As you may have noticed, Aston Martin are riding a bit of a high at the moment, with a slew of new models being launched to critical acclaim. This is as good a time as any, then, to take a meander through some of their greatest hits as five fabulous Aston Martins are set to headline Aguttes’ Autumn Sale on December 2nd in Paris…
1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupé
Aston Martin were producing dream cars long before a certain super spy made the DB5 his company car, and this 1953 DB2/4 is the perfect example of one of their early hits. Any grand tourer worth its salt needs an exciting engine, and in the late 1940s, David Brown was on a mission to put their Willie Watson-designed 2.6-litre 6-cylinder into something worthy of the engine. Thus, the DB2 was born, and it was quickly met with a sea of praise, with one road tester commenting “Whether for shopping, going to the theatre, for long journeys or even for racing at Le Mans, it will be difficult to find a more perfect car than the Aston Martin.”
This particular car is one of only 75 left hand drive convertibles ever made and wears the captivating combination of black paintwork over a red leather interior. Fastidiously maintained throughout its life, this DB2 benefitted from a full engine rebuild in 2008 and remains in excellent condition throughout, ready to put a huge smile on its next custodian’s face.
1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series V Convertible
If you’re buying one black over red drop-top Aston, you may as well buy two, and as luck would have it this incredible DB4 perfectly matches the DB2 above. Being a Series V, this DB4 represents the most refined variant of the model before the DB5 was introduced, and therefore benefits from increased interior space and improved mechanical components. However, perhaps the most important point to note is that just 70 DB4 Convertibles were produced in total, making it even rarer than the DB4 GT.
This particular car was originally finished in Dubonnet Rosso over Connolly White Gold leather, but in the mid-2000s it was sold to major French collector who put the car through an exhaustive restoration costing over 100,000 pounds. During the restoration, its Touring coachwork was repainted in Black Pearl, while the interior was trimmed in gorgeous Cartier Red leather, while the biggest change was the conversion to left hand drive configuration. Now this gorgeous DB4 is ready to make your next summer cruise that much sweeter!
1964 Aston Martin DB5
Revealed in July 1963, the DB5 is truly a car that needs no introduction. Despite being an evolution rather than revolution compared to the DB4, its numerous appearances on the silver screen and larger 4.0-litre straight-six made the DB5 irresistible to petrol heads worldwide, and it has occupied the upper echelons of the collector car scene ever since.
This right hand drive DB5 was restored between 2006 and 2007 and now looks magnificent with Silver Birch paintwork and burgundy leather interior. With just four previous custodians — one of whom cherished this car for three decades — this is clearly an incredibly easy car to fall in love with, and now it could be your turn to take one for the team and park this amazing Aston in your garage.
1967 Aston Martin DB6
While the DB5 struck a balance between sports car and grand tourer, the larger and more laid-back DB6 had evolved into a thoroughbred GT. Taller and longer than the outgoing DB5, the DB6 incorporated two functional rear seats with a more-powerful 286 horsepower straight six under more aerodynamic bodywork. Available with either a 5 speed manual or a Borg-Warner 3-speed auto like this example, the DB6 could hit a still-impressive top speed of 240 km/h!
This Mk1 DB6 left Newport Pagnell in November 1967 in this eye-catching shade of Platinum white. Its accompanying file reveals that more than 70,000 pounds were spent keeping this Aston in tip-top shape, and today it remains in fabulous condition. As the last six-cylinder Aston before the V8-powered DBS was introduced, this DB6 is a rare and usable classic.
2020 Aston Martin V12 Speedster
Over half a century after the DB6 above left Newport Pagnell, Aston Martin produced this jaw-dropping V12 Speedster “Maverick Edition”, built to contend with McLaren’s Elva and the Ferrari SP1 and SP2 Monza. Powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 capable of producing a whopping 700 horsepower, the V12 Speedster is as close as you’ll get to a tarmac-bound fighter jet.
It’s perfectly fitting, then, that this example’s first owner enlisted the help of Aston’s Q department to honour his love of the Top Gun film franchise, with this V12 Speedster sporting a collection of custom decals and a pair of helmets that match Captain Maverick’s own from the movies. As number 59 of a mere 88 V12 Speedsters ever built, this is a rare ride indeed, made all the more appealing by its ultra-low mileage of just 200 km. This truly is one of the most exciting models from Aston’s recent history, so don’t let this opportunity to add it to your collection pass by!
Paris, 1 Dec
