This Aston Martin DB3S has us dreaming of ice and cream

After last weekend’s The ICE St. Moritz, we joined the owner of this magnificent, cream-white Aston Martin DB3S for a quick drive around town.

Among an armada of all-red racing Ferraris and Maseratis from the 1950s and 1960s that dominated the “Barchettas on the Lake” class at last weekend’s The ICE St. Moritz, you might almost have overlooked the slim and nimble, cream-white 1956 Aston Martin DB3S – but upon closer inspection, the British racing car was certainly one of the brightest stars of the show. Brought to the Engadin by the Golden Age Collection and curator Christophe Schmidt of Weekend Heroes, the British barchetta represented one of the rarest and most desirable of all the sports racing cars from the golden era of 1950s motor racing.

Only 30 examples of the Aston Martin DB3S were built in period – and chassis DB3S/115 is regarded as an exceptionally original example. Originally delivered to California and raced by Richie Ginther, Bob Drake, Bruce Kessler, Rob Oker and Bill Love, it retains its original body, chassis and period engine while sporting the iconic American racing colours of cream white with two blue stripes – a combination which looked surprisingly good on the snow.

After its final hot laps around the frozen lake, we joined DB3S/115 for a short drive around St. Moritz, stopping by at the Kulm Country Club and the iconic Cresta Run, another timeless manifestation of British tradition and sportsmanship. And as we enjoyed the rough barking of the racing engine and the smell of fuel, oil and leather drifting through the crisp winter air, we couldn’t help but wonder if we had been time-warped back to 1956 – the golden age of motor racing and British car culture.