•     One of 19 examples built (of which only 8 LHD)
• The most desirable Aston Martin GT car of all time
• Eligible for world class historic events and concours d’elegance
• Unique original specification and maintained in ‘factory fresh’ conditio
• British road registered (EU tax paid)
  

Lionel Martin founded Aston Martin to construct competitive automobiles for private entrants like himself. Developed through a half century’s evolution, the DB4GT Zagato combined the enthusiasm of Aston Martin’s owners, employees and clients in a glorious synthesis of concept, design, materials and assembly. It is the ultimate expression of Aston Martin’s philosophy of building high performance, responsive, beautiful automobiles for a select clientele. It cemented Aston Martin’s reputation at the pinnacle of British grand touring automobiles, at once beautiful, powerful and responsive.

One of only nineteen built and only nine left-hand drive examples, DB4GT/0190/L combines a race-winning history in the hands of Roy Salvadori with the comfort and luxury of a true granturismo.

Aston Martin commissioned Tadek Marek, who had joined Aston in 1954, to create a new six for the DB4. It was designed in iron but produced in aluminum, a lucky consequence of suppliers’ capacity which in the end complemented the lightweight coachwork of Zagato. Simultaneously Aston turned to Milanese coachbuilder Touring for the design and, particularly, Touring’s proprietary superleggera construction technique for the DB4. Touring required a platform chassis to integrate with the superleggera technique’s armature of lightweight steel tubing supporting a skin of thin aluminum panels, a departure for Aston Martin but one that would prove once again to be fortuitous in the development of the Zagato-bodied DB4GT.

Touring’s design for the DB4 derived directly from Aston Martin’s earlier GTs, with a gently curved continuous line from the front wings through the doors culminating in the rear wings and a sloped fastback roofline with large rear glass with complementary tapered quarter windows. Based on suggestions from Don Hayter, the DB4 was contemporary, shapely and embodied now-traditional features like Aston’s characteristic radiator grille and a functional bonnet air scoop. Touring added details that have become part of Aston Martin’s visual repertoire, particularly the front wing air extractor vents. A four-seater like the DB2/4 and DB Mark III before it, the DB4’s light weight and powerful 3.7 litre engine made it England’s fastest GT, a worthy counterpart to the best from its Italian and German competitors.

Simultaneously Aston Martin was busy campaigning its svelte, streamlined DB3S and DBR1 sports racers. Their design was distinct from their road counterparts, featuring tightly wrapped bodies with distinctly formed sensuous front and rear wings. Victorious at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959 in the hands of Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby, the DBR1 finally realized David Brown’s long held goal of victory at La Sarthe, then cemented its achievement by capturing the 1959 World Sportscar Championship.

The short wheelbase DB4GT appeared in 1959 to meet clients’ desires for an even lighter, more responsive Aston Martin for competition and high performance road use. A two-seater built on a shortened platform chassis, it also boasted a 3.7 litre engine cast in lighter alloy, dual ignition, triple Weber carburettors, high lift camshafts, 9:1 compression ratio, dual plate clutch, close ratio transmission, Salisbury Powr-Lok differential and large diameter Girling disc brakes, specifications which left no doubt about the DB4GT’s serious performance intent.

Only a few months later Aston Martin introduced the first of its ultimate granturismo series, the DB4GT with competition-inspired coachwork by Zagato. The limited run of Zagato-bodied lightweight DB4GTs arose out of an unplanned meeting at Earls Court between John Wyer and Gianni Zagato. It was designed by Ercole Spada, then only 23 years old, a perfect blend of Spada’s gifted balance of its surfaces and the seductively curved profile of the DBR1. With its subtly refined air intake and elongated headlight tunnels with aerodynamic covers, the Zagato’s nose explored the limits of efficient air penetration, even pressing the bonnet so low over the engine that dual bulges – like Zagato’s trademark roof bubbles – were needed to accommodate the engine’s cam covers.

The gently sloping roof blends cleanly into the diminutive rear deck, leaving barely enough roof for a 30 gallon fuel tank and spare wheel and tyre. The front wing tops taper downward through the doors, then rise aggressively, like the haunches of a beast prepared to spring, over the rear wheels before tapering down and in to integrate cleanly with the rear deck. It is a symphony of refined elegance, purposeful and devoid of superfluous embellishment.

Marrying the best of contemporary Italian design with a lower, 9.7:1 compression ratio, 314bhp version of Marek’s 3.7 litre six and Aston Martin’s proven and now highly developed suspension, the DB4 GT Zagato debuted at the 1960 London Motor Show. Its potential was immediately apparent and is acknowledged to have encouraged Ferrari to replace the 250GT Short Wheelbase Berlinetta with the legendary 250 GTO, about as sincere a form of flattery as can be imagined. Built by the craftsmen at Zagato in Milan, only nineteen were completed, of which the smaller half, just nine, were left-hand drive.

