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1963 Aston Martin DB4

FastBack Coupe
Chassis number: DB4/1176/R

The DB4 was produced between October of 1958 and June of 1963, with at least five series during that time. After the first fifty cars had been created, heavy-duty bumpers were incorporated. The second series became available in January of 1960 and brought with it bigger brake calipers, a front-hinged hood, and an enlarged sump, among other improvements. The third series featured separate rear lights, and many other changes. The fourth series was easily distinguishable by its front grille which had seven vertical bars. The rear recessed lights and changes to the hood made the car even more recognizable as the fourth in the series. The fifth series was produced between September of 1962 and June of 1963. This series grew in length by 3.5 inches. This allowed for more rear passenger room and increased space in the trunk. Fifteen-inch wheels could now be found on all four corners of the car. The instrumentation panel was now from the DB4GT model.

The Vantage or Special Series engines were available as optional equipment. This had a raised compression ratio and three SU carburetors which increased horsepower to 266. Only fourteen owners selected the Special Series engine and nearly all of the Series 5 DB4s were built to Vantage specifications.

This 1963 Aston Martin DB4 Series 5 Vantage Saloon is a right-hand drive vehicle. Its first owner was a UK resident. In recent years, it has spent its time in the United States. It is unrestored and has been treated to recent mechanical work. It is finished in dark blue with a black leather interior. It was offered for sale at the 2006 Bonhams & Butterfields auction held at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, California where it was estimated to sell between $115,000 - $135,000. The car did find a new owner on auction day, and one who was willing to spend just over the estimated value for this very rare automobile. The winning bid was $136,800.

by Dan Vaughan

FastBack Coupe

In 1913 Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin founded Bamford and Martin Limited in London, England. They believed that a sports car should have a distinctive and individual character; and should be built to the highest standards and be exhilarating to drive and own. In 1914 the Aston Martin name was chosen because of the company's success at the Aston Hill Climb. The company is known for its race history. In the DB4 era, Aston Martin was victorious in the 1959 World Sports Car Championship, Nurburgring, LeMans, and RAC Tourist Trophy; and in 1963 Roy Alcardori won at Monza.

The DB4 was introduced in 1958 and production was discontinued in 1963. The convertible debuted in 1962 and accounted for only 70 automobiles from a total of 1,110 DB4's produced.

GT Coupe
Chassis number: DB4 /1144/R
Engine number: 400/1358

There were fourteen specially ordered non-GT DB4 Aston Martins fitted with the higher-performance GT engine. Over its production run, the GT engine was built in 3.7 and 3.8 liter displacements. The GT Coupe fitted with the 302 horsepower engine could race to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds with top speed achieved at 150 mph. Special equipment included three twin-choke Weber carburetors and an ignition system that utilized two distributors to attend to the twin sparkplugs for each cylinder.

There were three non-GT DB4 Series 3 cars fitted with the GT engine. Five Series 4 and six Series 5 cars accounted for the remaining installations. The Series 5 non-GT cars with the GT engine - in comparison to proper GT cars - had a longer wheelbase and added interior room.

This outstanding example is one of only six DB4 series 5 that were built with a Vantage GT engine. A 15' wheelbase which was 3 1/2' longer than a standard DB4! The car was restored, starting late 1986 and ending in early 1988. The restoration was performed by Beaufort Restorations of Maidstone, England and the engine was built by Aston Specialist, Richard Williams. It was discovered by Mr. Williams that the original engine block (370/0213GT) was not useable, so the block was changed to 400/1358. While Beaufort restorations pressed on with the restoration of the car, Richard Williams was to build up the engine to specifications similar to that used for the engine of the racing DB4's that he prepares. The only provision was that it must have good road manners too. This beautifully restored example is equipped with a five speed gearbox and a DB5 rear end, this car was vintage raced successfully for a number of years. Some of the extra's fitted to this car from new was a 17' steering wheel, heated rear window, electric windows, 2 wing mirrors and 2 Marchal fog lamps.

