Chassis number DP115/2.

In 1954 David Brown instructed his engineers to produce a racing sports car to show case an all-new 4.5 litre V12 engine. His vision was to use the race proven V12 to power a new range of ‘super sedans’ that would take on the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. One car, DP115/1 was initially built, and it raced at Silverstone in May 1954, followed by an entry in the Le Mans 24hrs, just a few weeks later. The car crashed after 25 laps and the remains taken back to the factory. A replacement car, DP115/2 was built, the car you see today. DP115/2 returned to Silverstone one more time, as part of the AML factory team.

Taken off front line racing duty the car was developed further, in readiness for the Mille Miglia. An additional car, DP115/3 was also built, but neither car would race, and they were bought by the Rank organisation and had a starring role in the 1956 movie, Checkpoint, starring Antony Steel and Stanley Baker. Both cars were then sold, DP115/2 being bought by John ‘Jumbo’ Goddard. After a short period of club racing, the car was purchased by Lagonda enthusiast Maurice Leo, who eventually acquired the other car and all the remaining spare parts.

For their movie appearances both DP115 cars had new fronts put onto them, which looked very different from their previous AML ‘corporate’ styling. The cars had the fictional marque name ‘Warren Ingram’, an obvious nod towards the real-life race team owner David Brown. For the restoration DP115/2 has had its nose panel restored to the correct shape that it had in 1954, when it raced at Silverstone a few weeks after the earlier DP115/1 had crashed and been written off.

These cars have been unseen for many decades and have been carefully restored to their original specifications, including carefully researched paint and trim colours and materials.