Description
This is lot number 128 in the Bonhams Zoute sale on October 6th, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Matching numbers engine and chassis
Concours condition (three-year full body and mechanical restoration just completed)
Original colour combination
In the present family ownership for over 25 years
Property from the collection of a private Belgian gentleman
Belgian registration document
"Performance, controllability and comfort have been combined in the Aston Martin DB4 to make it a highly desirable car: one in which long journeys can be completed very quickly indeed with the minimum of risk or discomfort and the maximum of pleasure." - The Motor.
Classically proportioned and instantly recognisable from the moment of its introduction in 1958, the Touring-styled Aston Martin DB4 established a look that would survive, with only minor revisions, until 1970. Designed by Tadek Marek and already proven in racing, the DB4's new twin-cam six-cylinder engine displaced 3, 670cc while the gearbox was a new David Brown four-speed all-synchromesh unit. An immensely strong platform-type chassis, designed by Harold Beach, replaced the preceding DB2/ 4's multi-tubular spaceframe, the latter being considered incompatible with Touring's Superleggera body construction. The DB2/ 4's trailing-link independent front suspension gave way to unequal-length wishbones while at the rear the DB4 sported a live axle located by a Watts linkage instead of its predecessor's Panhard rod. Boasting disc brakes all round and with 240bhp on tap, the DB4 was the first production car capable of accelerating from a standing start to 100mph and back to rest again in under 30 seconds. At a time when few family saloons were capable of exceeding 70mph and took an age to get there, this staggering performance made the DB4 just about the fastest thing on the road, easily the equal of its Italian rivals.
Manufactured between October 1958 and June 1963, the DB4 developed through no fewer than five series. However, it should be made clear that the cars were not thus designated by the factory, this nomenclature having been suggested subsequently by the Aston Martin Owners Club to aid identification as the model evolved. The first had already undergone a number of improvements, including the fitting of heavy-duty bumpers after the first 50 cars, before the second series arrived in January 1960. A front-hinged bonnet, bigger brake callipers, and an enlarged sump were the major changes made on the Series II, while the third series featured separate rear lights, two bonnet stays, and a host of improvements to the interior fittings. The fourth series was readily distinguishable by its new grille (with seven vertical bars), shallower bonnet intake, and recessed rear lights, while the final (fifth) series manufactured between September 1962 and June 1963 was 3. 5" longer (allowing for increased leg room and a larger boot) and gained 15" wheels, an electric radiator fan, and the DB4GT-type instrument panel.
One of the most notable developments had arrived with the introduction of the 'Series IV' in September 1961, when a 'Special Series' (SS) or 'Vantage' engine became available as an option. The 'SS' incorporated a 9. 0:1 compression ratio, larger valves, and triple SU HD8 carburettors, producing 266bhp at 5, 750rpm, a gain of 26 horsepower over the standard unit. Almost all DB4 Vantages were built with the faired-in headlights of the DB4GT, including the car offered here. The DB4 Series V Vantage is one of the rarest and most desirable of the DB range with only some 55 cars built in this final incarnation of the DB4. Indeed, the original 'James Bond' car used in the filming of Goldfinger was a DB4 Series V, as they look virtually identical to the DB5 which at that time was not quite ready.
One of only 17 believed left-hand drive Series V cars built with the Vantage (SS) engine, chassis number '1129/ L' was delivered new in the USA by British Motor Car distributors Inc in December 1962 finished in Desert White with black interior. The copy guarantee form lists the Vantage specification; 3. 77:1 rear axle ratio; Chrome wheels; side window vents; and an identification plate as items of non-standard equipment.
The documentation accompanying the car allows us to trace its history and to identify several of its following subsequent owners: the first one was J M West of Berkeley, California; then J Wilcox ; Dr E Griggs; 'Charlie'; a Chicago dealer; and 'Serio', the latter from June 1987.
In 1983, the DB4 had a joint restoration project by Aston Martin Noth America and Lake Forest Sportcars for display at that year's Chicago Auto Show. It had been restored with Storm Red paint and a black leather interior, while a 1988 letter on file states that the car was painted green at some point. In 1989, the Aston was registered to John B Evans (still in the USA) and in 1994 was registered in the Netherlands. The current owner, a distinguished Belgian automobile enthusiast, purchased the car in 1998 and registered it in 2001.
For a while the DB4 was fitted with a 4. 0-litre engine, the original having been damaged by the first owner and removed. In 2002, a Dutch gentleman informed the current owner that the engine, matching the chassis number DB4/ 1129/ L, was found in a DB5 he was considering purchasing. Though he decided against the purchase, the dealer subsequently contacted the current owner to offer him the engine. Thus, after 50 years, the chassis and its original engine were reunited.
Recently, a three-year complete restoration to concours condition was meticulously carried out to the highest standards, respecting the original specifications, in a Brussels workshop, as documented by the extensive file of available photographs and invoices from Garage Natens in Belgium, from where the mechanical parts were sourced.
Accompanying documentation includes the following: 2015 British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Certificate; important historical file containing numerous photocopies documenting the various owners (registration documents, correspondence, etc); several restoration invoices; important file of pictures showing the restoration: bodywork, chassis and floors, engine, interior, mechanical parts, etc.
