Lagonda DP115
The Lagonda DP115 was a sports car that was developed by Aston Martin in 1954 under the model name Lagonda .
Development history and technology
During the races of the 1953 Sports Car World Championship , Aston Martin owner David Brown quickly realized that overall victory in a major international sports car race with a vehicle with a 3-liter engine would be difficult. The DB3 with the 2.9-liter 6-cylinder in- line engine was inferior to the more powerful competition. Jaguar drove a 3.4-liter in-line engine in the D-Type ; Ferrari in the 340MM 4.1 liter V12 engines , which were drilled out to 4.6 liters in the 375MM . The Cunningham C4-R and C5-R even had a 5.5 liter Chrysler V8 engine.
As early as the end of 1953, Aston Martin began developing a new engine. The result was a 4.5 liter V12 engine with two overhead camshafts. The output of 280 hp initially achieved on the test bench was increased to 310 hp in the course of 1954. Two DB3 chassis have been adapted to accommodate the new engines. Since these engines were wider and heavier than the previous in-line engines, the tubular frames had to be reinforced and the wheelbase extended. The original 4-speed gearbox was replaced by a 5-speed high -speed gearbox before the Le Mans race .
Racing history
The Lagonda DP115 showed that half-hearted projects are not very successful. A not fully developed engine in a modified chassis from another racing car model - these were requirements that, not surprisingly, led to failure. The engine was difficult to start in cool temperatures and misfires; A short-term remedy could be provided by hot water in the cooler. The test work also began half-heartedly. David Brown drove the first roll-out himself and promptly had an accident. The vehicle caught fire, but could be repaired before the first race start. This took place at the Silverstone International 1954 , where Reg Parnell finished fifth overall. At the finish he was almost 1½ minutes behind the winner José Froilán González in the Ferrari 375 Plus .
Two cars were registered for the 1954 Le Mans 24-hour race. One was withdrawn before the race and replaced by a DB3. The DP115 is driven by Eric Thompson and Dennis Poore . The race started in the rain and despite persistent handling problems, Thompson was third overall when he had an accident. He was able to bring the car back to the boxes, but the damage was too great to be able to repair it.
The DP115 was only driven once - Parnell finished fourth in a sports car race at Silverstone - then Brown abandoned the vehicle type in this form. In 1955 a new chassis was built for the 12-cylinder engine with the DP166 .
