Est. 341 bhp “Special Series” 3,670 cc DOHC aluminium alloy inline six-cylinder engine upgraded to 4.2-litres displacement, triple SU HD8 carburettors, Tremec five-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension with upper and lower control arms, coil springs and anti-roll bar, live rear axle with Watt linkage, trailing links and coil springs, and four-wheel coil-spring suspension, and uprated DB5-spec four-wheel disc brakes with twin servos. Wheelbase: 98"

- One of just 31 RHD, Vantage-specification Series IV DB4s built

- Matching-numbers ‘SS’/Vantage-spec engine with performance upgrades

- Desirable shorter body, covered headlamps

- Offered from the collection of an Aston Martin marque enthusiast

The Aston Martin DB4, unveiled at the 1958 Paris Salon, was state-of-the-art for its time, a masterpiece of robust British engineering combined with exquisite Italian styling. It included a completely new steel platform chassis with disc brakes all around and a freshly developed alloy DOHC 3.7-litre straight-six engine, all clothed in an elegantly proportioned aluminium body designed by Touring of Milan, Italy. Of all post-war Aston Martins, the gracefully sleek DB4 remains one of the most admired, and it served as the blueprint for the DB5 and DB6.

The sleek body utilised Touring’s famed Superleggera (super light) process, consisting of a skeleton made up from small-diameter steel tubing covered by hand-formed aluminium alloy body panels. The design enabled the DB4 to achieve the iconic elegance which was particularly handsome on a shorter 98-inch wheelbase than later DB models.

The ‘Vantage’ specification

The ‘Vantage’ option only became available when the 4th series DB4 entered production. Since then it has been used to indicate many different levels of enhancement, but the common denominator has always been performance, up to and including today’s current models.

In the case of the DB4, no Vantage option was available until the so-called fourth-series entered production. They are outwardly identifiable by their slotted grille in combination with a better-integrated, flatter bonnet scoop and the recessed and triple-stacked tail lamps, all features that carried over to the later DB5. With the Series IV cars came the introduction of the 'Special Series' engine in September 1961, which added a third SU HD8 carburettor, a higher compression ratio (9:1) and larger valves, which boosted horsepower by over 10 percent to a quoted 266 bhp, a useful increase over the already robust standard-specification engine. Most – but not all – 'SS'-engine-equipped DB4s were also enhanced with the attractively faired-in headlamps popularised by the iconic DB4GT and carried over to the DB5. It is these covered-headlamp versions of the Series IV cars, with just 45 produced in all, which were referred to as “Vantage” models by the factory.

The DB4 Vantage also featured the DB4GT dashboard instruments, identifiable by their separate dials for each function, and the addition of an oil temperature indicator, as the SS engine and indeed most DB4s by then were equipped with oil coolers. By the time the next and final series of DB4s was introduced, the body had grown longer and taller and was fitted with smaller, wider 15-inch wheels, presaging the dimensions of the forthcoming DB5.

Therefore, the Series IV Vantage models are the only production DB4s to combine the original DB4 proportions with the attractive covered-headlamp nose, along with the high-performance motor. To many aficionados, this rare model has become the connoisseur's choice.

DB4/982/R

According to a copy of the original Aston Martin build sheet accompanying this original Vantage-specification, right-hand drive example, chassis DB4/982/R was equipped with overdrive, a 3.77:1 rear-axle ratio and chrome wheels. It was delivered new to a Mr. D.M. Paterson of Hurlingham in London through the dealer, Brooklands, on 23rd October 1962. The same sheet notes a David Butler of Denham acquiring the car on 18th June 1969. A Mr. Ian Sheppard become a later owner, and as confirmed by a continuation copy of an original green folding logbook in the car’s history file, there is also a single entry for a Mr. Ian Ifor of Connaghs Quay in 1975.

A copy of the registration document notes ownership by a Paul Harbach personally from October 2000, with invoices on file for sensitive restoration work dating back to 1993. During the custodianship of Mr. Harbach, DB4/982/R was shown at a number of AMOC concours events between 1997 and 1999, winning several awards, which are duly recorded in the AMOC register.

Mr. Richard Dresner, a marque enthusiast, owned DB4/982/R between 2005 and 2011. During his ownership, marque specialists were commissioned to further improve the car by sympathetically optimising its ride, handling, power output and safety. Displacement of the 3.7-litre ‘SS” engine was increased to 4.2 litres, and it was fitted with Ross pistons, a nitrided EN40B crankshaft with crack-tested and shot-peened standard connecting rods, Kent Fast Road cams and a 123 electronic distributor. Power output was increased by approximately 75 hp over the already considerable ‘SS’ specification. To more fully exploit the engine’s potential, a Tremec five-speed gearbox replaced the stock four-speed unit, although the original four-speed gearbox is included in the sale. The driveline is rounded out with a 3.77:1 final-drive ratio, a limited-slip differential, a Tilton hydraulic release bearing, an uprated clutch and a dynamically-balanced prop-shaft.

The suspension was also carefully modified with Koni front shock absorbers, adjustable spring platforms, uprated lever-arm shock absorbers, uprated Harvey Bailey springs and an anti-roll bar kit. Braking was enhanced with DB5-specification twin-servo disc brakes, EBC “Green Stuff” brake pads and a switch to DOT-4 brake fluid. The car has also been converted to run on lead-free petrol and has been fitted with progressive power steering.

Tremendously rare as one of just 31 right-hand drive Vantage-specification DB4s originally built, DB4/982/R is equipped with a sliding roof and a period radio and retains its matching-numbers ‘Special Series’ engine. It is also particularly desirable for its striking purity of line with its svelte Series IV Superleggera body measuring over 3½ inches shorter than its heavier and longer Series V successors, not to mention its covered headlamps and dash shared with the DB4GT.

Recognised by Aston Martin marque enthusiasts as the best DB4 model to own aside from the DB4GT, this Series IV DB4 Vantage Coupé is a superb car and a true thoroughbred. This is certainly one of the finest examples we have offered, and we encourage close inspection of this extraordinary GT machine.

Please note that the registration on this car is not included in the auction.