Aston Martin DB6 convertible replica?

[Jukebag]

Anyone know if there has ever been a kit car or replica of an Aston Martin DB6 (in this case a convertible) either made by a kit firm or someone making one as a selfbuild?. The reason I ask is because a few years ago a remember seeing one; only saw it from a distance and it looked like authentic looking, the only odd thing (which didn't puzzle me at the time) was the absence of the usual Aston Martin wire wheels which I've always seen them sporting. This had wheels which were similar to minilites in their appearance. The colour was a light blue. I took a photo of it at the time but was too far away to make out the number, though I did once find a pic of the same car i'd seen on an image search, but I've never been able to find it since. When I looked up the reg i I think it came up with an odd date for when it was first registered, and this another thing that made me wonder if it was a replica of maybe a rebody.

So far I haven't been able to find any photos of these cars wearing those kinds of wheels that this particular DB6 I saw was using. It mayve been a standard DB6 vantage that had its roof chopped and converted to a convertible, but why use those kind of wheels.

Edited by Jukebag on Saturday 21st September 21:04

[finlo]

The one in the Italian job was a Lancia under the skin, i also recall something about a Capri based replica?

[Scrump]

The Capri replica was of a later V8 vantage. It was called the DMS bullitt.

[Scrump]

When you say you only saw it from a distance, maybe it was not quite as far away as you thought:

[Jukebag]

I would've noticed if it was that small lol.

I didn't have time to take a closer pic as it was parked across street opposite from where I was heading, and it was parked up in front of a Natwest Bank.

[finlo]

A bit of Googling also brings up a Honda S2000 based replica.

[Jader1973]

finlo said:

The one in the Italian job was a Lancia under the skin, i also recall something about a Capri based replica?

The one in the Italian Job was a DB4. It was supposedly pushed off the mountain but the pyrotechnics didn’t work so they recovered it but it was too badly damaged to use for a second take. They quickly mocked up lookalike on a Lancia and pushed it over. The car switches from RHD to LHD just as it goes over the edge.

[Jukebag]

Managed to find a pic of the same Aston I'd seen:

https://www.autogespot.com/aston-martin-db6-volant...

Looks like it's a real DB6 according to the dvla, date of car sounds about right for that model. Just strange choice of wheels.

[vixen1700]

It looks great in that picture, and I like the wheels.

[4rephill]

Jader1973 said:

finlo said:

The one in the Italian job was a Lancia under the skin, i also recall something about a Capri based replica?

The one in the Italian Job was a DB4. It was supposedly pushed off the mountain but the pyrotechnics didn’t work so they recovered it but it was too badly damaged to use for a second take. They quickly mocked up lookalike on a Lancia and pushed it over. The car switches from RHD to LHD just as it goes over the edge.

The bonnet of the Lancia also opens at the wrong end for a DB4.

TBF though, considering how little time they had to find a car they could use, in Italy, that was somewhere close to being a replica of a DB4, they didn't do too bad a job (yes the details weren't absolutely "spot on" correct, but the modifications were done pretty much overnight)

Seeing the film multiple times (especially with on video/DVD), it becomes obvious that the car shown going over the side is not a real DB4, but if you were to watch the film just once, and weren't looking out for the replica, then it was quite believable.

As for the car this thread is actually about:

Sorry, but the wheels just look plain wrong to me - Not a fan!

[RichB]

Jader1973 said:

finlo said:

The one in the Italian job was a Lancia under the skin, i also recall something about a Capri based replica?

The one in the Italian Job was a DB4. It was supposedly pushed off the mountain but the pyrotechnics didn’t work so they recovered it but it was too badly damaged to use for a second take. They quickly mocked up lookalike on a Lancia and pushed it over. The car switches from RHD to LHD just as it goes over the edge.

Have you got the source of that info Jader? It has always been said that the DB4 Convertible was repaired and sold.

[finlo]

RichB said:

Have you got the source of that info Jader? It has always been said that the DB4 Convertible was repaired and sold.

Maybe it was but couldn't be repaired in time for the second shoot?

[Jukebag]

I don't like those wheels either. Just not very Aston Martin without them imo. Im sure the owner could afford a set of wires. That's the reason why I thought it might have been a replica of some kind. I saw that Aston in West Kirkby on the Wirral in 2015. The sort of place to see something like that as everyone's a complete toffee nose snob there and house prices are in the millions.

