Three-quarters front view of a silver, 1961 Aston Martin DB4, in the National Pit Garage, at the 2017 Silverstone Classic
The DB4 is a grand tourer sold by Aston Martin from 1958 until 1963. Technically it was a development of the DB Mark III it replaced but with a completely new body. The DB4's design formed the basis for later Aston Martin classics, such as the DB4 GT Zagato, the Lagonda Rapide 4-door saloon. It was eventually replaced by the Aston Martin DB5 The lightweight superleggera (tube-frame) body was designed by Carrozzeria Touring in Milan, and its Continental looks caused a sensation on its unveiling at the 1958 London Motor Show. Although the design and construction techniques were Italian, the DB4 was the first Aston to be built at the company's Newport Pagnell works in Buckinghamshire, England. The DB4 GT was a special lightweight, high-performance version of the DB4. Introduced in September 1959, it featured enclosed headlights and a thinner aluminium skin for lighter weight. The wheelbase was also reduced in comparison to the standard car, which resulted in many cars not being fitted with rear seats. The engine was what made the GT special. Available in L (3670 cc/223 in³) and L (3750 cc/228 in³) versions, the engine had two sparkplugs per cylinder with two distributors and three twin-choke Weber carburettors. Modifications to the cylinder head brought compression to :1 and power output was 302 hp (225 kW). Maximum speed for the GT was 151 mph (243 km/h)[9] with a second sprint to 60 mph (97 km/h). It was the fastest road legal production car at the time. Seventy-five GTs were built with this body style. Nineteen more were modified by the Zagato works in Italy into DB4 GT Zagatos, with plain oval grilles, Borrani wire wheels and a smoothed out rear end without the stock GT's tail fins. A single car was styled by Bertone and dubbed the Bertone Jet.
Size: 5172px × 3509px
Location: Silverstone Race Circuit, Northhamptonshire, England
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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