1955 Aston Martin DB3S
Delivered new to WW2 Special Boat Service commando George ‘SM’ Harrocks, never before on the open market

· In long-term ownership from circa 1982 to 2013, believed 30,000 miles from new
· Fresh from a standard-setting, in excess of £700,000 concours-level restoration by marque specialists in the UK and unused since
· Presented as delivered in unique Moonbeam Grey metallic with red leather interior
· Eligible for the best racing, show or driving events including the Mille Miglia and Villa d'Este
· UK road-registered SLC 626

DB3S/110 was supplied on 22 November 1955 to main agent Brooklands of Bond St. Its first owner was George Stanley Marino Harrocks, a pre-War triallist who entered events simply as ‘SM Harrocks’. A little-known fact about ‘SM’ is that during WW2 he was a member of an elite commando unit, the British Special Boat Service, though his wartime missions remain shrouded in secrecy.

The DB3S was registered SLC 626 on 17 March 1956, the plate it bears today.

Harrocks’ length of ownership of the car is unknown, though it’s believed he sold it directly to historic car trader Peter Harper in the 1960s. Nigel Dawes purchased the DB3S from Harper and in the early 1980s, at 16,000 miles, it passed to Jeffrey Pattinson in whose ownership the figure increased to 29,000.

After some three decades, Pattinson sold DB3S/110 to a world-renowned collection where it was displayed until 2020 when bought by the current owner. It was one of the few DB3S racing cars with consistent history and no serious accidents. A total, nut-and-bolt rebuild followed, overseen by former Aston Martin Lagonda restoration expert Julian Reichman, who tasked leading specialists in the UK to return it to as delivered in March 1956 for a planned reveal at Pebble Beach in August 2023.

Aston Engineering was entrusted with rebuilding the engine, gearbox and rear axle. With new pistons and other parts, the rebuilt engine was dyno-tested at a true 209bhp. In parallel, the body and chassis were stripped of paint by former Aston Martin Lagonda coachbuilder Charlie Briggs, whose team painstakingly took great care to remove as little of the 69-year-old metal as possible. Once finished, body and chassis were sent away for painting in Moonbeam Grey metallic.

Reichman, working in conjunction with DB3S and DBR1 experts Rex J. Woodgate of Silverstone circuit, rebuilt the running gear. The interior was retrimmed in correct red Connolly leather and the car delivered to Woodgate for setting up the suspension and fine-tuning the engine. The project took three years to complete and cost in excess of £700,000.

No effort was spared to make this DB3S a stunning, fine-driving and powerful Aston Martin from the golden era of the David Brown racing team, fit to grace the lawns of Pebble Beach and the world’s best driving roads. The ex-George Harrocks DB3S’s public unveiling will have to wait for another occasion, but after many years of restoration by the best UK specialists, the wait will be worth it and the results speak for themselves.