1961 Aston Martin DB4 Series III

Chassis No. DB4/664/L
Engine No. 370/669
The legendary Aston Martin DB4 was launched on 10 October 1958 at the Earls Court Motor Show in London. John Wyer was the chassis designer with Polish engineer Tadek Marek responsible for the engine. Aston Martin company owner David Brown took a major step forward, uncompromising in his decision to develop an entirely new car that didn't use carryover parts.
The gorgeous styling was courtesy of Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, Italy. Touring supplied bodies in keeping with their patented Superleggera or “super light” principles by employing aluminum panels over a lattice of small tubes laid out to define the body shape. Harold Beach, a lead Aston Martin engineer, was responsible for designing an ingenious box chassis to serve as the underpinning for the Touring coachwork, a concept that was to remain an Aston Martin hallmark for years to come. The new chassis was simpler yet more rigid than that of its predecessor, the DB2, with a shorter wheelbase and wider track. Conventional coil spring/double wishbone independent front suspension was used along with rack-and-pinion steering. A 240 hp 3.7-liter twin-cam six made of aluminum lurked underhood, offering a considerable weight savings from the previous engine, while an all-new four-speed gearbox designed by Brown accommodated the additional power. Disc brakes were fitted at all four corners and wire wheels with knock-off hubs were included as a standard feature.
The Aston Martin Owners Club has adopted a Series I through V nomenclature to describe the evolution of the DB4 and the 170 improvements, modifications, and running changes made over its six-year production run. This Series III example, defined by its simplified tail lights, twin bonnet stays, and electric tachometer, is one of only 165 Series III models produced. It is the rarest of the five versions; even more so in factory left-hand drive configuration.
It was originally sold to its first owner, Henry L.T. Koren, a U.S. diplomat living in Washington, D.C. Koren was Director of the Office of Southeast Asian Affairs, later becoming Ambassador to the Republic of Congo, Deputy Director for Coordination, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State; and from July 1966 to February 1968, minister to the Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam. Interestingly, the build record notes that the car was “Sold Direct” to Koren rather than going through an agent, and the Heritage Trust Certificate confirms that it was indeed delivered new to the Department of State in Washington, DC! The factory records show service history through September 1963, by which time the Aston had accrued nearly 22,000 miles. The car was delivered to Koren in Goodwood Green over a red Connolly leather interior. It has more recently been reupholstered in lovely tan hides.
By the late 1990s, the DB4 was known to have been owned by an enthusiast in Washington State. A decade later the DB4 returned to the East Coast, where it is understood that the engine bay, undercarriage, and trunk were detailed while the car received servicing by Carriage House Motor Cars in Greenwich, Connecticut (though receipts are not available). It was shown at the 2017 Aston Martin Owners Club Lime Rock Concours where it placed second in the DB4 class.
This delightful, factory left-hand-drive DB4 is believed to retain its original numbers-matching engine, though it has been noted that the numbers '669' show evidence of overstamping, a practice that is not entirely uncommon on Aston Martins of this era. DB4/664/L is offered with a copy of its factory build record, Instruction Book, and tool roll with knock-off hammer, and has benefitted from distinguished caretakers through the decades, surviving today as an excellent example of the rarest variant of the DB4. This is a superb opportunity to discover why the Aston Martin of the Sixties so personified the grand touring motorcar, combining sports car performance with the velvet glove civility of an elegantly appointed saloon.
*Please note that the license plate "007BOND" affixed to this DB4 and pictured in the photos is decorative only, and not a genuine California license plate