(1 of 6 produced, only 2 in LHD)
Chassis no. DB4/GT/0168/L
Engine no. 370/0168/GT
The DB4GT is the ultimate expression of the virtues which David Brown brought to
Aston Martin. As a dual-purpose competition/GT car, it was truly the 'bankers hotrod.'
DB4GTs distinguished themselves in premiere sportscar racing events such as LeMans,
with lightweight competition versions of the car developed by race chief John Wyer, and
piloted by Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Roy Salvadori and Innes Ireland, among others.
These GTs were stripped and drilled by Aston Martin Works Service and bodied in a
lighter-gauge aluminum alloy than usual practice, cutting another 150 lbs off the
already lithe GT specification.
There are exactly six cars known as the 'Factory Lightweights,' and 0168/L is one of
only two produced in LHD, establishing it as among the most desirable production
Aston Martins extant, alongside the Zagato-bodied DB4GTs.
0168/L is a late-production example (1961), ordered by Aston Martin's chief of North
American operations Rex Woodgate to compete in the 12 Hours of Sebring. With timing
tight for delivery, the car was held up in U.S. Customs until after the event, so it thus
missed out on a competition career (although it still retains its unusual 24-hour clock,
ostensibly installed for endurance racing use).
So, spared the bumps and bruises of the racing circuit, 0168/L was sold as a road car
and remains incredibly original today, in its attractive Peony Red livery, with black
interior featuring unusual Aston Martin 'houndstooth' fabric-covered racing seats
identical to those from the DBR1 sports racing car.
With a recent restoration by marque specialists, this spectacular Lightweight is today
competitive in historic racing events as well as on the concours green - as of course a
true 'dual purpose' machine should be. Even though 0168/L is basically a
street-standard example, it has vanquished SWB Ferraris and a 250 GTO in recent
major vintage races, as driven by the current owner, a well-known enthusiast and
former chairman of the Aston Martin Owners Club. The car shows barely 59,000 miles
which is believed to be the actual mileage from new. It retains its original, matching
number engine and all major parts.
Subject of a lavish feature article in Vintage Motorsport Magazine (March/April 2003),
this Lightweight GT is a unique example of model already rare and very desirable in
standard trim. A stunning combination of Continental elegance and brute power,
0168/L would be welcomed at just about any historic motoring event on the planet.
Aston Martin DB4GT/0168/L is currently located in Connecticut, USA.
The Aston Martin DB4 was unveiled at the 1958 Paris Salon. A totally new car, the
introduction of the DB4 was a significant achievement for a small British manufacturer.
The specification included a completely new steel platform chassis with disc brakes all
around, and a freshly developed alloy twin-cam 3.7 liter straight six cylinder engine, all
clothed in an elegantly-proportioned fastback aluminium body designed by Touring of
Milan. Overall, the DB4 was state-of-the-art for its time, a masterpiece of robust British
engineering in combination with exquisite Italian styling.
“Of all the post-war Aston Martins, David Brown’s gracefully sleek DB4 is
certainly the most admired.”
The chassis was engineered under the watchful eye of Harold Beech and features
independent front suspension, and a live rear axle well-located by trailing arms with a
Watts linkage. The body construction utilizes the vaunted Touring Superleggera
process, which consists of a skeleton made up from small diameter steel tubing
covered by hand-formed aluminium alloy body panels. The coachwork was constructed
by Aston Martin under license from Touring at its newly-deployed facility in Newport
Pagnell.
“Effortlessly modern and breezily international, the DB4 hit the sweet spot in
between the Continent and the Crown.”
The competition variant, the DB4GT, was formally introduced in September 1959 at the
London Motor Show, based on the race winning prototype DP199/1, and in the year in
which Astons took the World Sportscar Championship title. The GT prototype won its
first outing at Silverstone in May 1959 on Bank Holiday weekend in the hands of
Stirling Moss, and was one of the first cars away at Le Mans that June, in the same
colors as the victorious Aston DBR1 sports racer.
The GT was developed for increased performance by making it shorter, lighter, and
more powerful. In order to save weight, the bodywork was of thinner, 18-gauge alloy,
the wheelbase was reduced by 13cm (approx. 5 inches), and the rear seats were
deleted on most of the cars. Altogether weight was reduced by 91kg (200 lbs.). The
engine was extensively modified, featuring a higher compression (9:1), twin-plug
cylinder head and breathing through triple dual-throat Weber 45 DCOE carburetors.
Power output was outstanding at 302 bhp @ 6000 rpm, a useful increase from the
claimed 240 bhp of the standard car, and qualifying the GT as the most powerful
British car of its era. Maximum speeds during testing reached 153 mph with a 0 to 60
time of 6.1 seconds. It was also one of the first cars that could go from standstill to 100
mph and then brake to a dead stop in under 20 seconds – a tribute, in part, to its
uprated Girling braking system, as used on Aston's competition racers of the era.
Outwardly, the GT is distinguished by faired in headlamps with perspex covers, a
feature which was later made standard for the DB4 Vantage, then onto the DB5 and
DB6 models. The rear screen and quarter windows were also made of perspex on many
examples; bumper overriders were deleted and the roll-down windows were frameless
within the doors. Twin, competition-style, quick-release “Monza” fuel fillers were added
atop each of the rear wings, leading to a high-capacity fuel tank mounted in the boot.
GTs were fitted with alloy Borrani wire wheels, 42 spokes with light alloy rims with
distinctive 3-eared knock-offs.
“The immense performance and excellent roadholding of the DB4GT render it
an ideal car for the fast, long-distance driver. The sheer sensation of unlimited
‘urge’ under perfect control is one of motoring's greatest pleasures.”
The interior was trimmed to full Aston Martin road car specification, with fine Connolly
leather and deep pile Wilton carpet. The evocative dash binnacle on the GT cars
benefited from the addition of an oil temperature gauge in addition to the standard
array.
DB4GTs represented a strong challenge to the dominance of Ferrari in GT racing and
enjoyed considerable victories, raced from 1959 by both the Works team and John
Ogier's Essex Racing Stable. Driven by the likes of Roy Salvadori, Jim Clark and Innes
Ireland as well as Stirling, the GT earned its stripes on racing circuits around the world.
Despite their tremendous rarity, the GT is still a popular entrant at major historic racing
events such as the Goodwood Revival and the numerous Aston Martin Owners Club
Championship race meetings. The DB4GT has proven Grand for Touring over 1000
miles with power and comfort in many of the long-distance events which have become
popular in recent years, such as the Colorado Grand, the Tour de France and Tour
D'Espagna.
Produced between 1959 and 1963, Aston Martin built a mere 75 DB4 GTs (plus
another 19 of the Zagato-bodied variants, one Bertone-bodied special). Of the 75
examples, 45 were supplied in right hand drive, and 30 were left hand drive. Amongst
the most beloved of all Astons, the DB4GT remains unmatched for its unique
combination of performance and roadability.
Sources: AMOC Registers; Autosport, December 8, 1961 ‘John Bolster Tests the Aston Martin DB4GT;' Aston Martin DB4GT: Britain’s Short
Wheelbase Challenge to Ferrari, by Richard A. Candee with John & Ruth Littlechild, publication pending
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