178 bhp (SAE), 2,922 cc DBA inline DOHC six-cylinder engine, dual SU carburetors, twin exhaust system, synchronized four-speed manual gearbox, Laycock de Normanville overdrive, independent front suspension with trailing link, coil springs and Armstrong lever dampers, live Salisbury rear axle located by trailing links and transverse Panhard rod, and hydraulic front disc, “Alfin” rear drum brakes. Wheelbase: 99"

• Rare and collectible; one of 462 built 1957-1959

• The ultimate development of the DB2, the first “true” postwar Aston Martin

• An older, painstaking restoration

• Full provenance and mileage from new with extensive documentation file

The landmark DB2, considered the first “true” postwar Aston Martin, was introduced in May 1950. The ultimate and most highly refined variant, the DB Mark III, debuted in March 1957 and was produced through July 1959, when the DB4 ultimately succeeded it.

Legendary Aston Martin engineer Tadek Marek thoroughly revised the existing six-cylinder W.O. Bentley/Lagonda engine design, with output rising to 162 bhp or 178 bhp with the optional twin-exhaust system. Front disc brakes supplemented “Alfin” finned aluminum rear drum brakes, with the upgrade optional on the first 100 DB Mark IIIs and standard on the final Mark IIIB variant of 1958-1959. Styling and body fittings were updated, most notably with a revised grille opening inspired by the DB3S sports racer that provided unmistakable brand continuity and essentially remained in effect through the V-8 models of the late-1980s. The Frank Feeley-revised instrument panel echoed the grille’s shape, with the gauges now positioned directly in front of the driver.

Only 551 DB Mark IIIs were produced, including one purpose-built competition model, with 462 Coupes and 84 Drophead Coupes built. By virtue of their Feltham-era, hand-built quality and legendary capabilities, each surviving example remains highly coveted today.

This original right-hand drive example, AM300/3/1622, was ordered in the late spring of 1958 by Mr. W. Harney of Salford, Lancaster, England. One week before the car was completed, Mr. Harney registered the car, and the plates “96 DRO” were issued. Final assembly and pre-delivery road testing were completed on July 31, 1958, and the car was delivered to Mr. Harney on August 1, 1958. Extensive warranty service was performed on August 29, 1958 at 2,445 recorded miles with the fitting of a new gearbox (numbered DBLCW/0/187) and rear-axle assembly (numbered C 58/539), an oil change, new inlet valve seals and new camshafts.

On November 11, 1958 while still under warranty at 6,387 miles, the Aston Martin Factory recorded that the radiator was changed, the valves were adjusted, the ignition timing was advanced, new spark plugs were fitted, the timing-chain tensioners were adjusted, and a new clutch plate was fitted. The gearbox was also serviced with the forks adjusted and new fluids added. A new seal was added, and the motor oil was topped off.

Both Aston Martin records and the original registration logbook for this vehicle confirm that on September 11, 1961 it was purchased corporately by Park Garage Molebey Ltd. Their ownership continued until August 16, 1965, when C.W. Wallace of London purchased it. The fourth owner is recorded on the original registration log as Mr. Ernest Albert Beckham of Bristol, England, who acquired the Aston on July 13, 1966. He retained the car for the next nine years until June 1975, when it was sold to Evan Ormiston Clay of Devon, England. The original UK registration logbook records one additional owner, a Mr. Malcolm J. Rawlings, also of Devon, who purchased the car on May 30, 1975. With the UK’s original logbook-based system of road registrations having been succeeded during the early 1970s by the V5 ownership and registration system, AM300/3/1622 is accompanied by each MoT issued from 1972 through 1998, with corresponding mileage readings.

In the fall of 1988, AM300/3/1622 was purchased by Roger S. McCouat and his company, R.S. McCouat Coachtrimming of Somerset, England. The car had covered just over 100,000 miles from new during the previous 30 years, and despite being well cared for, Mr. McCouat decided to restore it to as-new condition. The meticulous process spanned 1988 to 1997, with full documentation carefully preserved and recorded in two albums. Once complete, AM300/3/1622 achieved first-place awards at three Aston Martin Owner’s Club meetings in 1996 and 1997.

AM300/3/1622 changed ownership in 1999 and was shown at various events over the next 11 years until the current owner purchased it on September 20, 2010. With its meticulously documented provenance and professional restoration, AM300/3/1622 remains in impressive condition. It has traveled approximately 105,000 documented miles from new, and as offered, it is complete with tools and a jack, as well as the original Owner’s Manual plus an impressive historical file including documents, correspondence, invoices, restoration photographs, the original logbook and MoT certificates through 1998. Simply put, it satisfies all the criteria Aston Martin enthusiasts consider.