1960 Aston Martin

A lovely example of one of just 351 DB4 Series II cars, finished in a classic Aston Martin specification and carefully maintained by leading marque specialists.

The DB4 was unveiled at the 1958 Paris Motor Show as Aston Martin’s all-new sports car, featuring a completely new platform chassis, disc brakes all round and a newly developed 3.7-litre straight-six engine. It was clothed in a handsome Superleggera body styled by Touring of Milan, creating a masterpiece of British engineering with Italian design flair.

The Aston Martin DB4 Series 2 was introduced in January 1960 as the direct successor to the Series 1 and remained in production until April 1961. A total of 349 examples were produced before the Series 3 replaced it. While outwardly similar to the original DB4, the Series 2 incorporated a number of important improvements, many of them informed by the early and sometimes patchy ownership experience of Series 1 customers, who in effect became unintended test drivers.

Many of the changes made to the Series 2 were mechanical and therefore not immediately obvious, but there are several key features that allow it to be distinguished from earlier cars. Most notably, the Series 2 adopted opening rear quarter lights made from flat glass rather than the curved, fixed windows used previously. In addition, the bonnet was reconfigured to hinge from the front, a design approach that Aston Martin would continue to use on its front-engined models right through to the end of the Virage-based production in 2000.

Mechanical refinements were focused primarily on improving engine cooling and reliability. The engine sump capacity was increased from 14 to 17 pints, and the oil pump was uprated to improve lubrication. The Series 2 was also fitted with uprated front brake callipers, addressing braking performance on earlier cars.

Additional options available to buyers included overdrive, as fitted to this car, enhancing the DB4’s usability as a high-speed grand tourer. Both Series 1 and Series 2 cars shared the same design originally sourced from certain special-bodied Rolls-Royce and Bentley models. These distinctive units are often referred to as “cathedral” rear lights.

Chassis DB4/415/R is one of just 351 Series II cars built and was supplied new via Raymond Mays to Rowland Hunt Esq. of Aswardby Hall, Lincolnshire, on 11 November 1960. Its accompanying Aston Martin build record and continuation logbook document a well-traced ownership history, including later custodians in London and the Midlands.

During the 1960s, the car was upgraded with a later DB4-series engine (engine number 370/894, replacing the original 370/487), a common and period-correct modification given the known fragility of early DB4 engines prior to the introduction of oil cooling improvements.

From the late 1980s until 2014, the car formed part of a private European collection, before entering its current custodianship via Landmark Car Co. Since then, the DB4 has benefited from significant mechanical and cosmetic expenditure. The engine has received a top-end overhaul, including the fitment of a big-valve cylinder head at a cost of £9,411.47, while further work carried out by respected specialists Chicane Classics addressed the steering, brakes, suspension, exhaust and tyres at a cost of over £30,000.

Originally delivered in Wedgewood Blue, the car is now finished in the ever-popular California Sage Metallic with black leather trim, in keeping with its original interior specification. It presents extremely well and drives strongly, having been used regularly rather than for static display. More recently, it has been maintained by Aston Martin specialists Nicholas Mee, ensuring it continues to be cared for to a high standard.

Supplied with its original registration number SCT 415, UK V5C registration document, a bound history file including restoration invoices, a copy of the Aston Martin build record and a continuation buff logbook.

Having sold at auction approximately ten years ago for just over £433,000, this DB4 Series II represents an opportunity to acquire one of the most elegant and usable British GT cars of the period at a notably more accessible level, despite having seen only light use since.

Overall, the DB4 Series 2 represents a significantly more developed and resolved version of Aston Martin’s landmark Touring-bodied sportscar, combining the elegance of the original design with meaningful engineering improvements that make it a more robust and usable car.

Available now for viewing and demonstration at Pendine’s Bicester Motion showroom.