1961 Aston Martin DB4 Fastback Coupe

The Aston Martin DB4 made its introduction at the 1958 London Motor Show. It had a rigid box-frame chassis, developed under Harold Beach, and featured a coil-over A-arm front suspension with an anti-sway bar and a live rear axle with trailing arms, a proper Watts linkage, and coil springs. The coachwork was styled in Italy by Carrozzeria Touring, using their patented Superleggera process of small-diameter steel tubing to support body panels made of light alloy.

The DB4 was powered by an alloy six-cylinder twin-cam unit that was designed by engineer, Czech-born Tadek Marek. The lightweight alloy-cased, four-speed synchromesh gearbox was also an in-house design, built by David Brown's gear and machine tool division. Stopping power was provided by four-wheel disc brakes.

This example, chassis number DB4/718/R, was delivered on July 27, 1961, through agent C. Williams. The car was outfitted with Smith instruments in mph, a heated backlight, two Marchal fog lamps, and a Motorola 818 radio. The car was finished in the body color of Snow Shadow Grey over Dark Blue Connolly trim. It spent a quarter-century in England where it was registered as 7727 JW. The 'JW' refers to John Windridge, a senior director of Castrol Limited.

During its first few years of ownership, the car saw extensive use. The second caretaker was Ronald Rawden. Mr. Rawden found the DB4 in a garage in Woodford, Essex. In the late 1960s, the car was in the care of Mr. Sudbury, of Suffolk, who acquired the car with 21,589 miles on its odometer in September 1969 and commissioned a full road inspection and new battery. It is believed that not long after, the car was escorted to a new home in the United States. An individual from Mississippi became the car's next owner.

The car still wears its repaint in Caribbean Blue from the 1960s. Currently, the car does not run or drive.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2014