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The now-famous powder-blue and orange Gulf Oil racing livery was on a 24 Hours of Le Mans winner for the first time in 1968 when Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi piloted the #9 Ford GT40 to overall victory at the Circuit de la Sarthe. It has subsequently been worn by a variety of other racers at Le Mans, most notably the Porsche 917, and even on the R8 campaigned by Audi Sport UK in 2001. This year, on the 40th anniversary of that first victory, the Gulf colors will again be worn by contenders at Le Mans. The #007 and #009 Aston Martin Racing DBR9s will trade in their green livery for the iconic blue-and-orange as Aston looks to defend its GT1 crown against Corvette Racing. For a race as steeped in tradition as Le Mans, this change by Aston Martin Racing seems only fitting and further adds to the mystique.
[Source: Aston Martin]
PRESS RELEASE:
Aston Martin to defend GT1 title with Gulf
Aston Martin Racing will return to Le Mans in 2008 to defend its GT1 title in the distinctive blue and orange livery of Gulf Oil.
Two Aston Martin DBR9s will look to emulate Gulf's first victory at the 24 hour race 40 years on.
Alain Dujean, Gulf Oil vice president international, said: "This is arguably the most important year ever for Gulf in motorsport. The famous Gulf racing colours first tasted victory at Le Mans in 1968, so 2008 already had great significance for us, but for Gulf to have joined up with Aston Martin Racing for this year is fantastic – the coming together of two great automotive names, for what I hope will be a long and fruitful partnership."
David Richards, chairman of Aston Martin, said: "Endurance racing is engrained in the heritage of both Gulf and Aston Martin and we have also both been intrinsically linked through Le Mans for many decades. It was perhaps destined that, in the year we defend our GT1 title and Gulf celebrates the 40th anniversary of its win, we would finally race together at La Sarthe."
The two Aston Martin DBR9s for 2008 will be entered as numbers 007 and 009.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Random Task @ Jan 10th 2008 7:20AM
Very cool, but BRG Aston Martins are more appropriate, IMHO.
EJ25RUN @ Jan 10th 2008 1:31PM
your right on BRG but......
there are a certin few colors that are just fine no matter what.
1. Gulf Oil
2. John Players Special
3. Martini
4. Malboro
5. Camel
6. Rothmans
i can think of more but i realize that id be alot of tabacco people!
John Johnson @ Jan 10th 2008 8:09AM
Ferrari will love this I'm sure.
But yeah, BR Green or bust.
Mobius_1 @ Jan 10th 2008 8:12AM
Let's hope Daniel Craig ain't driving the #007 car with a woman on the track
joe @ Jan 10th 2008 8:14AM
i think they should have had more orange on the car (lower front, bottom of sides, etc). even so, looks fantastic.
MikeInNC @ Jan 10th 2008 8:15AM
I know GRG just looks right on an Aston but it just doesn't get any more beautiful or classic than Gulf Racing Livery. LOVE IT.
Alex @ Jan 10th 2008 9:16AM
I will never grow tired of Gulf Racing Livery. Maybe its becasue every car that has worn it has been beautiful on its own, but i love it. But, like the others i'll always have a spot for British Racing Green on Aston Martins.
MosquitoControl @ Jan 10th 2008 9:46AM
Neither will I.
It's odd. One color is bland, the other is hideous. But throw them together and it's magnificent. I think you're correct, though, a lot of it has to do with the cars being magnificent in their own right.
Joshua @ Jan 10th 2008 9:56AM
Wow, Gorgeous!
Fooman @ Jan 10th 2008 10:11AM
omg I am in love...
The best color scheme in racing, with one of the best looking cars ever...
I like how they stuck to traditional Aston color placement on the nose and upper door trim. I would have liked to see a little more Orange on the rear fenders or at least the lower trim. Only one other car had no orange on the side and that was a Porsche.
zach @ Jan 10th 2008 10:27AM
Great racing color scheme, and it looks good on the car...
...but i still think they should be green.
Gooch @ Jan 10th 2008 11:27AM
If you remember, throughout time, all of the Gulf-liveried cars on the same team have been slightly different. Maybe 007 will have a bit more orange. Once I saw that in "LeMans," I looked for it in all the photos I saw of these cars and yup, it's true.
Robert @ Jan 10th 2008 12:22PM
It doesn't do it for me like it does on a Ford GT for GT40. I would be just as happy with BRG and a new shade of lipstick.
Anyway, as beautiful as these cars are all you need to do is close your eyes and listen as they punch through the gears to appreciate them.
Luis @ Jan 10th 2008 2:03PM
I still like this scheme better on a Porsche 917...
Smeagle @ Jan 10th 2008 5:28PM
That is just spectacularly gorgeous. I think I’m in love. It does help that the DBR9 is a beautiful car to begin with but wow… just wow.
On BRG, yeah it is more appropriate for this car and it looks great but it really doesn’t compare to this colour scheme, or JPS, or Martini.
Zurbert82 @ Jan 10th 2008 7:07PM
Beautiful livery. Fingers crossed that Prodrive crosses the pond to compete against the Corvette C6.R parade. I'm not holding my breath though.
Random Task @ Jan 10th 2008 10:07PM
Also, I'd lile more orange. But it is great.