1989 Aston Martin AMR1 Group C Heads to Auction

Images by Simon Clay, courtesy RM Sotheby’s

This 1989 Aston Martin AMR1 Group C is one of just four AMR1s remaining. It was driven by Brian Redman and David Leslie in period and is a successful historic racer in the modern day.

It will head to the auction on the 18th of August at RM Sotheby’s’ Monterey sale.

Emerging into an intensely competitive period of sports car racing, the AMR1 was an all-new design for the 1989 season. The model got off to a somewhat rough start, with AMR1/01 crashed in testing and Aston Martin missing the first round of the season. Its debut would take place the following month at Circuit Dijon-Prenois, where it finished 17th in the Coupe de Dijon.

AMR1/01 was joined by AMR1/03 for the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans. Both cars would qualify poorly, securing just 32nd and 40th place. The race itself was somewhat more promising, with AMR1/01 finishing 11th. Aston Martin would skip another round of the championship, Trofeo Repsol at Circuito Permanente Del Jarama, before returning for round 4 at Brands Hatch with the car you see here.

The car, AMR1/04, was built up as one of two AMR1 Lightweights. The 920 kilogram machine was powered by a 6-litre Aston Martin/Callaway RDP87 V8 that could comfortably and reliably put out 700 horses.

It was finished in time for the 480 km of Brands Hatch, for which Brian Redman and David Leslie would share the wheel. The pair was finally able to unlock the AMR1’s potential, finishing fourth overall behind the Sauber C9 of Kenny Acheson and Mauro Baldi, the Blaupunkt 962C of Frank Jelinksi and Bob Wollek and a second C9 driven by Jean-Louis Schlesser and Jochen Mass.

AMR1/04’s next outing would be at the Nürburgring for the ADAC Trophy, where Leslie and Redman would take it to 8th overall. The 480 Kilometers of Donington saw the car improve to 6th overall, while the Coupes de Spa unfortunately produced its first retirement when a connecting rod failed.

The car was bought direct from the Aston Martin factory by its current owner. He has raced it extensively in historics since early 2000, including the 2003 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

It was treated to a refresh before 2013, when Brian Redman once again hopped on board to run the car in the Monterey Historics, setting a fastest lap in the race that was two seconds clear of anyone else.

In exceptionally original condition, with an excellent race history covering both its period and contemporary racing, this most successful of Aston’s AMR1s will be auctioned in just a few weeks at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale. The Monterey sale will be held over the 18th and 19th of August at the Portola Hotel & Spa in Monterey, California. This car will be auctioned on Friday the 18th and is expected to fetch between US$475,000 and $675,000.

For the full details, hit the RM Sotheby’s website here.

Images by Simon Clay courtesy RM Sotheby’s