21965 1962 Aston Martin DB4C (Astoria, NY)

21965 1962 Aston Martin DB4C

1962 ASTON MARTIN DB4 SERIES IV SS CONVERTIBLECoinciding with the arrival of the Series IV DB4 were two exciting new developments. September 1961 marked the addition of the Special Series engine while the following month the first convertible DB4 was introduced. The SS engine increased power by more than 10% from 240 bhp to 266 bhp thanks to a third SU carburetor larger valves and higher compression ratio. The convertible body was a costly option and was only available for the final two years of production so accordingly few were made. Of more than 1 200 DB4s built only 70 were dropheads. Thirty of these were Series IVs of which just 11 received SS engines. This is one such car delivered new on June 16 1962 to a resident of London and originally finished in California Sage (silver green) with red interior. In addition to the Special Series engine this car received an auxiliary oil cooler and overdrive another option which arrived with the introduction of the Series IV. The included factory build sheets confirm the car retains its matching-numbers engine today and also outline consistent service work performed in England during the first seven years of the car s life during which it covered 40 000 miles. Around 1983 the car was acquired in Cambridge Massachusetts by a long-term keeper who performed a painstaking 10-year restoration which was completed in the mid-1990s. He drove the car regularly for the next two decades covering approximately 7 500 miles. A detailed notebook from this period describes the careful maintenance performed between 1996 and 2017. In anticipation of the sale the car received a light service by the highly regarded Aston Martin specialist Steel Wings. Among the rarest of the David Brown-era Aston Martins any DB4 drophead is an immensely desirable car. This example is further distinguished by its factory Special Series engine and overdrive characteristics that markedly enhance the already fantastic driving experience of the DB4. Coupled with this car s nicely mellowed restoration these attributes make for the ideal classic for events and causal touring alike. Coachwork by Touring Chassis DB4C 1055 R Engine 370 1002 SSOne of 70 DB4 Convertibles and Just 11 Series IV Examples with Special Series Engine Factory Equipped with Overdrive and Auxiliary Oil Cooler Retains Original Matching-Numbers Engine per Factory Build Sheets Comprehensively Restored in the 1990s by Long-Term Owner of 35 Years Among the Rarest and Most Desirable David Brown-Era Aston Martins Price 995 000