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1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Touring news, pictures, and information | ||
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 | Coupe Coachwork: Touring Chassis Num: DB4 GT/0129/L Engine Num: 370/0133/GT | |
| Sold for $891,000 at 2006 RM Auctions. | ||
Its last owner has held the car for the past 21 years. At auction the vehicle proved to be highly sought after as the bidding quickly escalated to 891,000 and found its next owner.
By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2006
 |  |  | Coupe Coachwork: Touring |
 |  |  | Coupe Coachwork: Touring |
 |  | Coupe Coachwork: Touring Chassis Num: DB4/GT/0156/R Engine Num: 370/0142/GT |
Modifications to the GT included 5-inches off the standard wheelbase and the rear seats were replaced with a luggage platform. There was lighter, 18-gauge bodywork. All these changes helped reduce the car by around 200 lbs.
The engine received much attention. When equipped with a twin-plug cylinder head and triple Weber 45DCOE carburetors, it produced just over 300 bhp at 6,000 RPM. This was a significant increase over the standard 240 BHP engine. Girling were used to bring this performance monster to a stop. There was a choice of five rear axle ratios and a Power Lok limited slip differential.
The front end of the car had faired-in headlamps with Perspex covers. The rear screen and quarter windows also were made of Perspex on many examples. Wind-down windows were frame-less within the doors. Sitting atop the rear wings were twin, quick-release, Monza competition fuel over-fillers. This led to a 30-gallon fuel tank mounted flat in the trunk, which it shared with the spare wheel. The GT cars came standard with lightweight Borrani 42-spoke wire wheels with alloy rims and three-eared 'Knock-offs.'
The interior featured Connolly leather upholstery and Wilton carpeting. The instrumentation cluster had the addition of an oil temperature gauge.
In competition, the DB4 GT, campaigned by the Works team and John Ogier's Essex Racing Stable enjoying numerous victories. In the capable hands of drivers such as Roy Salvadori, Stirling Moss, Jim Clark and Innes Ireland, the DB4 GT often set the pace of the race.
This 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Coupe with coachwork by Touring is chassis number 0156. It was completed by the works in early January of 1961. Under its bonnet was engine number 370/0142/GT and mated to gearbox 401, which it still retains today. It left the factory in Snow Shadow Grey livery with red Connolly leather interior.
Its first owner was Dr. Michael J.R. Dawes of Brookline, Massachusetts. Its racing history, if any, in the United States is unknown. It was entered in a concours event at Fort Belvedere in the U.K. with Dawes in 1962 and at Wiscombe in 1963. It later was passed to F.J. Fielding of Atlas Works, Gloucester and in 1966 it was shown by its then owner - Paul Gardner of Lymm in Cheshire, U.K. at Wiscombe. Gardner retained the car until around 1970.
In 1975, the car returned to America where it has remained ever since. The next owner was Tony Clarkson. The next owner was Jim Morrisey. In the mid-1980s, the car was purchased by its present owner. While in his care, the car has been rebuilt to high standards. It is current painted in dark blue and there is a dark red leather interior.
In 1995 it was shown at the Aston Martin Owners Club Lime Rock Concours where won the Roberts Harrison Memorial Trophy for best overall track and concours, the Ziebart for most improved in concours, and the Charles L Turner for Best of Show. It was the Chief Judge's Choice at the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance in 1998.
In 2008, the car was offered for sale at the 'Quail Lodge, A Sale of Exceptional Motorcars and Automobilia' presented by Bonhams Auction. It was estimated to sell for $1,500,000 - 2,000,000 but would leave the auction unsold.
By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2008
 |  |  | Coupe Coachwork: Touring |
 |  |  | Coupe Coachwork: Touring Chassis Num: DB4/827/L |
| Sold for $440,000 at 2011 Gooding & Company. | |||
In 1985, the car was retired from regular use, and since then, it has been started sporadically to ensure that it remains in running order. Currently, the car remains preserved in wonderfully undisturbed condition. Nearly all of the exterior paint is original. The painted wire wheels wear vintage Dunlop SP41s - tires that were introduced in 1964. It has its original, date-coded Triplex glass, Lucas Le Mans headlamps, window felt, rubber weather stripping and sporting Talbot & Co. wing mirrors.
The odometer reads 39,262 miles. Also included with the car are the original owner's manual with the original sales agents business card, jack, Dunlop RS5 spare and leather jack straps.
In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Amelia Island, Florida where it was estimated to sell for $425,000 - $475,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $440,000 including buyer's premium.
By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2011
Aston Martin unveiled their DB4 at the 1958 Paris Salon. This was a big achievement for the small British manufacturer as it was a totally new car on a completely new steel platform chassis and disc brakes on all four corners. It was powered by an alloy twin-cam 3.7-liter straight six engine and bodied by Touring of Milan in an elegant fastback aluminum body. This combination was performance oriented with all the necessary criteria such as potent engine, lightweight body, excellent stopping power provided by the disc brakes, and finished in an attractive and elegant fastback configuration. It was state-of-the-art at the time, a modern masterpiece of British engineering and Italian styling.
