1969 Aston Martin DBS Fastback Coupe

When Aston Martin introduced the DBS in 1967, it served as a replacement for the outgoing DB6. The styling bestowed upon the DBS by William 'Bill' Towns was modern and fresh, and praised by Autocar magazine who stated: 'Without the aid of an Italian stylist the Newport Pagnell team came up with something as modern, handsome and Italianate as anything from the Turin coachbuilders at that time.'

The wider stance and lower profile gave the DBS more cabin space and a more aggressive appearance. Its sporty persona complimented the sophisticated mechanical underpinnings, which were similar to the DB6 but with revisions. The engine bay was designed to hold Tadek Merak's all-new quad-cam V8 engine, but due to development setbacks, the DBS initially relied on the proven twin-cam 4-liter inline-six. By positioning the engine further back in the chassis, behind the front axle, the DBS achieved nearly 50/50 weight distribution. Along with a de Dion rear axle, the DBS was rewarded with excelling handling characteristics.

The interior was traditional Aston Martin excellence, with the finest Connolly hides and an abundance of luxury throughout the cabin.

This particular DBS Saloon is a left-drive, US-specification car that left Newport Pagnell in June 1969. It wore a Fiesta Red exterior over Blue hides, and equipped with an automatic gearbox, air conditioning, power steering, Fiamm horns, Blaupunkt New Yorker radio, head rests, and a rare Webasto sunroof.

At some point, the car entered the care of Mr. Stephen Adams of Columbia, South Carolina who retained it for many years, selling it in 2008. In 2012, it was acquired by the current caretaker via Classicmobilia in Milton Keynes, UK.

Along the way, the body was repainted in white. The car remains in (what appears to be) largely original conditioning with its original upholstery and interior fittings. The twin overhead-cam inline-six is the factory original, numbers-matching unit, retaining the correct-type carburetion.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2024