Stalled Restoration: 1966 Aston Martin DB6
“The Bond car” offers perhaps no greater evidence that the right movie placement can make a car legendary for generations. The Bullitt Mustang, the Aston Martin DB6 – regardless of what they were like to drive, their presence on the movie screen forever etched them into history, even among moviegoers with no interest in automobiles. This particular DB6 is going up for auction soon after being discovered disassembled in a garage; find this rare automatic-equipped example here on The SaleRoom.com.
This DB6 is a largely complete car, with its storage period beginning when the last owner decided to refresh the motor. It was pulled for a rebuild and never put back, as the story often goes, and the DB6 stood for decades in the barn. The gorgeous inline six was a capable motor, producing 282 b.h.p. and shuttling passengers and their luggage with equal parts grace and pace. Not a svelte car by any means, but certainly gorgeous and the epitome of a grand tourer. This DB6 is unusual with its automatic transmission, but the RHD configuration will likely keep it in the UK.
As you can see, some level of trim removal did commence while the motor was out of the car. The seller says all trim and mechanical components will be included with the sale and that the engine has been loosely fitted in the engine bay for easier transportation. The auctioneer has performed some homework, confirming with Aston Martin that this DB6 left the factory as a RHD, automatic-transmission equipped car. The paint is said to be dull but rot-free; no word on if green is its original color. If it is, it could mark a nice change of pace from the silver examples often for sale.
With a 150 m.p.h. top speed, the DB6 could shuttle passengers quickly between destinations, but the manual transmission was often the weapon of choice for making the journey as engaging as possible. Will the automatic transmission hurt this example’s auction performance? I doubt it, though a manual would likely command a higher price tag. The auctioneer expects to have full confirmation shortly of all available parts and condition in order to prep for a May 7 auction taking place at the Crowne Plaza Resort – Five Lakes in Essex.
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Comments
Mine! Mine mine Mine!!!! I would like this very very much! i don’t even mind the automatic…
lunatic opening bid
Bond drove a DB5.
Aston works offer a RHD to LHD conversion
Bond’s is a DB5, isn’t it? The 6 has that wee boot lip spoiler thingy.
I don’t understand peoples reluctance to purchase a right hand drive vehicle. I drove a mail vehicle with RHD for 10 years and after the first hour it felt completely normal. I actually think RHD is pretty neat and love to drive them in LHD countries.The passenger door opening into traffic is the main downside in my mind.
Don’t get behind a box truck on a 2 lane road, you’re blind to try to pass, even with those horses…
good point, not a problem in a mail truck!
Greetings All,
Don’t know where exactly you drive Paul, but we will start with trying to pass on a highway, it’s extremely limited because of the driver’s vantage point, pretty hard to see around the driver in front of you sitting on what is normally the passenger side.
This aspect is especially fun in crowded rotaries, or roundabouts.
Shifting is just a wee bit more of an issue, at least for me, now that I’m doing it left handed.
That being said, there is a Jaguar MKII with wires and a 4-speed with overdrive sitting in my garage.
Why would passing on a highway be such a big deal? Use the side view mirror like you would when passing on the left in a RHD car.
I owned a 1967 DB6 coupe from 1975 until 1983, except mine was LHD with a 5-spd ZF, Vantage engine (factory triple Weber 45DCOEs and hotter cams) and had air conditioning. I bought it as a college freshman … and lost it in a divorce. Such is life. Paid $8.5k, sold it for $12k. Sigh. But it was a wonderful ride — mine was delivered in light metallic blue with a dark blue interior, but a previous owner had painted it dark blue as well. I had always planned on taking it back to the original color … but life intruded. I did get in some hot laps at Lime Rock Race Track with the Aston Martin Owner’s Club. ;-)
Drove dozens of RHD cars. Get over it. When you drive something like this, you drive… The rest of the b.s. out there does not matter. If you cannot control you own envoirment/destiny get out of the car and buy a toyota. Cripes.
It’s always a surprise to see a car like this come out of a dark, damp garage like this. Lots of houses and estates over there have pretty crude garages, unfortunately. I imagine it must have been pretty damp in there.
Having said that, and seeing the poor quality of the photos and the small amount of info in them, I would be very hesitant to put up a 100K+ pound bid for this car, even if Aston Martins are worth a lot these days.
The good news is that DB5s and 6s have one of the best dashes and instrument arrays of any car.
Dam that divorce thing and losing your ride
Tell me about it. :(
Even if you include the literary Bond, he never drove a DB6. In the book Goldfinger, Fleming talks about MI6 ‘s options for Bond’s cover identity which included a 50’s Jaguar sedan and an Aston Martin DB mk III (in reality it was a DB2/4 mk III). Bond chose the Battleship grey Aston.
In the movie Goldfinger they chose a DB5, which was the current release model in 1964 when they filmed it..Skipping the DB4 in the process.
Would the AT be the Borgward? You would probably increase the value to convert it w oem parts to a manual.
If a 1967 DB 6 Volante (convertible) right hand drive, last seen with the British registration number plates UPP 900 E ever appears in a garage like this I hope to hear about it. It was our neighbours car and stolen in France about 40 years ago, and never seen since !
An automatic in red with black interior and hood. Actually it was a 1966 car and used as a ‘Works’ demonstrator for a while. Not quite 40 years ago, but 35, for it disappeared in the Summer of ’82. That really would be a great barn find – and chassis and/or engine easily identified.