1960 Aston Martin DB4 FastBack Coupe

The original owner of this DB4 Series II Coupe was Ernest Swigert of Portland, Oregon. The coachwork is by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan and powered by Tadek Marek's powerful new engine. The car was ordered on August 26th of 1959 through North Country Motors of Long Island, New York and specified with Snow Shadow Grey livery with a red leather interior. Other options included a radio, dual wing mirrors, chrome wheels and the 3.54:1 rear differential ratio.

This car is one of 351 second-series DB5 examples that were produced between January 1960 and April 1961. This car was also chosen by J.S. Inskip, the American importer, for use at the New York International Auto Show in April of 1960.

After the NY Auto Show, Mr. Swigert took delivery of his car. Ownership passed to Oregon resident Earl Grove in the early 1970s. After this point, the recorded history disappears until the late 1990s, when the car came into the possession of a San Francisco dealer of fine motorcars. Acquired in 2002 by John Jordan of Potomac, Maryland, it was treated to a comprehensive restoration that featured a major engine upgrade. The engine displacement size rose to 4.2 liters and was given triple SU carburetors. The bored-out engine was rated at 303 horsepower, which was a significant increase over the stock 266 horsepower. The DB4 GT models produce 302 horsepower.

Along with the engine work, a body restoration and bare-metal repaint was performed in 200, as well as significant refurbishment of the chassis in 2005. The current owner acquired the car in 2008.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at Pebble Beach presented by Gooding & Company. The car was estimated to sell for $325,000 - $375,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $495,000 including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2012