Page 1 of 2 Next >> Robin Hamilton joined the Aston Martin ranks as a specialist dealer in the early 1970s. To quickly make a name for himself and his fledgling company, he turned to racing in Aston Martin Owner's Club events. The first car he campaigned was a DB4 GT, which he replaced in 1974 by a DBS from 1969, which had been updated to look like the current V8 model. Hamilton had considerable success and started to look beyond AMOC events to a possible Le Mans entry in 1976.
For a successful bid at Le Mans, Hamilton realised considerably more development work was needed. He approached Aston Martin but the ever ailing company did not have the means or the real desire to build a new racing car. Instead, Hamilton, a trained engineer himself, decided to entrust the development work to the chassis, engine and aerodynamics to his own people. His trusty DBS-based racer again formed the starting point but it was modified to such an extent that it received a new chassis number and type name; RHAM/1.
The Aston Martin V8 engine was reworked considerably to produce a reliable 480 bhp at 6,500 rpm. It featured a bespoke camshafts, pistons and lubrication system. To improve the aerodynamics, the RHAM/1 was tested in the MIRA windtunnel. The result was a somewhat unusual design with a rudimentary looking, vertical rear-end. Although offering little in the way of technical assistance, Aston Martin did help with the paperwork to ensure the car was still homologated as an Aston Martin. Page 1 of 2 Next >>