1971 Aston Martin DBS Sports Saloon
Registration no. GGY 374J
Chassis no. DBS/5452/R
Engine no. 400/4164/S

Although always intended to house the new Tadek Marek-designed V8 engine, the Aston Martin DBS was launched in October 1967 with the 4.0-litre 'six' of the concurrently produced DB6. Styled in-house by William Towns, the beautiful DBS caused quite a stir, Autocar magazine observing that it was 'as modern, handsome and Italianate as anything from the Turin coachbuilders...'

Beneath its shapely exterior the DBS employed a platform-type chassis with independent suspension all round: wishbone and coil-spring at the front, De Dion with Watts linkage at the rear. Larger and more luxuriously appointed than the DB6, the DBS was, inevitably, heavier but the Vantage version's top speed of 140mph and a standing quarter-mile time of 16.3 seconds were highly respectable figures nonetheless. Assessing the virtues of Aston's new flagship, Autocar judged it superior to the DB6 in many areas, the bigger DBS offering four full-sized seats in addition to transformed handling and roadholding courtesy of the new rear suspension and standardised power steering.

Although less well known as such than the earlier 'DB' series, the DBS is yet another 'James Bond' Aston Martin, having featured in the 1969 motion picture, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, starring George Lazenby as the eponymous secret agent.

Chassis number '5452/R' was supplied new via Arnold G Wilson Ltd to its first owner, Morley Waste Traders of Morley, Yorkshire. The car was purchased by the current vendor in October 1980 and used and enjoyed when time permitted and the weather was kind. After a few years it was placed in dry storage, remaining there until 1994 when it was restored by a local firm. The Aston was treated as a 'spare time' job to keep costs down (all bills and work sheets are on file). Finished and MoT'd again in 1995, the Aston then went back into storage, there being a lack of opportunities to enjoy it, where it remained until 2014. Re-commissioned by marque specialist Rikki Cann, it is described by the private vendor as in generally very good condition, with original interior and all electrics working correctly. The current odometer reading is 83,394 miles, with only 100 miles covered in the last 19 years. Accompanying documentation consists of the aforementioned bills, copy order form, an old-style logbook, V5 registration document and MoT to December 2015.