1967 Aston Martin DB6 Coupe

In the late 1950s, Aston Martin was still a small, highly exclusive car manufacturer that produced less than 250 hand-built cars per year. Their clientele was an exclusive base of discerning connoisseurs of grand touring motor cars, many of who were attracted to the company due to its successes in sports car racing. The cars cost roughly twice that of a new Jaguar E-Type, adding to the exclusivity even further.

Aston Martin unveiled their DB4 model in 1958 at the Paris Auto Salon. It was a new car in virtually every regard, and built on a new steel chassis with four-wheel disc brakes and fitted with a newly developed alloy, twin-cam inline six-cylinder engine designed by Tadek Marek. The engine was similar in its design and construction to the Lagonda engine designed by W.O. Bentley and found in earlier Aston Martin DBs.

In 1963, Aston Martin introduced the DB5 at the Earl's Court Motor Show in London. The design was similar to the DB4, but the six-cylinder engine displacement had been increased to 4-liters. It had three SU carburetors as standard equipment, with horsepower increased by 20 percent to 282 horsepower. Other refinements included twin fuel fillers, electric windows, and a highly tuned exhaust system. After just 50 units were built, the ZF five-speed gearbox became standard equipment.

Between 1963 and 1965, just 886 DB5s were produced, all of which received Touring's Superleggera (super light) bodywork.

In October of 1965, Aston Martin introduced the DB6 at the London Motor Show. The DB6 had a more conventional framing for the aluminum outer bodywork, consisting of a steel floor pan and inner body panels at the rear. On of the most visually apparent feature was the truncated Kamm-type tail which aided the car's stability at high speeds. There was a slightly higher roofline which improved passenger space in combination with a slightly longer wheelbase that provided additional luggage capacity.

The styling of the DB5 in the front remained virtually intact, with the sole addition of a chin-type air scoop adding additional oil cooling for the four-liter six-cylinder engine. Other styling updates included quarter bumpers on all four corners, as opposed to the previous full-width units.

The 3995cc inline six-cylinder engine had dual overhead camshafts, three SU carburetors, and produced 282 horsepower. There was a ZF five-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes.

This coupe is painted in Aston Green with a tan Connolly leather interior and matching beige Wilton wool carpets. It was originally owned by John Chapman of the London Aston Martin main agency Chapman Spooner. The car was originally a right-hand drive car that was converted to left-hand drive by the Aston Martin factory prior to shipment of the car to California in the 1980s. since new, this car has been given a restoration. The mileage is approximately 76,500.

In total, there were just 1,321 DB6 coupes produced.

In 2009, this Aston Martin DB6 was offered for sale at the Sports & Classics of Monterey auction in Monterey, California presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $125,000-$175,000. The lot was sold for the sum of $170,500 including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2009