1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato at the Portland Art Museum

Portland Art Museum

The Cars

The Cars Vehicles

1930 Bentley Speed Six

1931 Duesenberg Model SJ

1933 Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow

1937 Bugatti Type 57S

1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K

1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B

1938 Hispano Suiza H6C

1939 Talbot-Lago T150 C SS

1948 Tucker 48

1953 Porsche 550

1954 Plymouth Explorer Concept

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR

1957 Jaguar XKSS

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Racer

1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato

1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Competition

Information on the 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato

More photographs of the 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato

The British sports car specialist Aston Martin was founded in 1914. Five years later, one of Italy's finest coachbuilders, Carrozzeria Zagato, was formed. John Wyer, the owner of Aston Martin, met Gianni Zagato at the London Earl's Court motor show in 1959. The two formed a partnership in which Carrozzeria Zagato would construct custom bodies for a small series of competition DB4GTs. Early the next year, the first Aston lightweight chassis arrived in Italy. Zagato, along with twenty-three year-old designer Ercole Spada designed the DB4GT and drew inspiration from Ferrari's successful 250 GT short-wheelbase Berlinetta (SWB). Many people, however, argue that the Zagato/Spada design is more aggressive, bolder, and more contemporary than the Ferrari.

Under license from Carrozzeria Touring, these Zagato bodies used the Superleggera (super-light) construction technique, meaning a thin skin of aluminum stretched over a network of small-diameter steel tubing.

This particular example was the Turin show car in 1961. It has several unique features such as bumpers, a chrome strip along the side, chrome instead of polished aluminum around the windows and headlights, and chrome wheels. It is believed to be one of only two examples that had hood scoops. of the nineteen examples built, just six were left-hand drive.

The car remained in Italy until 1968. It was shipped stateside after it was purchased by Dr. Nicolas Begovish of Fullerton, Ca. It was purchased by the current owner in 2001 and a restoration was commissioned to Steel Wings in Philadelphia.

Most Zagatos were painted red at some stage in their life, including this one, but it was originally blue with off-white leather. It appears here in traditional Aston Martin green, or California Sage, as it is sometimes known.

Since then, the car has been very busy. It has been displayed at the Aston national Meet, it also was on their magazine cover. It has appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, on a Road and track calendar, at Pebble Beach, and in museums in Atlanta and Portland. It has run the Copper State 1000 and been featured in Aston Journal of Heritage Trust.

Also photographed at :

Quail Rally >> Tour

Quail Rally >> Sports and GT Cars (1956 - 1962)

Quail Rally >> Aston Martin Postwar Coachbuilt Cars

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