Launched at the 1958 Paris Motor Show, the DB4 ushered in an exciting new era for Aston Martin under David Brown’s leadership. It also served as the basis for a specialized, competition model, the development of which was reportedly spurred by the company’s French distributor, who demanded that Aston Martin build a GT-class racing car capable of defeating the Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France. Based on the DP199 prototype, which won at its first race at Silverstone with Stirling Moss at the wheel, the DB4 GT debuted at the London Motor Show in 1959, the same year Aston Martin captured both a brilliant 1-2 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Sportscar Championship title.

Developed under Aston Martin racing manager John Wyer, the DB4 GT was shorter, lighter, and more powerful than the production DB4. Clothed in ultrathin, 18-gauge aluminum-alloy body panels, the new Aston Martin was also shortened by approximately five inches, and all unnecessary equipment was eschewed to achieve a 200-pound weight reduction.

Built with an aluminum, twin-plug cylinder head, the Tadek Marek-designed 3.7-litre, twin-cam engine of the DB4 GT was extensively modified, featuring higher 9:1 compression and three Weber 45 mm carburetors, yielding 302 factory-rated bhp at 6,000 rpm. Girling dual-circuit, four-wheel disc brakes were shared with Aston Martin’s sports racers of the era. Distinguished by its Perspex-covered headlamps, lightweight rear and quarter windows, deleted bumper over-riders, and frameless side windows, the DB4 GT also featured quick-release external fuel fillers, an extended-range fuel tank, and alloy-rimmed Borrani wire wheels. Despite its thoroughbred specification, the DB4 GT was finished to typical Aston Martin standards, with an interior luxuriously trimmed in fine Connolly leather upholstery and Wilton wool carpeting.

Campaigned extensively by the Aston Martin Works team and John Ogier’s Essex Racing team, DB4 GTs were piloted by the era’s greatest drivers, including Roy Salvadori, Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, and Innes Ireland. As Aston Martin’s successful reply to Ferrari’s 250 GT Tour de France, the DB4 GT was countered in 1960 by the 250 GT SWB, itself inspiring Aston Martin’s lighter-weight DB4 GT Zagato in 1961, only to be countered again, in 1962, by the 250 GTO.

Between 1959 and 1963, Aston Martin built just 75 DB4 GTs, plus another 19 Zagato-bodied examples, and one Bertone-bodied special called the Jet. Of the 75 Touring-bodied examples, 45 examples were right-hand drive and 30 were specified in left-hand drive for export markets.

Not only is this DB4 GT one of the 30 original left-hand-drive examples, it also possesses the remarkable distinction of having served as the Torino show car when new.

According to factory records, chassis DB4GT/0141/L was completed in June 1960, finished in the understated color scheme of Snow Shadow Grey with black Connolly leather upholstery. The Aston Martin build sheet further notes that it was originally equipped with Avon Turbospeed tires and a 3.54:1 rear axle with Powr-Lok limited-slip differential. Significantly, it is one of only three DB4 GTs known to have been built with fitted rear seats, a feature that offers a bit more real-world practicality.

When new, this DB4 GT was debuted at the Torino Motor Show, the prestigious annual event held at the Palazzo Esposizioni al Valentino between November 3 and 13, 1960. Following these duties, the Aston Martin was delivered to the official Italian distributor, Giacosa Bryde.

In January 1961, Gurdon Bayne Wattles, a 26-year-old resident of Oyster Bay, New York, purchased 0141/L to use while touring Europe. By May, he had covered more than 7,000 km and sent the GT back to the Newport Pagnell works for service and to have a 4.09:1 rear axle and overdrive fitted.

Following his tour, Mr. Wattles shipped the DB4 GT to the US and kept it until 1968, when it was sold to Aston Martin enthusiast Charles L. Turner of Atlanta. An authorized Aston Martin dealer and influential AMOC chairman, Mr. Turner had a fondness for DB4 GTs, owning several examples of the model between the 1960s and 1990s.

After passing through two subsequent owners during the 1970s, 0141/L was sold to Aston Martin specialist Kenneth Boyd of Needles, California. Ten years later, the GT was sold to Alan Lampert of Boston. In 1997, the Aston Martin was acquired by a collector in Germany and remained there for nearly a decade, during which time it was sympathetically restored. Reportedly, the restoration process included an engine rebuild to 4.2-litre specification – a popular and widely accepted performance upgrade for DB4s and DB5s. In 2006, 0141/L returned to the US when it was purchased by California-based collector J.T. Crandall.

Since 2013, 0141/L has resided in one of the world’s finest private collections of sports and racing cars. Sparingly used, it has nonetheless benefited from expert care and maintenance. Today, this Aston Martin looks the part of the quintessential gentleman’s GT, tastefully finished in silver metallic over black leather, a subtle variation of its original color scheme.

Its impressive presentation is further complemented by a substantive history file containing service records, correspondence, and a copy of the factory build record, which confirms that this car retains its matching-numbers engine, no. 370/0141/GT. Furthermore, the history and provenance of 0141/L are documented in Stephen Archer and Richard A. Candee’s definitive tome on the model, The Aston Martin DB4GT, published by Palawan Press.

A rare and desirable model from the glorious David Brown era, the DB4 GT ranks among the most sought-after Aston Martins of all time. These purpose-built machines represent the zenith of the DB4 program and proved extremely successful while competing at the height of international GT racing in the early 1960s. Without question, the DB4 GT is one of the finest dual-purpose GT cars of its generation, with its only serious rivals being Ferrari’s 250 SWB and Jaguar’s E-Type Lightweight. Both the Ferrari and Jaguar are considerably more valuable today, yet neither offers the DB4 GT’s all-around flexibility, build quality, or passenger comfort – qualities that make the Aston Martin an ideal choice for high-speed, long-distance motoring events like the Colorado Grand and Tour Auto.

A factory left-hand-drive DB4 GT, with a period show-car pedigree, rare options, and notable provenance, 0141/L is rated as a must-have for any serious Aston Martin enthusiast.r more information.

*Please note that this vehicle is titled 1961.