Background

First shown in September 1967, the DBS was styled by William Towns who had joined the company a year earlier. A development of the DB6, the DBS was initially conceived as a limited production fast two seater and prepared to accommodate the new V8 engine designed by Tadek Marek which had been raced in experimental form in The Lola Aston Martin. To accommodate the width of a V8 engine the steel platform chassis of the DB6 was increased in width by 4 1/2" and the wheel base lengthened by 1" to allow the engine to be lowered behind the front cross member. Although wider than a DB6 by 6" it is both lower by 1" and Shorter by 1", which gives the car a powerful compact appearance.

The standard engine produced 282 b.h.p. whilst 325 b.h.p. was claimed for the Vantage. A de Dion rear axle was fitted with a limited slip differential. The model was in production from October 1967 to May 1972, during which time 787 cars were produced. Almost all manufacturers take their models through a process of development and improvement and the DBS is no exception. As a result, there was a continuous process of development and change throughout the production of the DBS, the most noticeable changes being the deeper spoilers fitted to the later cars and improved ventilation. The most significant improvement occurred with the last fifty cars which were fitted with the "dogleg" ZF gearbox as fitted to the subsequent DBSV8. As the eighteenth from the last car built, DBS/5812/R is such a car.

Vehicle History

A copy of the original build sheet for the car shows that the car was supplied to Callanders Garage on 14th January 1971 with the Vantage engine ("SVC" is the highest stage of tune for a Vantage engine).

Originally registered VMS 550 J, the number was returned when the car returned to the UK after a period of several years in Singapore and Australia. The earliest confirmation of this registration on file is a copy of the registration document from the mid 1980�s when the car was registered to a Mrs D Brown of Mayfair in March 1985. At that time it is noted that there were 3 former keepers since August 1976 and the next were sadly Mrs Brown�s Executors barely a month later. It is unclear as to where the car spent the next few years, but the car was acquired by a Peter Kirkby of Sheffield in November 1991, through the services of Aston Martin specialist, Desmond Smail. There were no additional keepers noted in the intervening years.

Over the next two years, the service history shows substantial mechanical and body renovation conducted by Aston Engineering at a cumulative cost of over £14,000. Aston Engineering continued to maintain the car up to March 2003 while it was under the control of Peter Kirkby, although the invoicing shows a number of iterations of this stewardship with a change to Mr Kirkby's company and then a change in name of the company. Service records of December 2003 show a new owner, Joseph De Giorgi.

In 2004, the car was offered for sale by the Aston Workshop and there is an inspection report on the car from Post Vintage Engineers commissioned by a Mr Henry Arundel of Singapore. Mr Arundel acquired the car in 2005 and the car travelled to Singapore and then on to Australia.

The current owner, a well-known collector and enthusiast of the marque, located the car in Australia where its sale was being handled by Cummins Classics. Learning that Nick Gatehouse, his good friend from Hong Kong was holidaying in Sydney at the time, he asked him to inspect the car. Now Nick is a confirmed Ferrari and Lamborghini enthusiast with a collection that has included everything from an F40 to a 250 Lusso. However, Nick was so impressed with this DBS that he asked if he could buy it - which the current owner agreed to. Subsequent to its return to the UK, and after Nick had competed in the 2008 Tour Britannia, Nick agreed to sell it to him.

Over the years, records show that the car has been subject to significant performance upgrades making this one of the best performing DBS model Aston Martin to come to market. The body has been completely stripped and repainted including all necessary restoration of the chassis and sills and is finished outstandingly well in the classic Dubonnet Rosso, its original build colour.

The engine has been fully rebuilt and bored to 4.2 litre specification with forged pistons, lightened crankshaft, Carello rods, and electronic programmable ignition system with laptop uplink, whilst the engine bay was stripped and repainted. This engine rebuild incorporated all the upgrades that Aston Engineering have developed over the years as a result of their extensive racing programme and is estimated to have 340 bhp.

Complimenting this upgraded performance, the brakes have been fully rebuilt and upgraded with AP racing rotors and callipers while the suspension was uprated with bespoke Konis, thicker anti-roll bars and later rear struts, with all components powder-coated where possible.

The car rides on widened 16" x 7" epoxy coated wire wheels in lieu of the original 15" diameter and the mechanical upgrades are completed by a full stainless steel exhaust system.

Summary

The "four headlight" DBS has become highly valued and evocative of the seventies. A manual car such as this to full "Vantage" specification is the most sought after version, appreciated as both collectible and eminently useable on an everyday basis. With its predecessors, the DB4, DB5, and DB6, still commanding up to four times the current value of a DBS for cars of similar condition, this represents an excellent opportunity to acquire a six cylinder Aston Martin from the handbuilt era of the marque.

Importantly, the upgrades and refurbishment this car has received would today cost at least the full asking price of the car. This combination of specification, condition, and upgrades makes this probably the best DBS available anywhere in the world.