Aston Martin DP212

The Aston Martin DP212 was a prototype sports car designed to compete in the 1962 Le Mans 24-hour race. Built around the chassis of the DB4GT, the DP212 was powered by an impressive 4.0-litre, six-cylinder engine.

Graham Hill and Richie Ginther drove the Aston Martin DP212 at the Le Mans, displaying its fantastic speed by leading the field at one stage before retiring with a piston failure later in the race.

Having been identified as suffering from high-end stability problems that restricted performance at high speeds, the DP212 underwent wind tunnel tests at the Motor Industry Research Association in Nuneaton.

With a newly-developed Kamm tail – which would later appear on the Aston Martin DB6 – the car began trials for the 1963 Le Mans event, driven by Lucien Bianchi, Jo Schlesser, Richie Ginther and Bill Kimberley. However, its place at the event would instead go to the newer DP214 and DP215 models.