Speaking of the Italian Job Aston, but I've watched that scene many times, in 1080p HD, and I cannot see any tell take sign that shows a Lancia, even under modification. To me it looks like a real DB4 they shoved off that cliff. How do we know they ain't telling porkies and they really did wreck a DB4?. If there are no production still shots showing this Lancia in preparation for the scene (with the Aston and E-Types in shot) then there's no way to prove this.

Edited by Jukebag on Sunday 22 September 15:33

[RichB]

Jukebag said:

...I've watched that scene many times, in 1080p HD, and I cannot see any tell tale sign that shows a Lancia, even under modification...

As 4rephil said, the bonnet is hinged in the wrong place for a DB4, also DB4s don't have flared wheel arches. As you say they may have trashed the Aston and needed a replacement but the one on the way down the cliff is not an Aston.

Edited by RichB on Sunday 22 September 15:47

[finlo]

Jukebag said:

I don't like those wheels either. Just not very Aston Martin without them imo. Im sure the owner could afford a set of wires. That's the reason why I thought it might have been a replica of some kind. I saw that Aston in West Kirkby on the Wirral in 2015. The sort of place to see something like that as everyone's a complete toffee nose snob there and house prices are in the millions.

Speaking of the Italian Job Aston, but I've watched that scene many times, in 1080p HD, and I cannot see any tell take sign that shows a Lancia, even under modification. To me it looks like a real DB4 they shoved off that cliff. How do we know they ain't telling porkies and they really did wreck a DB4?. If there are no production still shots showing this Lancia in preparation for the scene (with the Aston and E-Types in shot) then there's no way to prove this.

Edited by Jukebag on Sunday 22 September 15:33

Watch it again, as it starts to get lifted it's RHD then as it goes over it flips to LHD.

[Jukebag]

I did notice the bumper overriders which the Aston decent have, and the greenish coloured softtop. Apart from that it looked quite convincing. All that trouble though for one quick shot, and the Aston had it's hood smashed in anyway before being switched.

[4rephill]

Jukebag said:

.......Speaking of the Italian Job Aston, but I've watched that scene many times, in 1080p HD, and I cannot see any tell take sign that shows a Lancia, even under modification. To me it looks like a real DB4 they shoved off that cliff. How do we know they ain't telling porkies and they really did wreck a DB4?. If there are no production still shots showing this Lancia in preparation for the scene (with the Aston and E-Types in shot) then there's no way to prove this.

Edited by Jukebag on Sunday 22 September 15:33

Take a good look:

The Aston Martin DB4:




The Lancia replica:



It's left hand drive (so blatantly not the same car Michael Caine starts off with), the bonnet scoop is to low and too wide, the edges around the front grill are sharp and not rounded, the grill is the wrong shape, there is no quarter light on the door, the side light is the same size as the indicator (should be smaller).

More evidence here, from a couple of years ago (See the original thread for larger pictures: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... :

Jon39 said:

LOOK AWAY NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW.

This appears to be a genuine DB4 - NOTE - RIGHT HAND DRIVE




It does appear that they tried to minimise the damage, by stopping the bucket when only the roof and windscreen had been ruined.




DB4 is lifted to go down the ravine. The bucket again seems to have been positioned to minimise damage.




Camera position changes and the car (Lancia?) begins the descent.
NOTE - THE CAR IS NOW LEFT HAND DRIVE.
A very clever replica, but we now know that the bonnet louvre and front grille are not correct, and there is a pronounced rear wheel arch lip, which a DB4 does not have.

And...... It's been well documented over the years (and noted in the linked thread), that they did wreck the DB4, and pushed it over the side, but it didn't go as planned, the DB4 was too damaged to reuse, and so a Lancia Flaminia convertible was found and modified within 24 hours, to enable the stunt to be re-shot (Here, for a start off: http://www.theitalianjob.com/cars_fastcars.htm )

[Jader1973]

RichB said:

Have you got the source of that info Jader? It has always been said that the DB4 Convertible was repaired and sold.

Page 58 of “The Making of The Italian Job” published in 2001.

[aeropilot]

Jukebag said:

Managed to find a pic of the same Aston I'd seen:

https://www.autogespot.com/aston-martin-db6-volant...

Looks like it's a real DB6 according to the dvla, date of car sounds about right for that model. Just strange choice of wheels.

They are Minilite Sports.

I can remember the Tech Del advertising at the time 1979-80-ish showing photos of these (then new style) Minilite Sports fitted to a Jag E-Type V12 as well as a DB6.

[Jukebag]

I wonder why they couldn't have used a miniature, but I suppose the answer to that is that would've been a lot more obvious.