1963 Aston Martin DB4 Series V Convertible
- Engine
- 3.7L twin-cam inline-six with three Weber 45 DCOE carburettors, GT-specification, ~302 bhp at 6,000 rpm
- Colour
- Midnight Blue
Chassis DB4C/1173/R is a 1963 Aston Martin DB4 Series V Convertible distinguished as the sole factory-built example of its type fitted with a GT-specification engine at Newport Pagnell. Delivered in Midnight Blue over Red Connolly leather with chrome wire wheels, the car covered over 65,000 miles in early service before passing through owners in the UK, California, Connecticut, and Maine. Following acquisition in 2014, it was entrusted to Aston Martin Works for a comprehensive bare-metal restoration, completed circa 2022, returning it to concours condition with a newly fabricated SS-type block and GT cylinder head.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate £1,200,000 – £1,600,000
- 1963-07-19 →Factory deliveryMr. Goodwin of Hale, Cheshirepartial documentation
First registered under plate '70 GLB'; factory service records show consistent use through 1971 covering over 65,000 miles. The original supplying dealership plate remained in the glovebox.
- 1974 → 1977Private saleMarcel Cohen-Hadriafull documentation
Hewlett Packard executive who arranged export of the car to California; dates confirmed via factory build sheet annotation.
- 1977 →Private saleGentleman in Connecticutpartial documentation
Acquired from Cohen-Hadria; by 1984 the car had returned to the UK under a different registration.
- 1984 →Acquisition unknownUnidentified UK ownerpartial documentation
Car re-registered in the UK as '114 JGF' with a replacement engine number noted; no ownership details recorded by 1988.
- → 2014Acquisition unknownGentleman in Maine, USApartial documentation
Car returned to the US at some point and was confirmed in Maine in July 2006; required comprehensive restoration at that stage.
- 2014 →Private saleCurrent vendorfull documentation
Commissioned a full concours-level restoration by Aston Martin Works, completed around 2022; accompanied by restoration certificate, leather-bound documentation book, build sheet copy, prior titles, and period photographs.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownMr. Stroud of Hampstead, North Londonpartial documentation
Re-registered the vehicle with the plate 'DB 4'; period photographs place him with the car at a farm alongside another Aston owner. Ownership was brief before onward sale.
Competition
- 20192019 Rétromobile
Displayed mid-restoration on the Aston Martin Works stand at the Paris show; not a competitive entry but a structured public exhibition appearance.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1963ServiceAston Martin
Factory service records document regular maintenance from 1963 to 1971, during which over 65,000 miles were accumulated.
Service notes span 1963–1971 and corroborate the car's active early use.
- 1967Engine rebuild
The original GT-specification engine was removed following failure and replaced with a standard Aston Martin unit.
Documented in factory service notes dated February 1967.
- 2014RestorationAston Martin Works
Aston Martin Works began a full concours-level, bare-metal restoration commissioned by the current owner. Scope included fabrication of new body panels by hand, a bare-metal repaint in factory Midnight Blue, full re-upholstery in Red Connolly leather, installation of a new SS-type engine block with a GT cylinder head, complete overhaul of braking and suspension systems, and fitment of a new wide-ratio gearbox. Work was completed to concours standard and documented in a leather-bound Aston Martin restoration book.
Restoration was completed around 2022, representing approximately three years of active work. The car received a formal Aston Martin restoration certificate upon completion.
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