Lot 319: 1966 Aston Martin DB6 Mk1 Vantage Saloon

Restyled on a longer-wheelbase, the DB6 was introduced in 1965, abandoning the Superleggera body structure of its predecessors in favour of a conventional steel fabrication. The extensive makeover included a more-raked windscreen, raised roofline and re-shaped rear quarter windows. Opening front quarter lights made a re-appearance, but the major change was at the rear where a Kamm-style tail with spoiler improved the aerodynamics, greatly enhancing stability at high speeds.
‘The tail lip halves the aerodynamic lift around maximum speed and brings in its train greater headroom and more luggage space,’ declared Motor magazine, concluding that the DB6 Vantage was one of the finest sportscars it had tested. ‘The DB6 with its longer wheelbase and better headroom makes an Aston Martin available to the far wider four-seater market, and the design is in every way superior to the previous model. A purist might have though that the longer wheelbase would affect the near-perfect balance of the DB5, but if anything the DB6 is better. If you need to stop from high speed the brakes are outstandingly powerful, a point which really needs remembering if there is a less well endowed vehicle behind; and the handling in both wet and dry conditions is superior to all but a couple of the production two-seater sportscars we have tested.’
DB6 Vantage chassis number ‘2452/R’ returned to England from California in 1986, its odometer displaying a total of 78,308 miles at that time. For the past 22 years the car has been maintained by the vendor’s Aston Martin-trained mechanic and is presented in exceptional condition throughout, having covered only a further 6,000-or-so miles during this time. Maintenance has been continuous and thorough, the car benefiting from a bare-metal re-spray in 1995 among numerous other works. Finished in Windsor Red with black leather interior, ‘SVN 73D’ has the desirable ZF five-speed manual transmission and is offered with a large quantity of tax discs dating back to 1975, all MoT certificates dating back to 1986, sundry service/maintenance invoices, Swansea V5 registration document and current MoT.