Lot 342: 1969 Aston Martin DBS Vantage Sports Saloon

Although always intended to house the new Tadek Marek-designed V8 engine, the Aston Martin DBS first appeared with the 4.0-litre ‘six’ of the concurrently produced DB6. Styled in-house by Bill Towns, the beautiful DBS caused quite a stir, Autocar magazine observing that: ‘Without the aid of an Italian stylist the Newport Pagnell team came up with something as modern, handsome and Italianate as anything from the Turin coachbuilders at that time.’
Beneath its shapely exterior the DBS employed a platform-type chassis with independent suspension all round: wishbone and coil-spring at the front, De Dion with Watts linkage at the rear. Larger and more luxuriously appointed than the DB6, the heavier DBS disappointed some by virtue of its slightly reduced performance, but the Vantage version’s top speed of 140mph and a standing quarter-mile time of 16.3 seconds were highly respectable figures nonetheless. Assessing the virtues of Aston’s new flagship, Autocar judged it superior to the DB6 in many areas, the bigger DBS offering four full-sized seats in addition to transformed handling and roadholding courtesy of the new rear suspension and standardised power steering.
DBS chassis number ‘5533R’ was originally fitted with 4.0-litre six-cylinder Vantage engine number ‘400/4422/SVC’ but has been re-engined with a reconditioned 4.2-litre Jaguar XK unit from an XJ6 saloon, this transplant having been carried out as part of a professional, ‘bare metal’ restoration undertaken during 2003/2004. Full documentation and photographs of the rebuild are on file. Similar in size and weight to the original, the XJ6 engine gives little away in terms of maximum power, producing 245bhp to the standard (non-Vantage) Aston six’s 282 horsepower, while being easier and cheaper to maintain. The desirable four-speed manual/overdrive gearbox is installed. Presented in generally very good condition, the car is offered with current road fund licence, MoT to November 2008 and Swansea V5 registration document.