Aston Martin tests Group C Design

Aston Martin’s Group C car had its first test session at Silverstone in early December, driven by David Leslie, Brian Redman and its builder Ray Mallock.

Fitted with a 6-litre four-valve V8 developed by Reeves Callaway in Connecticut, the carbon-fibre and Kevlar monocoque features an unusually mounted radiator, over the Aston-built transmission where it is fed by two horizontal intake ducts alongside the engine.

Designed by Max Boxstrom, the car received praise from Leslie after his 480km stint allowed him to sample the 700 bhp currently available.

Although Ecurie Ecosse is known to have been keen to field its own car with an Aston engine, the Newport Pagnell team’s manager Richard Williams, who ran the last works Astons at Le Mans in 1985, stresses that this is an Aston Martin and not an Ecosse, though the Scottish team will be involved in developing the car.

Williams hopes to be able to enter the car in the first WSC round of the 1989 season, which will probably be at Jerez, and to field two cars for Le Mans.

After its Silverstone trials, the car was due to be flown to Brian Redman’s base in Florida for further testing.