Aston Martin
AMR1

Why it matters

The AMR1 was Aston Martin's 1989 factory sports-prototype racing car, of which five were built. It combined a carbon fibre monocoque with a mid-mounted 6.3-litre V8 developed with Callaway, rated at 700 bhp.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The AMR1 came out of a plan made in 1987 to bring Aston Martin back to top-level sports car racing. A joint venture with Ecurie Ecosse built a Group C car, managed by Proteus Technology under Richard Williams and Ray Mallock and backed by Peter Livanos. The prototype, chassis 01, was shown to the Aston Martin board in October 1988 and the car debuted at Dijon in May 1989, finishing 17th.

It ran in the 1989 World Sports-Prototype Championship, took fourth at Brands Hatch with the lightweight chassis 04, and helped Aston Martin to sixth in the standings. Changes to Group C regulations and the cost of a new engine ended the programme in early 1990, before the planned AMR2 raced.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Chassis are numbered AMR1/01 to AMR1/04 (chassis 02 was written off in a test crash). AMR1/04 is described as the Lightweight at about 920 kg, against a brochure weight of about 900 kg, while the prototype 01 was much heavier. Genuine cars use the carbon-fibre and Kevlar monocoque with aluminium honeycomb floors, a Callaway-developed 32-valve four-cam V8, a five-speed transaxle with unequal-length driveshafts in a Hewland VGC-based casing, and the engine and gearbox tilted at the rear to suit the underbody venturis. Sources disagree on how many were built, so any claimed fifth chassis needs documents.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   1989 Aston Martin AMR1 Level B Supercars.net

   • five AMR1 chassis were constructed in 1989
   • developed by Reeves Callaway's Callaway Engineering
   • The engine was the RDP87
   • Aston Martin V8 enlarged to 6.0 liters
   • chain-driven four-cam layout with 32 valves
   • the Aston V8 was naturally aspirated

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Aston Martin AMR1 | Ultimatecarpage.com Level C

   • 5 built (chassis 01–05)

   Accessed 2026-11-11
3. 3
   1989 Aston Martin AMR1 Group C (chassis AMR1/04) Level C RM Sotheby's, Monterey 2017

   • one of only four AMR1s in existence
   • A 100-liter fuel cell

   Accessed 2026-11-12
4. 4
   Aston Martin AMR1 specifications Level C Ultimatecarpage.com

   • Aston Martin / Callaway 90º V8
   • 6,300 cc / 384.4 cu in
   • 700 bhp / 522 kW @ 8,000 rpm
   • 5 speed Manual
   • rear wheel drive
   • carbon fibre monocoque
   • 350 km/h (217 mph)

   Accessed 2026-11-11
5. 5
   Guide: Aston Martin AMR1 - a Historical & Technical Appraisal Level B Supercar Nostalgia

   • custom gearbox casing designed around Hewland VGC internals
   • independent double wishbone suspension
   • coil springs and dampers (inboard at the rear)
   • cross-drilled and ventilated AP disc brakes
   • wheelbase was 2896mm
   • Track was 1600mm up front
   • 1524mm at the rear
   • Weight was initially 980kg

   Accessed 2026-11-12