Chassis ‘0190/L’ was specially ordered by Commander James Murray, believed to have been the U.S. Navy Attaché in Paris, a coincidence which recalls another Naval Commander, James Bond, who would soon be portrayed on the big screen driving a specially-equipped Aston Martin DB5. Murray specified a number of special features as well, although none requiring the inventiveness of Q. Commander Murray’s car was the penultimate Zagato built, completed on 26th June 1962 and delivered a week later.

Before he received it, however, ‘0190/L’ would be tested on track by Aston Martin stalwart Roy Salvadori at the May 1962 BRSCC race at Brands Hatch, finishing first in class and second overall to the Ferrari 250 GTO driven by Innes Ireland.

Commander Murray’s fastidious demands for his bespoke DB4GT Zagato included a unique grille with two prominent horizontal bars recalling the air intakes of the DBR1. It was clearly intended for high speed road use, with thicker aluminum skins, brake covers to keep dust off the Borrani wire wheels, a locking glove box lid, glass door and quarter windows, more comfortable GT seats, dual brake master cylinders with servo, DB4 reversing lamp and boot lid handle, high speed 3.31:1 rear axle, chromed brass trim and special gauges, all documented on the original Aston Martin record which accompanies the car.
 
It was delivered to Commander Murray through Garage Mirabeau in Paris liveried in Shell Grey with black leather upholstery and interior trim. History does not record how long Commander Murray owned his Zagato, but it later passed, possibly through Garage Mirabeau, to Ude Hansen of Malmo in Sweden. The car was subsequently owned by Lars Wendal, a Swedish Aston Martin agent who entered it in local club events. Some years later collector Tom Leake in England, who had recently sold ‘0193’, heard this little known Zagato might be available and acquired it in July 1972, entrusting Robin Hamilton to rebuild the engine and install the dual Scintilla magnetos which it still has today. Leake campaigned ‘0190/L’ for four years before selling it to London photographer Julian Cottrell, who enjoyed an active and trouble free tenure with further maintenance entrusted to Hamilton and latterly the legendary Ian Moss.  Eventually, concerned at its rising value, Cottrell sold the Zagato in 1980 to Richard Forshaw, proprietor of Aston Service Dorset, becoming the visible symbol of the company - the authorized parts and service agent for all pre-1963 Aston Martins - on its official letterhead.

Chassis ‘0190L’ was restored from 1995 through 1997 with mechanical work by the Aston Service Dorset specialists, bodywork by Alan Pointer and paint by John Windsor’s GTC. Presented in its original Shell Grey over Black leather livery, every effort was made to preserve ‘0190/L’s originality and to protect the individual craftsmanship of its original builders at Zagato. Following Richard Forshaw’s death the car was sold in 1998 at auction to British collector Les Edgar before passing through two subsequent owners’ collections where it has been given the best of specialist care, attention and preparation.

During restoration no evidence at all was found of any crash damage or rust repair and it retains most of the special features which were specified by Commander Murray in 1962, making it both a unique example of the nineteen-car DB4GT Zagato series and particularly attractive for long distance high speed touring. The engine is original to the car; the gearbox has been swapped but factory inspection confirms it is the correct type. The Scintilla magnetos are appropriate to its character and history and have been retained as an integral part of its record.

Chassis ‘0190/L’s story has made it a favored subject for authors. It was the November 2000 cover car on (Thoroughbred and) Classic Cars magazine and on the May 2003 cover of Robb Report. It was extensively illustrated as the featured example of the DB4GT Zagato in Jonathan Wood’s ‘Aston Martin DB4, DB5 & DB6 – The Complete Story’ and of course featured in detail in the lush Palawan Press book ‘Aston Martin Zagato’ by Stephen Archer and Simon Harris.

Compared with its prolific contemporaries from Maranello, the 146 250GT SWB Berlinettas and the 39 250 GTOs, the Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato is the epitome of rarity and exclusivity. It is their counterpart in performance and their equal, if not their better, in aesthetics. Damen Bennion, author of a forthcoming Palawan Press book on the DB4GT, describes it as “along with 188/L the most unusual of all of the Zagato bodied GTs built.”

With a clear and blemish-free history from new, a restoration by acknowledged Aston Martin experts and its unique specification, ‘0190/L’ is one of the most important British granturismos in existence.

Now that most DB4GT Zagatos are held by long term collectors for whom they are a prize constituent of their collections, the availability of ‘0190/L’ is a rare opportunity to experience the pinnacle of British high performance road cars in the Sixties and to add an important, and all but irreplaceable, component to the most comprehensive collection.

Please note that whilst the above information is supplied in good faith and to the best of our knowledge and belief, it is provided without any guarantee whatsoever (of accuracy or otherwise) on behalf of Kidston SA or the seller.