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.
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.
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