Lone Ranger

Both Ferrari and Aston Martin went racing in order to promote their products and GT racing in the early 1960s presented the ultimate opportunity to do so. Ferrari built increasingly competitive cars based on its 250GT series, culminating in the spectacular 250GTO which dominated the category between ’62 and ’64. Such was the performance advantage of the GTO that Aston Martin struggled to be truly competitive against them, even when the lightweight, Zagato bodied, DB4 GT was driven by a driver as great as Jim Clark. Here, during the 1962 TT at Goodwood, Clark is sandwiched by the leading GTOs of fellow future world champions Graham Hill and John Surtees. All three trail Innes Ireland’s pale green British Racing Partnership GTO which will win ahead of Hill’s Coombs entered car. Clark spun the Aston into the path of Surtees car while being lapped, forcing both cars to retire.