1958 - DB HBR5 - Lot 108

Lot 108
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Estimation :
30000 - 40000 EUR
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Result : 25 000EUR
1958 - DB HBR5 - Lot 108
1958 - DB HBR5 French circulation permit Chassis n°949 Engine n°1720/177079 - Authentic French sports car from the 1950's circuits, - History known with one owner since 1975 - Rotating vehicle, interesting basis for restoration, eligible for the Tour Auto - Polyester body and one of the last examples with retractable headlights 30 000/ 40 000 € It is at the dawn of the Second World War that the Deutsch-Bonnet brand was born, fruit of the collaboration between Charles Deutsch and René Bonnet. In 1937, the two engineers formalize their union in order to propose cars which associate simple and economic mechanics with a science in full rise: the aerodynamics. In creating the D.B. company, the aim was to propel cars with engines that were easy to obtain, cheap to produce and relatively simple to optimize, and to innovate in the shaping of the bodies in order to maximize performance, thus gaining a head start on the competition circuits. A strategy that many manufacturers adopted years later. Once the cyclone of the Second World War had passed, a new era began. From 1947, that is to say the same year as Ferrari, Charles Deutsch and Rene Bonnet propose their first coupés to the public and align their first cars of competition on the circuits, which proudly carry the initials " D.B ", going until disputing the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949. The cars were faithful to their ideals: equipped with Citroën or Panhard engines, the barquettes and streamlined coupés had looks that some Jaguar Type-Cs would not deny. To finance their sporting ambitions, they decided to market cars adapted from their racing cars and, in 1950, the first D.B. was presented at the Paris Motor Show. It was an elegant cabriolet bodied by Jean Antem, a renowned pre-war coachbuilder. The formula is still the same: equipped with a 750 cc Panhard twin-cylinder engine, the bodywork is impressively light. The success of the young French brand is at the rendezvous, both on the commercial and sporting side, by winning the Tour de France Auto in 1952. At the 1954 Paris Motor Show, the prototype of the D.B. HBR5 was presented: H for the engine capacity category between 500 and 750 cc, B for two-seater, R for road, and 5 for the fifth production car in the history of the brand. It contains many innovations that were almost unheard of at the time, such as the self-supporting aluminium body, the retractable headlights that preserve aerodynamics and a very low body line, in contrast to the imposing coaches of the 1950s. The production model has a plastic body with fairing headlights, giving it a look straight out of the racetrack. Produced until 1961 in its "Super Rally" version, the HBR5 will be produced in about 660 examples, which is an undeniable success for such a young brand. The example we are lucky enough to present for sale is a Deutsch Bonnet HBR5, which according to Alain Gaillard's reference book on DB cars, came off the production line in a red "Grand Tourisme Luxe" version with a 5 HP engine. Still according to this book in which the car is referenced, it would have been registered for the first time on November 13, 1957 in the Puy-de-Dôme region, whereas according to the registration card, the first registration would go back to January 10, 1958 in the name of an inhabitant of Clermont-Ferrand. Anyway, it is interesting to note that this DB HBR5 has always remained in this region and even still carries its original registration! The car has known several owners until 1975, date of acquisition according to the registration card by its owner, recently deceased. The owner was a collector of French vehicles and in particular of Panhard. Currently in apple green, this DB HBR5 with polyester body has retractable headlights to preserve its aerodynamics and fixed windows with opening which accentuates its sporty look. This is one of the very last examples with retractable headlights before the switch to fixed headlights under bubble. The bodywork adjustments and alignments are quite rough. However, the car is straight and the different joints and lights are recent. The car is powered by an aerodyne M5 engine (type 1720) with a Zenith 38 NDIX dual body carburetor. Which, according to the owner's children, has in the past been associated with a Mag compressor/supercharger, which is sold with the car. If the mechanics seem to work well, the electrical wiring harness will have to be revised. The interior is incomplete but the car has kept its two original front seats
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