Harold Beech was involved with the engineering of the chassis, including the fitting of an independent front suspension and a live rear axle located by trailing arms and a Watt's linkage. The coachwork was constructed by Aston Martin under license from Touring
At the September 1959 London Motor Show, Aston Martin introduced their competition variant dubbed the DB4 GT. It was based on the race-winning prototype SP199/1. In the very capable hands of Sterling Moss, the GT prototype had won its first outing in May 1959 at Silverstone.
The Aston Martin DB4 GT sat on a shortened wheelbase, made lighter, and given a more powerful engine. The engine was given a higher compression ratio, twin plug cylinder heads, and triple dual-throat Weber 45 DCOE carburetors. Weight was reduced by 91 kg overall, partly by reducing the wheelbase by around 5 inches. The Standard DB4 produced 240 horsepower while the DB4GT produced 302 BHP making it the most powerful British car of its era. Top speed was achieved at just over 150 mph and zero-to-sixty took a mere 6.1 seconds.
The DB4 and DB4GT were visually distinguishable by the faired in headlamps, a feature that was later made standard on the DB5. The DB4 GT had a quick-release 'Monza' fuel fillers on each of the rear wings, bumper overrider deletes, and frameless roll-down windows within the doors. The interior of the DB4 GT was rather luxurious with Connolly hides and Wilton wool carpeting. An oil temperature gauge was added to the array of instrumentation, along with an 8000 RPM tachometer.
The Ferrari SWB 250 Berlinetta was a very dominate and competitive car in FIA racing, but the DB4 GTs were able to mount a strong challenge in 1959 by both the Works team and Jon Ogier's Essex Racing stable. Individuals usually found behind the wheel included Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Roy Salvadori and Innes Ireland.
Production of the Aston Martin DB4 GT lasted from 1959 through 1963 with a total of 75 examples produced, plus an additional 19 created by Zagato in various configuration. 45 of the 75 were right hand drive with the other 30 having left hand drive. Six of the 75 are known to have full Factory lightweight construction details. These six are further divided into two additional categories. The first group consisting of four examples were originally ordered as 'Build Sheet GTs' meaning they were ordered with this lightweight specification. Two were Right Hand Drive and the other two were Left Hand Drive. The other lightweight group is referred to as 'BESPOKE' or Service Department created GTs. Meaning they were modified to the lightweight specification after the factory had performed the original build.
Thus, most of the DB4 GTs created were suitable for competition or Grand Touring, for road or track.
By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007
Harold Beech was involved with the engineering of the chassis, including the fitting of an independent front suspension and a live rear axle located by trailing arms and a Watt's linkage. The coachwork was constructed by Aston Martin under license from Touring
At the September 1959 London Motor Show, Aston Martin introduced their competition variant dubbed the DB4 GT. It was based on the race-winning prototype SP199/1. In the very capable hands of Sterling Moss, the GT prototype had won its first outing in May 1959 at Silverstone.
The Aston Martin DB4 GT sat on a shortened wheelbase, made lighter, and given a more powerful engine. The engine was given a higher compression ratio, twin plug cylinder heads, and triple dual-throat Weber 45 DCOE carburetors. Weight was reduced by 91 kg overall, partly by reducing the wheelbase by around 5 inches. The Standard DB4 produced 240 horsepower while the DB4GT produced 302 BHP making it the most powerful British car of its era. Top speed was achieved at just over 150 mph and zero-to-sixty took a mere 6.1 seconds.
The DB4 and DB4GT were visually distinguishable by the faired in headlamps, a feature that was later made standard on the DB5. The DB4 GT had a quick-release 'Monza' fuel fillers on each of the rear wings, bumper overrider deletes, and frameless roll-down windows within the doors. The interior of the DB4 GT was rather luxurious with Connolly hides and Wilton wool carpeting. An oil temperature gauge was added to the array of instrumentation, along with an 8000 RPM tachometer.
The Ferrari SWB 250 Berlinetta was a very dominate and competitive car in FIA racing, but the DB4 GTs were able to mount a strong challenge in 1959 by both the Works team and Jon Ogier's Essex Racing stable. Individuals usually found behind the wheel included Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Roy Salvadori and Innes Ireland.
Production of the Aston Martin DB4 GT lasted from 1959 through 1963 with a total of 75 examples produced, plus an additional 19 created by Zagato in various configuration. 45 of the 75 were right hand drive with the other 30 having left hand drive. Six of the 75 are known to have full Factory lightweight construction details. These six are further divided into two additional categories. The first group consisting of four examples were originally ordered as 'Build Sheet GTs' meaning they were ordered with this lightweight specification. Two were Right Hand Drive and the other two were Left Hand Drive. The other lightweight group is referred to as 'BESPOKE' or Service Department created GTs. Meaning they were modified to the lightweight specification after the factory had performed the original build.
