With confirmed mechanicals and a light-weight aluminium physique by Italian coachbuilding home Zagato, the DB4 GT Zagato was Aston Martin’s newest salvo in a heated battle for supremacy within the early-Nineteen Sixties World Sports activities Automobile Championship in opposition to Ferrari.
The Zagato Design: Lighter, Sleeker, Quicker
Famed for its light-weight our bodies, significantly for Alfa Romeo, Zagato’s chief designer, Ercole Spada, crafted a svelte physique that shaved 50kg from the DB4 GT Zagato. Aston Martin additionally garnered an additional 12bhp from the straight-six engine.
This explicit automotive that I noticed on the Concours of Class 2024 is chassis 0199/L. It’s the second automotive constructed (regardless of the primary chassis being 0200/R), and was a part of a five-car consignment for Archie Bryde’s Autonautica agency.
The Lacking Years: 1960 to 1973
The path goes chilly till 1973, when Colin Crabbe purchased the automotive from a vendor referred to as Cupellini. He offered DB4 GT Zagato to UK vendor Mike Fisher. Now carrying an Italian tackle British Racing Inexperienced, the automotive was raced by Fisher a couple of instances, although it led to catastrophe when the engine blew up at Silverstone.
Rebuild and Modifications: Roger St John-Hart’s Intervention
Roger St John-Hart, a good friend of Fisher’s, rebuilt the engine, earlier than utilizing it on the street. On the finish of 1973 he marketed it on the market in Autosport, finally promoting it to Brian Traditional. He had the automotive transformed to right-hand drive at Robin Hamilton, and it was right here that Philip Ludlam spied it whereas having work finished on his personal DB4.
Philip Ludlam’s Transient Possession and the Journey to America
Ludlam subsequently purchased the automotive, utilizing it often as a result of he wasn’t an enormous fan of the Aston’s understeering nature. In 1975 he offered it to Bob Stockman of Connecticut, who instantly used it to compete in Aston Martin Homeowners Membership racing occasions. He had the automotive returned to left-hand drive by American specialist Don Lefferts of Connecticut utilizing the unique dashboard, which had been retained by Hamilton. In some unspecified time in the future within the Seventies it was repainted purple.
Stockman had the DB4 GT Zagato fully retrimmed within the mid-Eighties and the paint renewed; it later had one other engine rebuild after a major bearing failure at Lime Rock.
Intensive Renovation in 1992
1992 noticed an extra engine rebuild as a part of an in depth renovation. Stockman used the DB4 GT Zagato commonly, having fun with a dozen 1000-mile US excursions and rallies. This included tackling the California Mille alongside then Chrysler chairman Bob Lutz. In 1993 the automotive was featured in Highway & Observe journal.
Jack Boxstrom Takes the Wheel
After relocating to Florida, Stockman offered the automotive to Jack Boxstrom, who rapidly raced it at Lime Rock. Possession handed to the present custodian in 2012. The DB4 GT Zagato has lately undergone a full restoration by RS Williams to authentic specification:
ENGINE – 3670cc/inline-six/ naturally aspirated/DOHC
TRANSMISSION – 4-speed guide, RWD
POWER – 314bhp
TORQUE – 278lb ft
TOP SPEED – 152mph
0-60MPH – 6.1secs
WEIGHT – 1160kg
I’ve all the time beloved this automotive, it’s one of the crucial lovely vehicles of all time in my view. I might so like to personal and drive this automotive. What an exquisite work of automotive artwork. Tremendous cool. What do you consider this automotive? This automotive actually caught my consideration and made it into my prime 10 vehicles on the 2024 Concours of Class. Try that prime 10 right here.
