwell]] to compete in the Australian and New Zealand national championship [[Formula Libre]] races. Fitted with a 3.0-litre engine the car performed much better than had been the case during its brief Formula One life, and Davison took second place in the [[1960 Australian Grand Prix]]. To reflect the increase in engine capacity this car was officially known as the ''DBR4/300''. Stillwell retained the DBR4/300 until the end of the 1962–63 season.

==Complete Formula One World Championship results==
([[:Template:F1 driver results legend 2|key]])
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Engine
! Tyres
! Drivers
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! Points
! WCC
|-
| rowspan="3"| {{F1|1959}}
| rowspan="3"| [[David Brown Ltd.|David Brown Corporation]]
| rowspan="3"| [[Aston Martin in Formula One|Aston Martin]] [[Overhead camshaft#Double overhead camshaft|DOHC]] [[straight-6]]
| rowspan="3"| {{Avon}}
| 
| [[1959 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[1959 Indianapolis 500|500]]
| [[1959 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]
| [[1959 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[1959 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[1959 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[1959 Portuguese Grand Prix|POR]]
| [[1959 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[1959 United States Grand Prix|USA]]
|
| rowspan="3"| '''0'''
| rowspan="3"| '''-'''
|- 
| [[Roy Salvadori]]
| 
| 
| style="background:#efcfff;"| Ret
| 
| style="background:#cfcfff;"| 6
| 
| style="background:#cfcfff;"| 6
| style="background:#efcfff;"| Ret
| 
| 
|-
| [[Carroll Shelby]]
| 
| 
| style="background:#efcfff;"| Ret
| 
| style="background:#efcfff;"| Ret
| 
| style="background:#cfcfff;"| 8
| style="background:#cfcfff;"| 10
| 
| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| {{F1|1960}}
| rowspan="2"| [[David Brown Ltd.|David Brown Corporation]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Aston Martin in Formula One|Aston Martin]] [[Overhead camshaft#Double overhead camshaft|DOHC]] [[straight-6]]
| rowspan="2"| {{Dunlop}}
| 
| [[1960 Argentine Grand Prix|ARG]]
| [[1960 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[1960 Indianapolis 500|500]]
| [[1960 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]
| [[1960 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[1960 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[1960 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[1960 Portuguese Grand Prix|POR]]
| [[1960 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[1960 United States Grand Prix|USA]]
| rowspan="2"| '''0'''
| rowspan="2"| '''-'''
|-
| [[Roy Salvadori]]
|
|
|
|style="background:#ffffff;"| DNS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!colspan="17"|{{center|{{small|Source:<ref>{{cite book|last=Small|first=Steve|title=The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who|date=1994|publisher=Guinness|pages=333 and 352 |isbn=0851127029}}</ref>}}}}
|}

==Non-Championship results==
([[:Template:F1 driver results legend 3|key]]) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position)
(Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Engine
! Tyres
! Driver
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
|-
| rowspan="3"| {{F1|1959}}
| rowspan="3"| [[David Brown Ltd.|David Brown Corporation]]
| rowspan="3"| [[Aston Martin in Formula One|Aston Martin]] [[Overhead camshaft#Double overhead camshaft|DOHC]] [[straight-6]]
| rowspan="3"| {{Avon}}
| 
| [[1959 Glover Trophy|GLV]]
| [[1959 B.A.R.C. 200|AIN]]
| [[XI BRDC International Trophy|INT]]
| [[1959 International Gold Cup|IGC]]
| [[1959 Silver City Trophy|SCT]]
|
|
|-
| [[Roy Salvadori]]
| 
| 
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
| [[Carroll Shelby]]
| 
| 
| style="background:#cfcfff;"| 6
| 
| 
| 
|  
|-
| rowspan="3"| {{F1|1960}}
| rowspan="3"| [[David Brown Ltd.|David Brown Corporation]]
| rowspan="3"| [[Aston Martin in Formula One|Aston Martin]] [[Overhead camshaft#Double overhead camshaft|DOHC]] [[straight-6]]
| rowspan="3"| {{Dunlop}}
| 
| [[1960 VI South African Grand Prix|RSA]]
| [[1960 Gran Premio Ciudad De Buenos Aires|CBA]]
| [[1960 Glover Trophy|GLV]]
| [[XII BRDC International Trophy|INT]]
| [[1960 Silver City Trophy|SCT]]
| [[1960 Lombank Trophy|LOM]]
| [[1960 International Gold Cup|IGC]]
|-
| [[Roy Salvadori]]
| 
| 
| 
| style="background:#efcfff;"| Ret
| 
| 
| 
|-
| [[Maurice Trintignant]]
| 
| 
| 
| style="background:#cfcfff;"| 10
| 
| 
| 
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

*{{cite book|last= Pritchard |first= A. |authorlink= Anthony Pritchard |year= 1991 |title= Aston Martin: The Post-war Competition Cars |publisher= Aston Publications Ltd |pages= 216 |isbn= 978-0-946627-48-6 }}
*{{cite web|title= Aston Martin DBR4 |url= http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/17/Aston-Martin-DBR4.html |work= UltimateCarPage.com |accessdate= 2007-09-25 }}
*{{cite web|title= Car Model: Aston Martin DBR4/250 |url=http://www.chicanef1.com/indiv.pl?name=Aston%20Martin%20DBR4%2F250&type=M |work= ChicaneF1.com |accessdate= 2007-09-25 }} (World Championship statistics.)
*{{cite web|title= The Formula One Archive |url= http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/title.html |work= GEL Motorsport Archive |accessdate= 2007-09-25 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070910173147/http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/title.html| archivedate= 10 September 2007 | url-status= live}} (Race results.)
*{{cite book|last=Hodges|first=David|title=A-Z of Formula Racing Cars|year=1990|publisher=Bay View Books|location=Bideford, UK|isbn=1870979168|pages=279 }}

==External links==
{{commons category|Aston Martin DBR4}}
*[http://www.astonmartins.com/racing/dbr4.htm Photographs of DBR4/4]. ''AstonMartins.com''.

{{Clear}}
{{Aston Martin F1}}
{{F1 cars 1959}}
{{F1 cars 1960}}

[[Category:Aston Martin Formula One cars|DBR4]]