Makes › Aston Martin › DB4GT Prototype DP199/1 · Prototype · 1959 One-off
Aston Martin
DB4GT Prototype DP199/1
One-off prototype of the DB4GT; Moss Silverstone win and Le Mans 1959
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 1 Built
- Years
- 1959
- Engine
- 3,000 cc / 3 LFactory: 3 L
- Power
- 177 kW / 241 PSFactory: 238 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Harold Beach and Ted Cutting
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 1 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
DP199/1 was the prototype of the DB4GT and the forerunner of all later GT Aston Martins, a line that grew to 75 DB4GTs plus 20 Zagatos. It won first time out in Stirling Moss's hands at Silverstone in 1959 and then raced at Le Mans.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionDP199/1 is a one-off (there was never a /2); the car was offered at auction in 2017 | 12 | Surviving examples | Independently researched |
| Total model productionone-off (there was never a DP199/2) | 11 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Designed by Harold Beach and Ted Cutting, the car was built on a very early DB4 platform chassis that was cut in two and reinforced, and it first ran in March 1959. At Silverstone in May 1959 Stirling Moss put it on pole, won and set a lap record, reportedly with a 280 bhp 3.7-litre engine. For the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours it ran a 3.0-litre engine of 238 bhp at 6,500 rpm, driven by Hubert Patthey and Renaud Calderari, but retired with bearing failure after 21 laps.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard DB4GT Prototype DP199/1.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | 3,000 cc / 3 LFactory: 3 L2 Independently researched1959 Le Mans race engine; a 3.7-litre engine was used at the Le Mans test and likely at Silverstone. |
| Bore | 92 mmFactory: 92 mm2 Independently researchedApplies to the 3.0-litre engine fitted for Le Mans 1959. |
| Stroke | 75 mmFactory: 75 mm2 Independently researchedApplies to the 3.0-litre engine fitted for Le Mans 1959. |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 177 kW / 241 PSFactory: 238 hp · converted2 Independently researchedLe Mans 3.0-litre engine; Silverstone engine quoted at 280 bhp. |
| Power at | 6,500 rpm2 Independently researched |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | David Brown four-speed close-ratio synchromesh, Borg & Beck clutch2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | 42 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Very early DB4 platform chassis cut in two and shortened, floor join reinforced by a fishplate2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Girling brakes, no servo2 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 2,360 mmFactory: 93 in · converted2 Independently researched |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
The car is chassis DP199/1; there was never a DP199/2. It carries engine number 370/0184/GT and the former registration 845 XMV. Its chassis is an early DB4 platform cut in two, with the fishplate reinforcement still visible.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
RM Sotheby's lot catalogue: 1959 Aston Martin DB4GT Prototype (Monterey 2017) Level B
- 1 one-off (there was never a DP199/2)
-
2
1959 Aston Martin DB4 GT Prototype (DP199/1), Monterey 2017, lot 160 Level C RM Sotheby's · 2017
- The prototype, DP199/1 (there was never a /2)
- a 3.0-liter
- standard bore of 92 mm
- short stroke crankshaft of 75 mm
- produced 238 bhp at 6,500 rpm
- a David Brown four-speed close-ratio synchromesh gearbox
- four-speed close-ratio synchromesh gearbox
- cutting a very early DB4 platform chassis in two with the floor join reinforced by a fishplate
- uprated Girling brakes
- Brakes are firm and without a servo
- giving it shorter doors and a wheelbase of 93 inches
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