1962 Aston Martin DB4 (Mk 4) Convertible. Following success in motor racing in the 1950’s the owner of Aston Martin, David Brown, turned attention to the development of a road going car that could echo some of those successes and hence the development of arguably the most famous of the three Aston Martins, the DB4, DB5 and DB6 which have cemented their respected place in the motoring history journals. For styling he turned to the Italian Design House ‘Carrozzeria Touring’ of Milan who developed the Superleggara (Super Lightweight) bodywork and the Tadek Marek, the Polish motor engineer who had defected to the UK at the beginning of the 2nd World War. He was tasked by David Brown with the design of an all new all alloy structured twin cam straight six engine which remained the power source right through the range from 1958 to 1971 where it the powered the early Aston Martin DBSs before being replaced with the all new 5.3litre V8. The DB4 was powered by the 3.7litre version of the straight six engine, feeding through a 4 speed all synchromesh gearbox to a live rear axle supported by a ‘Watt’ linkage. The engine, in standard format, with twin SU carburettors developed some 240bhp which gave the car of that day staggering performance, a standing start to 100mph and back to zero in under 30 seconds making it just about one of the fastest cars on the road, an equal of its Italian rivals of the day. The DB4 had 5 facelifts in it’s 5 year production, and although never officially labelled as such the Aston Martin Owners Club denoted the changes as Mk1 – Mk5, an addition to the title which remains today and helps to identify the particular model. This particular model is the Mk4 version so manufactured between 1961 and 1962 and registered in July of that year, notable by the 7 vertical bar front grille with the shallower bonnet intake and recessed rear lights. The first owner was a Winifred Owthwaite of Thackley, West Yorkshire and carried her personal registration of WO1. Finished originally in Tudor Grey with a red Connolly Hide Interior with options which included c18 horns, an overdrive and a cranked gear lever. She kept the car for 32yrs before it went to auction in the mid 1990s. Following this the car went under a complete ground up and body off restoration by recognised Aston Martin specialists Bodylines and Spray TEC. At that same time various upgrades were sympathetically incorporated to make the car easier to use in todays changed environment including increasing the engine capacity to 4.0 litres, converting the cylinder head to accept unleaded fuels, a modified DB6 Mk2 Adwest power steering rack, apertures cut into the front footwell kick panels to accommodate modern speakers and a carpeted footrest in the front passengers footwell from the Aston Martin V8. Padded headrests were also added to the front seats for comfort and safety. The car is finished in a beautiful Silver Sand with a Burgundy leather trim And must be one of the best examples of this rare car in the world, a true investment opportunity. With the exception of the Zagato the DB4 Convertible is one of the rarest Aston Martin cars of the David Brown era with a total of only 70 ever built. Contact Kevin or Roger on 01508 530491 for further details. Stratton Motor Company, serving you since 1972.