Beautiful Aston Martin DB4 Breaks £1,000,000 Barrier

Coinciding with the launch of the updated DB4 Series 4 model at the 1961 Earls Court Motor Show, the DB4 became available in convertible form for the very first time, three years after this legendary Touring-styled Aston Martin was first unveiled in coupe form.

Unveiled at the 1961 Motor Show and priced at £4,449, it was £250 more expensive than the coupé. Passenger space was little changed, though there was more headroom than the coupé could offer. Combining Aston Martin's traditional virtues of style and performance with the joys of open-air motoring, the DB4 Convertible is most sought after and highly prized today.

The example sold for a record £1,009,500 by Bonhams last weekend was one of only five right-hand drive Series 5 DB4 Convertibles produced with the 'Special Series' engine, often referred to as the 'Vantage' specification, making this car one of the rarest of the rare.

Having had only two owners for the last 32 years, the immaculate Bonhams DB4 Series 5 had been continuously maintained, with full service records dating back to 1984. The Aston was sold new in April 1963 via the agent Mill Garages (Sunderland) Ltd with the Special Series engine, oil cooler, and Irvin safety belts as items of non-standard equipment fitted. The DB4 retains its original colour combination of Midnight Blue with dark blue upholstery and carpets.

As evidenced by its £1million+ hammer price, the DB4 Convertible is one of the most sought after and highly prized post-war Aston Martins today. With the exception of the DB4 Zagato, the DB4 Convertible is the rarest Aston Martin road car of the David Brown era, with a total of just 70 built, six less than the legendary short wheelbase DB4 GT.