Tag Archives: MimboloveAston Martin
This British grand tourer has four full-sized seats, powered by a DOHC straight six, the classic Aston Martin engine, making 283 bhp @ 5500 rpm and 288 lb·ft of torque @ 3850 rpm. The Vantage version had 325 bhp. It weighed 3,760 lbs. Only 787 were made between 1967 and 1972. These are rising in value, currently ranging from about $64k for one in fair condition, to almost $200k for concours. Unfortunately, this handsome example has right hand drive.
I finagled a ticket to the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, in Cernobbio, Italy, where I was privileged to purchase a $35 club sandwich whilst hobnobbing with a much better crowd than I’m used to, and made a few new, fancy friends. (I promised not to name names but we all joked around, testing our esoteric car knowledge, and I finally said, “George, if you don’t have a clue, you’re looney!”) This concorso, started 1929, was held to only about 50 extraordinary cars.
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 by Scaglietti; 1925 Alfa Romeo RL Normale; 1973 Alpine Renault A110; 1932 Aston Martin; 1951 Pegaso Z-102; 1937 Bentley 4.5 liter; 1958 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud 1 convertible Freestone and Webb; 1962 Facel Vega Facel II; new Rolls Royce; 1954 Maserati A6 GCS Berlinetta by Pinin Farina.
A hundred or so cars were put on the auction block last Saturday at the Long Center. This car had a pre-auction estimate of about $300k. Its Lagonda engine, designed by W. O. Bentley, won its class (finishing first and second) in a DB2 at Le Mans in 1950. It’s a straight six, twin cam with dual carbs, 2.9 liter giving 140 hp and 120 mph. Low mileage, frame-off restoration. Sourced by the fellows at Motoreum (link at right) from Guatemala, this is a true classic. Wikipedia says the DB2/4 was the world’s first hatchback.