c.2004 Aston Martin DB7 V12 GT Race Car
Chassis no. AMWS R7 DP 002
Engine no. AE/MP9

On the 5th October, 2004, Geoffrey Marsh was invited to the Aston Martin factory at Newport Pagnell where six engineering cars used for development purposes might be available to build into race cars. After discussion and approval by the Aston Martin Board of Directors, then part of the Ford Motor Company, it was agreed that the project would proceed having signed all sorts of disclaimers for product liability. The cars must never be used on the road again.

Marsh Plant purchased two donor vehicles to be built into race cars. They were designated "Aston Martin Works Service Racing 7 Development Project" and the chassis numbers were 002 and 003 – this lot and the following lot in today's auction.

The first car was delivered on the 22nd November, 2004. There had been a DB7 six- cylinder prototype race car built some years earlier but no-one had ever embarked upon a race car based on the 6-litre V12 Vantage version.

The project required a bodyshell with a complete roll cage to provide torsional rigidity and satisfy RAC Motor Sport Association's technical safety requirements (copy on file). The design and development of the bodyshell, roll cage and suspension was carried out on the first car by Ray Mallock Limited (RML) between February 2005 and October 2005. Subsequently, a second and third bodyshell were produced and completed in July 2006. Each bodyshell was stripped, acid dipped to remove surplus weight and then strengthened.

The V12 6-litre race engine was built by Aston Engineering at Derby. It was dyno tested on the 20th September, 2006, and produced over 600 BHP at 7,000 RPM with 496 lbs/ft of torque at 6,250 RPM. The engine has recently been rebuilt and dyno tested on the 2nd October, 2014 at lower RPM for greater longevity. The test sheet shows 579 BHP at 6,453 RPM and 479.9 lbs/ft of torque at 6,067 RPM. The engine is mated to a Hewland SGT-S sequential gearbox like the V8 EVO 4. It has adequate downforce generated at the front by an air splitter and a diffuser at the rear coupled with a DBRS9 wing. Other driver aids include electric power steering, gear change lights and Stack Data Logging.

Air jacks are fitted and the car comes complete with air bottles mounted on a trolley for connection to the car. The body panels were produced by making a model of them on the car. Moulds were then produced and body panels pulled off in Carbon Kevlar Hybrid or later in full Kevlar composite material, which is a further 15% lighter.

The car is offered with: a three-page copy of the Aston Martin DB7 V12 GT Project Design Specification (dated 17/03/2005); 
a CD of 134 RML drawings; a specimen disclaimer to ensure the car is never returned to public road use; 
a copy of the Roll Over Protection System Certificate approved by the 
MSA
; ATL fuel cell certificate (expires September 2018); complete technical support file providing full history of the car and component 
documentation; a set of four wheels and wet tyres and a set of four 
wheels with slick tyres; 30-litre dry break fuel filler bottle with stand. 
 Other spares with supporting pictures are available by request. All spares can be collected from Marsh Plant in Havant, Hampshire. Furthermore there are body moulds held at a supplier where access may have to be shared with purchasers of the other DB7 lots. These moulds may be purchased separately and Geoffrey is happy to speak to the purchasers of the lots post sale.

This extraordinarily quick and beautifully presented car is eligible for the CSCC Special Saloons and Modsports Series.

Should the vehicle remain in the UK, local import taxes at the standard rate will be applied to the hammer price.