In 2009, this car was offered for sale by Bonhams at the Exceptional Motorcars and Automobilia at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, CA. It was estimated to sell for $500,000 - 600,000, but failed to find a willing buyer capable of satisfying its reserve.

In 2010, the car was offered for sale at the Sports & Classics of Monterey presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $350,000 - $425,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $330,000 inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Aston Martin

FastBack Coupe
Chassis number: DB4961L

Aston Martin started using the word 'Vantage' in 1950. It was applied to their DB2 to express that the vehicle had a higher-specification engine and many other enhancements. For the DB4s, the Vantage models beginning with the fourth series cars had slotted grilles in combination with the better integrated, flatter bonnet scoop and the recessed triple stacked taillights, all features which carried over to the DB5. With the Series IV cars came the introduction of the 'Special Series' engine, which added a third SU HD8 carburetor, a higher compression ratio (9:1) and larger valves, which boosted horsepower by over 10 percent to a quoted 266 bhp. Most, but not all, of the SS-engine powered DB4 vehicles were also given 'faired in' headlamp nose popularized by the iconic DB4GT and also carried over to the DB5. These covered headlamp versions of the Series IV cars, 45 in all, which were referred to as Vantage models by the factory. The DB4 Vantage models also featured the DB4GT dashboard instruments, identifiable by their separate dials for each function, and the addition of an oil temperature indicator, as the SS engine and indeed most DB4s by then were equipped with oil coolers.

As the final series of the DB4s were introduced, the body had grown longer and taller and was fitted with smaller, wider 15-inch wheels. Thus, the Series IV Vantage models are the only production DB4s to combine the original DB4 proportions with the covered headlamp nose, and the high-performance motor.

This vehicle is chassis number DB4/961/L and is an original left-hand drive vehicle. It was originally sold by Garage Mirabeau in Paris to its first owner, Edith Waters of Neuilly sur Seine. The next owner was Rene Welter of Luxembourg, followed by Walter Peter Mottl of Germany.

During the 1990s, the car was in the car of German collector and dealer Michael Brinkert. While in his care, the car was given a comprehensive restoration. By 2001, the DB4 was imported to the United States by Autosport Design and sold to its most recent owner, a resident of Charleston, South Carolina.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at RM Auctions Arizona sale where it was estimated to sell for $290,000 - $340,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $352,000 including buyer's premium.

At the time of the sale, the odometer showed 38,650 kms.

by Dan Vaughan

GT Coupe
Chassis number: DB4/1131/L
Engine number: 370/1212/GT

This car has the unique Vantage styling, with the slanted front fenders and covered headlamps. It is almost impossible to tell the difference between a Vantage DB4 and DB5. Originally fitted with a GT engine (370/0212/GT) it now has an SS engine (370/1120/SS). Only five DB4's were built with a GT engine, but this car is not considered one of the five. The Vantage engine differs with three SU carburetors. Factory documents also show the gearbox being changed (S.432/4/5 WR) to (S.432/4/1287). The rear axle was changed from (M60/407 to D.62/13). The rear axle ratio also changed from (3.77:1 to 3.31:1). All of these changes were done by and at the factory in January 1963.

by Aston Martin

Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: DB4/C/1071/L

In 1913, Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin founded Bamford and martin Limited in London, England. They believed that a sports car should have a distinctive and individual character; and should be built to the highest standards possible. In 1914, the company name was changed to Aston Martin because of the company's racing success at the Aston Hill Climb.

Introduced in 1958, the DB4 was an entirely different car from the DB Mark III it replaced in both design and performance. The new 3.7-liter engine was a double overhead cam straight-6, with a cylinder head and block made of cast aluminum alloy. The engine produced 240 horsepower and was backed up by servo-assisted disc brakes on all four wheels.

This 1963 Aston Martin DB4 Convertible is rarer than the DB4GT: Only 70 were built, all of them in the fourth and fifth series, and this particular example is one of only five left-hand-drive cars fitted with a 'Special Series' (SS) engine which was an expensive option at the time (a total of 1,110 DB4s were produced). The 'SS' incorporated a 9.0:1 compression ratio, larger valves and triple SU HD8 carburetors, producing 266bhp at 5,750 RPM, a gain of 26 horsepower over the standard unit.