Thus, most of the DB4 GTs created were suitable for competition or Grand Touring, for road or track.
By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007
The Aston Martin DB4 was first introduced to the public at the 1958 Paris Salon and powered by a 3.7-liter straight eight and clothed in an aluminum body. Touring of Milan was tasked with creating the design. The Aston Martin DB4 GT was introduced a year later at the London Motor Show and was based on the race winning prototype SP199/1. 1959 was a great year for Aston martin as they had won the World Sportscar Championship title. The GT prototype inaugural race was in May of 1959 at Silverstone where it finished in first place at the hands of Stirling Moss.
The Aston Martin DB4 GT was lighter, shorter, and more powerful than the base DB4. In an effort to reduce the weight of the vehicle the bodywork was made thinner using 18 gauge alloy. The wheelbase was reduced by 13cm which made the rear seats obsolete. In total, 200 pounds had been shed. Under the graceful hood was the six-cylinder engine modified with twin plug cylinder heads and triple dual-throat Weber 45 DCOE carburetors. Horsepower was raised to over 300, bettering the standard DB4 engine by 60 horsepower, and making it the most powerful British sports car of its era.
Most of the DB4 GT's had Plexiglas rear screen and quarter windows. Disc brakes could be found on all four corners, as could the alloy Boranni wire wheels. The roll-down windows were frameless within the doors. A high-capacity fuel tank could be found in the rear. Quick-release 'Monza' fuel fillers were placed atop of the rear wings. All of this equated to a car that had a top speed over 150 mph and could race from zero-to-sixty in just over 6 seconds. Visually, in comparison to the DB4, the GT has cowled headlights and a very prominent hood scoop.
The interior of the cars were race inspired but still filled with luxurious amenities.
The DB4 GT was produced from 1959 through 1963 with only 75 examples being produced plus another 19 examples bodied by Zagato. 45 were right-hand drive and 30 were left hand drive. The Zagato bodied cars were necessary to keep pace with Ferrari's 250 GT machines. Zagato was legendary in the world or automotive weight reduction and their skills were in high demand. Ercole Spada of Zagato was given the task of performing the necessary modifications. Even after Zagato worked his magic, the Ferrari's proved to competitive for the DB4 GT's. Though the DB4 GT's suffered from oversteer and and low rigidity, its Achilles' heal was the fact that it was born from a road going car.
The final DB4 GT constructed was sent to Bertone who fitted it with a body and had it sent to the 1961 Geneva and Turin Motorshows. It was styled by Giorgietto Giugiaro who was in the infancy of his career. This, the 76th and final DB4 GT produced, was given an attractive steel body.
By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007
The Aston Martin DB4 GT was lighter, shorter, and more powerful than the base DB4. In an effort to reduce the weight of the vehicle the bodywork was made thinner using 18 gauge alloy. The wheelbase was reduced by 13cm which made the rear seats obsolete. In total, 200 pounds had been shed. Under the graceful hood was the six-cylinder engine modified with twin plug cylinder heads and triple dual-throat Weber 45 DCOE carburetors. Horsepower was raised to over 300, bettering the standard DB4 engine by 60 horsepower, and making it the most powerful British sports car of its era.
Most of the DB4 GT's had Plexiglas rear screen and quarter windows. Disc brakes could be found on all four corners, as could the alloy Boranni wire wheels. The roll-down windows were frameless within the doors. A high-capacity fuel tank could be found in the rear. Quick-release 'Monza' fuel fillers were placed atop of the rear wings. All of this equated to a car that had a top speed over 150 mph and could race from zero-to-sixty in just over 6 seconds. Visually, in comparison to the DB4, the GT has cowled headlights and a very prominent hood scoop.
The interior of the cars were race inspired but still filled with luxurious amenities.
The DB4 GT was produced from 1959 through 1963 with only 75 examples being produced plus another 19 examples bodied by Zagato. 45 were right-hand drive and 30 were left hand drive. The Zagato bodied cars were necessary to keep pace with Ferrari's 250 GT machines. Zagato was legendary in the world or automotive weight reduction and their skills were in high demand. Ercole Spada of Zagato was given the task of performing the necessary modifications. Even after Zagato worked his magic, the Ferrari's proved to competitive for the DB4 GT's. Though the DB4 GT's suffered from oversteer and and low rigidity, its Achilles' heal was the fact that it was born from a road going car.
The final DB4 GT constructed was sent to Bertone who fitted it with a body and had it sent to the 1961 Geneva and Turin Motorshows. It was styled by Giorgietto Giugiaro who was in the infancy of his career. This, the 76th and final DB4 GT produced, was given an attractive steel body.
By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007
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 1961
Aston Martin
models |
| Aston Martin DB4 GT Bertone Jet |
| Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato |
| Aston Martin DB4 Series II |
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| 1962 DB4 |
