2013 ASM DBR1

The car is powered by a Jaguar XK 3.8 litre engine with triple Weber 45DCOE carburettors, mated to a five-speed gearbox.

The chassis follows a perimeter space frame design, much like the original car, and has been powder-coated to correlate with the original DBR1 colours.

The bonnet, boot and doors are formed from hand-fabricated aluminium. The bodyshell is GRP.

Rack and pinion steering and adjustable shock absorbers combine with all-round disc brakes (ventilated at the front) to provide a really very impressive driving experience.

We have taken the car out and about on some of Oxfordshire’s finest twisty lanes and can attest to its commendable balance, poise, roadholding, performance and stopping power.

The gear change demands positive, firm inputs and rewards with exact, notchy shifts that take you up and down the rev band in a satisfying procession of pops, roars, grunts and crescendos.

It’s impossible not to grin while driving this car, and it’s seemingly impossible for passers-by not to grin when they see (and hear) you coming.

And they will hear you coming, by the way.

The tweaking and fettling recently done by its creator, Andrew Soar at AS Motorsport, mean that the carbs burble, pop and crackle like a Luciano Pavarotti warm-up routine, settling down after about half an hour or so of spirited motoring.

It’s about as much fun as you can possibly have in an open top sports car without robbing a bank or inheriting a stately home (with its own grouse moors).

The bodywork is really very good and there are no dents, creases or dinks of any significance to report anywhere that we can see.

The shut-lines and panel gaps are as crisp and consistent as you could wish.

In general, the paintwork and finish are excellent and show off the car’s exquisite lines to optimal effect.

There are some cracks and crazing to the finish on the bodywork behind the passenger seat.

The amount of road rash or stone chips visible on this car – hardly any – is far more a reflection of its very low mileage than its age and speaks to a life lived carefully in the hands of diligent owners.

The nose of the car was resprayed in the last couple of months by AS Motorsports.

There is a scratch on the n/s/r wheel arch and a stone chip on top of its offside counterpart.

Beyond that, we found no other blemishes or marks save for a scuff or two on the boot lid white disc decal where the catches have rubbed against it.

The 16” Borrani-style wire wheels are in unimpeachable condition.

The lights, lenses, badging, trim and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in fine fettle, as is the tonneau cover, which you’ll find in the boot.

As you might expect to find in a replica of a Le Mans racing car, the interior is functional, purposeful and not overburdened with unnecessary luxuries or indulgences.

The period-correct look and feel of the interior is further enhanced by the presence of a Mota-Lita wood rim steering wheel, Smiths instruments, alloy panelling, leather-trimmed bucket seats, a crackle-effect dashboard and harness seatbelts.

We pressed a few buttons and flipped a few switches as we were driving around. As far as we can tell, everything does what it’s supposed to do.

The engine bay looks clean, dry and as you would hope to find in a car that’s yet to exceed 9,000 miles. Everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car seem to have plenty of structural integrity, unsurprisingly on such a low-mileage, well maintained car.

The car has recently been put on a rolling road by AS Motorsports and been serviced and fettled to be the best possible version of itself.

The vendor has added virtually no mileage to the odometer since the work was done.

The car has had no expense spared in its maintenance and upkeep, as evidenced by a thick history file full of bills, receipts, invoices, correspondence, articles, leaflets, brochures and spec. sheets.

Recognised as a 1963 car by the DVLA (thanks to the engine), the car is tax and MoT exempt.

Unless you have at least US$22 million currently bulging the flanks of your personal piggy bank, then this is almost certainly the best way to bring out your inner Carroll Shelby or Stirling Moss and get behind the wheel of the nearest thing you’ll find to a genuine DBR1.

It’s properly built and very well screwed together. Plus, the man who built it is alive and well and can be called upon to service and maintain it as necessary.

It has plenty of mechanical and dynamic integrity and can be driven with gusto – and confidence.

It is, in short, an utter delight in every way.

We’re confident to offer this extraordinary car for auction with an estimate of £85,000 - £100,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.