1965 Aston Martin DB Short-Chassis Volante
- Engine
- 4.2L inline-six with triple SU carburetors, rebuilt head for unleaded fuel
- Colour
- Winchester Blue
The Aston Martin DB Short-Chassis Volante was a rare 'interim' open-topped grand tourer produced in 1965, bridging the DB5 and DB6 generations by combining the shorter DB5 wheelbase with DB6 styling cues such as split bumpers and revised taillamps. Only 37 examples were made. This particular car, chassis DBVC/2330/R, was originally ordered for a Buckinghamshire owner, later spent several decades off the road in South Africa, and subsequently received a comprehensive no-expense-spared restoration including an engine enlargement to 4.2 litres and a conversion to left-hand drive.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$1,400,000 – US$1,800,000
- 1965 →Factory deliveryJohn Jenningsfull documentation
Original buyer, resident of Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire; specified a bespoke configuration including Pacific Blue paint, beige interior, and automatic gearbox. Factory service documentation covers this owner through 1967.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownSouth African owner or ownersnone documentation
The car was transported to South Africa after 1967 and had reportedly been off the road since the early 1970s; it was found in Cape Town near the year 2000 in an unrestored but largely intact state.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownPost-discovery restoration ownerpartial documentation
Acquired the car after it was located in Cape Town and commissioned a comprehensive, fully documented restoration, including engine enlargement, cylinder head rebuild, transmission conversion to ZF five-speed, and a change to left-hand drive.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownThree subsequent private collectorspartial documentation
Following completion of the restoration, the car passed through three separate private collections, accumulating just over 3,100 miles in total; specialist marque care was maintained throughout.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1967Engine rebuildAston Martin factory
A replacement engine numbered 400/2361 was fitted at the factory under warranty.
This factory-installed replacement engine remains in the car at the time of cataloguing.
- —Restoration
A thorough, fully documented overhaul was carried out following the car's discovery in Cape Town in tired but structurally sound condition; work included a cylinder head rebuild to lead-free fuel compatibility, engine enlargement to 4.2 litres, replacement of the automatic gearbox with a period-correct ZF five-speed manual, conversion from right-hand to left-hand drive, a full respray in Winchester Blue, and a new dark blue leather interior with matching blue hood.
Pre-restoration photographs, restoration photographs, and invoices are documented in the car's file. The exterior colour was changed from the original Pacific Blue to Winchester Blue.
- —ServiceSteel Wings and Autosport Designs
Ongoing care and maintenance carried out by marque specialists after the restoration was completed, keeping the car in concours-quality condition.
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