Monday 9th December 2013

Aston Martin DB6 shooting brake: YKYWT

A very special shooting brake, actually built for going shooting

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As the story goes, Innes Ireland's 1967 Aston Martin Vantage DB6 was too impractical to swallow his shooting gear and golf clubs. Rather than chop it in for something with a boot, he instead sent his car to London coachbuilders FLM Panelcraft in 1969. The firm, renowned for its conversions of saloons and coupes to shooting brakes, duly replaced the rakish roofline with an estate-style rear end, complete with split-folding tailgate. Ireland thus owned the coolest car in the golf club car park.

His DB6 Shooting Brake is one of two known to exist today, although a handful of similar cars were built by Harold Radford. It was comprehensively restored by Aston Martin Works Service to as-new condition in 1989 and since then has covered just a few hundred miles. Recent estimates have the put the current value of this car at around £350,000.

Like an Aston Martin DB6, but even cooler

In a 1968 edition of Autocar magazine, Ireland wrote, "In spite of the fact I had the Selectaride on the maximum and our cruising speed from Antwerp to Eupen was 120mph, complete comfort prevailed." Selectaride, incidentally, was the name given the rear dampers that could be adjusted from within the cabin.

In Vantage specification the DB6 was a muscular brute for its day with some 325hp. Over and above the standard 282hp model the Vantage's six-cylinder engine had a higher compression ratio and triple Weber carburettors.

Ireland was the archetypal British racing driver of the 60s; he had a military background and debonair good looks, he trained as an engineer and was notoriously outspoken. He won four Formula 1 races, one of which (the 1961 US Grand Prix) was a world championship round. In later life he was elected president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, a position he held until his death in 1993.

Ireland was of a generation of Formula 1 drivers who raced for the joy of it, rather than any monetary reward. He would later comment that he must have been one of few Grand Prix drivers to leave the sport with less money than when he arrived. The growing politicisation of the sport he loved - the 'Sport of Gentleman' - eventually saw him hang up his helmet in 1967.

We don't see drivers like Ireland these days and nor do we see coach-built oddities such as his DB6 Shooting Brake often enough. Here's hoping this car's eventual owner is brave enough to sling a couple of guns in the back and use it as Innes would have.

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ASTON MARTIN DB6 SHOOTING BRAKE
Price: c. £350,000
Why you should: It's a classic Aston Martin, converted to carry guns and other sporting equipment and owned by a driving legend
Why you shouldn't: Er, nope, can't think of any reason why not

See the original advert here.

 

 

 

[The Leaper]

I'm old enough to well remember this and one or two other AM estates around the 1960s and I thought they were just the coolest of cars, and I still do. Their retro lines look really good even now to my eyes. I just wish I had a spare £350,000 so I could get this car. To me, it's far better than that Brabus estate thing also on PH's front page today!

R.

[Raudus42]

YKYWT?

Nope.

[Bobo W]

Not convinced by lines at the back, the Radford version was much better executed.

[Cheib]

This car must have been for sale on and off for what feels like five years.....which given what Aston prices have done in that time is an achievement!

[carinaman]

No. Don't the Cambridges want to modify some Georgian pile on the Sandringham estate? Some things are better left alone.

I don't think a roof rack would disfigure this to much:

http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/Aston%20Martin/58...

[ajprice]

No.

Sorry, but the rear pillar curving up like that will forever be...

[NotNormal]

Saw this car as it was on display at this years Goodwood Revival.

Absolutely stunning in the flesh.

[Ray Singh]

Should this be Shooting Brake or Shooting Break?

Sorry to be the spelling police, but am interested to know why its one and not the other.

[carinaman]

I am doing an about turn. I have a thing for red interiors and that engine looks fantastic. Shame the drooping rearward window line is still visible from the boot. The provenance also swayed me. It still looks grim though.

[Devil2575]

Horrible. It looks like a hearse. No I do not want too.

[callmedave]

I like the story and the history behind the car, but i prefer the original, I recently got a picture of an Elan that had similar treatment, although i dont know its history, I know it was being exported to Japan, and the guy said that it will stay out there.

[bagseye]

Looks like a hearse.

[anything fast]

Oh come on... This is pig ugly from the back and anyone who could afford one could afford a fleet of estate cars so one begs the question, why or why ruin one of the most beautiful cars ever made? If it was not an Aston I am sure there would be post after post saying kill it with fire.

It had potential to look very nice but the allegro back end and the curve up window make it look like a hearse. Well if James Bond ever bites the bullet they wont need a funeral car.

[will_]

Got bid to £300k in October last year, so not sure where the "valuation" of £350k has come from (except the vendor, presumably!).

http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1056...

[Justayellowbadge]

callmedave said:

I like the story and the history behind the car, but i prefer the original, I recently got a picture of an Elan that had similar treatment, although i dont know its history, I know it was being exported to Japan, and the guy said that it will stay out there.

Isn't that an Elanbulance?

[Escort3500]

Appalling ruination of a magnificent sports car. What an abomination

[alpha channel]

There are few things which I wish I could un-see... this is pretty much top of that list. When I first saw the photo on the main page I thought someone had done a rather hideous Photoshop job on a DB6 only to read on that it's real! Some people should be drowned at birth to prevent them doing things like this to cars.

[Chris71]

Escort3500 said:

Appalling ruination of a magnificent sports car. What an abomination

Aesthetically you might have a point. But it was a question of bespoke coach building carried out when the car was new(ish) by someone who had a genuine need for a shooting brake. Without the rose tinting I think it's pretty cool.

[Justayellowbadge]

alpha channel said:

There are few things which I wish I could un-see... this is pretty much top of that list. When I first saw the photo on the main page I thought someone had done a rather hideous Photoshop job on a DB6 only to read on that it's real! Some people should be drowned at birth to prevent them doing things like this to cars.

Yes, indeed, what on earth did Innes Ireland know about cars?

Of course, probably a little more than someone who has only just discovered one of the most famous coachbuilt Astons in the world, which has been featured in numerous magazines and books over the last 30 odd years. That's the kind of in-depth knowledge that demonstrates an opinion that should be valued, especially when advocating death for car styling.

[yeti]

Justayellowbadge said:

Yes, indeed, what on earth did Innes Ireland know about cars?

Of course, probably a little more than someone who has only just discovered one of the most famous coachbuilt Astons in the world, which has been featured in numerous magazines and books over the last 30 odd years. That's the kind of in-depth knowledge that demonstrates an opinion that should be valued, especially when advocating death for car styling.

Well said.

Astons all look the same anyway