This car was originally delivered to its first owner in Montreal, Canada. It made its way to the USA and in 1983 was advertised 'Buy engine rebuild, car comes free.' The present owner was just about to purchase a Fiat 124 Spider for the same amount of money. They ended up owning an Aston Martin, the car of their dreams, and have never looked back.

Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: DB4C/1095/R
Engine number: 370/1092

Chassis number DB4C/1095/R was ordered on February 7, 1963, through the agent in Brooklands, and it was delivered on May 31, 1963. The Goodwood Green DB4 Convertible was originally owned by the Hon. Henrietta Guinness, Gloucester Lodge, Regents Park, London. It was bought by Lady Henrietta for Michael Beeby. A short time later, the car was involved in an accident. The car returned to Dorset with a note in the service records stating that it had been written off by the insurance company. Further notes indicate that the factory then repaired the accident damage, which included overhauling the engine and installing a new windshield.

The convertible later made its way to the United States where it was converted to left-hand drive and cosmetically restored in its present dark red with tan leather interior. In 1994, it was in Florida after being acquired by Bob Pond. It remained in his care for the next 18 years. Currently, the car has a total of 33,697 miles on the odometer.

by Dan Vaughan

The DB name came from the name David Brown (later Sir David Brown), an individual who had purchased the Aston Martin Company.

The DB4 series was built from 1958 through 1963. A total of 1040 vehicles and five series were produced during this time frame. The coachwork was performed by Touring of Milan, Italy. The body panels were hand made of aluminum mounted on a steel tube frame and featuring the Superleggera method of construction. Superleggera means super light.

Initially, the DB4 series used disc brakes made by Dunlop but later switched to the Girling made disc brakes. Each of the five series featured improvements, design modifications, and technological enhancements. All of the DB4s received their power from a Tadek Mereck designed, 3670 cc, six-cylinder, all aluminum engine. The 220-240 horsepower engine could propel the car to a top speed of around 140 mph and the go from zero to sixty in just 8.5 seconds. David Brown, the owner of Aston Martin, produced the overdrive transmission.

The standard DB4 body style was the Saloon version; however, the Vantage series could be ordered and featured higher horsepower ratings.

In 1959, Aston Martin introduced the DB4 GT series. This series featured a shorter wheelbase and higher output than the standard DB4 Saloon. Due to the shorter wheelbase there were no rear seats. The engine had three twin-choke Weber Carburetors and twin distributors increasing the output of the standard engine to 302 bhp. This extra horsepower increased the top speed to around 153 mph and the zero-to-sixty time of around six seconds.

Other distinguishable features of the GT series were the exposed, racing style, fuel filer caps located on the rear wings. Perspex headlamp covers adorned the front of the vehicles.

The GT series was produced from 1959 through 1963. During this time period, 75 models were produced. The Italian coachbuilder Zagato was tasked at producing the bodies of 19 of these vehicles.

In 1960 the Zagato bodied cars were introduced at the London Motor Show. These hand-built vehicles were built to outperform Ferrari's. The short wheelbase, light weight construction, 314 horsepower engine, and a top speed of 160 mph made them very competitive.

The DB4 Drophead Coupe was produced from 1961 through 1963. During this time frame, 70 examples were created. They were convertibles built on the DB4 Saloon body style using the same aluminum, Superleggera body construction. The standard six-cylinder 3670 cc engine was now producing 260 horsepower. Thirty-two of the convertibles received the Vantage specifications which increased the output of the engine. The overdrive transmission was also available as an option.

In the 1960's, the DB4 Drophead Coupe was used in the movie 'The Italian Job.'

During the 1980's, an Aston Martin specialist named Richard Williams produced the remaining DB4's using the assistance of the Aston Martin factory and unused chassis.

by Dan Vaughan

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 the 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 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 dominant 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 configurations. 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 Dan Vaughan

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 Dan Vaughan