1963 Aston Martin DB4 Convertible

£ 695 000

Series V | Chassis DB4C/1091/R | 1 of only 70 built

** FULL PHOTOSHOOT TO FOLLOW **

Speedbroker is incredibly proud to offer this exceptional 1963 Aston Martin DB4 Convertible, one of just 70 examples produced, and a particularly desirable late-production Series V car. There are certain cars that need very little introduction, and there are others where the history is every bit as important as the car itself. This is very much the latter.

It is a car with extraordinary provenance, an extensive documented history stretching back to its original Aston Martin build records, a factory restoration at Newport Pagnell, subsequent concours success, further restoration by one of the marque’s most respected specialists and a later RS Williams 4.2-litre engine upgrade.

Today it presents beautifully in Blu Sierra, while discreet improvements made for modern road use, including power steering, make it a genuinely usable example of one of the rarest David Brown era Aston Martins.

This isn’t simply a beautiful old Aston, it is a proper collector car.

The DB4 Convertible

The DB4 arrived in 1958 and established the design language that would define Aston Martin throughout arguably its most celebrated period. Its Touring-inspired proportions, Superleggera construction and Tadek Marek-designed straight-six engine made the DB4 one of the great European GT cars of its generation.

The Convertible followed in 1961. Production was tiny. Only 70 DB4 Convertibles were built in total, making it considerably rarer than almost every other road-going Aston Martin of the period and even six examples rarer than the legendary DB4 GT.

By comparison with the coupé, the Convertible also received a number of subtle details of its own, including its distinctive body-coloured dashboard. This particular car is a late Series V, generally regarded as the most developed and desirable version of the DB4 Convertible.

Registration: 247 EXN

Chassis: DB4C/1091/R

Engine: 370/1085

Model: DB4 Convertible, Series V

Production: 1 of 70

Current colour: Blu Sierra

Engine specification: RS Williams 4.2-litre

Transmission: Manual

Steering: Power steering, fitted during current ownership

The Aston Martin build records confirm that chassis 1091/R was sold new in March 1963 through the marque’s Brooklands agent. Its first owner was Wrington Vale Nurseries of Congresbury, Somerset, with registration 247 EXN, the number it continues to wear today. The car was originally delivered in Caribbean Pearl with dark blue Connolly hide. Remarkably, its early factory history also survives.

The car returned to Aston Martin before the end of March 1963, having already covered 1,888 miles, with further factory servicing recorded in 1964 and again in 1968.

A remarkable history

The recorded history of 247 EXN is unusually comprehensive. After its original ownership, the car subsequently passed to G V Helmer of Southampton before being acquired by Arthur Moore of Dorset in 1978. In 1986 it passed to David Menzies Hart. By this point restoration had begun following an issue with the clutch thrust mechanism and the car was subsequently acquired, in partially dismantled condition, by Marc Albert of Euro Cellular Limited in December 1989.

What followed was significant. The DB4 was returned to Aston Martin at Newport Pagnell for a complete ground-up restoration. This was not a light cosmetic refurbishment. The work was completed in June 1992 and documented invoices amounted to more than £73,000, an extraordinary sum at the time. The quality of the restoration was quickly recognised.

3rd place, AMOC Silverstone Concours, 1992
2nd place, AMOC Silverstone Concours, 1993

It had covered fewer than 100 miles following restoration when it was offered at the Christie’s Beaulieu auction in September 1993. There it was purchased by Joseph William Cashin for the Sondes Fields Collection.

More than 20 years in one collection

The Aston remained within the Sondes Fields Collection for approximately two decades. During that period it was used extremely sparingly, covering only around 5,000 miles in 20 years. Its maintenance continued throughout this period, including work by respected Aston Martin specialist RS Williams, who rebuilt the cylinder head in 2001 with new valve guides and seats. Following Joseph Cashin’s death, the DB4 passed to his nephew and remained maintained by the collection’s in-house mechanic. Handwritten maintenance records from this period form part of the history file.

Bonhams, Goodwood, 2014

In June 2014 the DB4 was offered by Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed sale. Its rarity, provenance and Aston Martin Works restoration were already well recognised and the car sold for £701,500 including premium. That sale represents another important documented chapter in the history of 247 EXN.

But the story did not end there.

Concours restoration and RS Williams 4.2 upgrade

Despite having covered very limited mileage since its Aston Martin Works restoration, by 2014 the car was beginning to show the inevitable signs of age. A decision was therefore made to bring the DB4 back to concours standard once again. The work was entrusted to renowned Aston Martin specialist Desmond J Smail.

The programme included cosmetic and mechanical attention throughout, including replacement of the hood, clutch, tyres and windscreen where required. At the same time the engine was entrusted to RS Williams and upgraded to their highly regarded 4.2-litre specification.

The resulting figures were documented as approximately:

275 bhp at 6,000rpm
290 lb ft at 4,500rpm

Compared with approximately 240bhp from the standard DB4 engine, the 4.2 conversion gives the car considerably greater flexibility and performance without changing its fundamental character. The car was subsequently finished in the beautiful Blu Sierra colour it wears today.

Current specification

The car was subsequently acquired by its present custodian through Girardo & Co in 2022. During the current ownership the emphasis has been on maintaining the car properly while also making it more enjoyable to use. Its specification today includes:

Desirable late-production Series V DB4 Convertible
One of only 70 examples produced
Documented Aston Martin build records
Original registration 247 EXN
Aston Martin Newport Pagnell ground-up restoration
More than £73,000 of documented restoration expenditure in the early 1990s
Multiple AMOC concours awards
Long-term Sondes Fields Collection history
Subsequent concours-standard restoration by Desmond J Smail
RS Williams 4.2-litre engine specification
Approximately 275bhp
Approximately 290 lb ft of torque
Finished in Blu Sierra
Power steering fitted during current ownership
Extensive accompanying history file
Servicing and maintenance brought fully up to date

That last point matters. This is not simply a DB4 that has spent its life being polished and transported between collections. It has been developed into a car that can actually be enjoyed.

Why the DB4 Convertible matters

Great collector cars usually need several things:

And, increasingly, usability.

This DB4 has all of them. With only 70 produced, opportunities to acquire a DB4 Convertible are naturally infrequent. Finding one with this level of documented provenance is considerably harder.

The car carries its original registration, has an extensive history stretching back to the Aston Martin build sheet, has been restored by Aston Martin themselves, has won AMOC concours awards, spent two decades within a recognised collection and has subsequently been entrusted to some of the most respected Aston Martin specialists in the country.

The later RS Williams 4.2-litre conversion and power steering also make an enormous amount of sense in a car such as this. They don’t try to turn it into something modern. They simply make an exceptional 1960s GT easier and more rewarding to use.

There are plenty of valuable cars. There are considerably fewer important ones. The DB4 Convertible sits at a fascinating point in Aston Martin history, combining the purity of the original DB4 design with extraordinary rarity and the elegance of open-top motoring. And 247 EXN has a history that stands apart even within that tiny production run.

From its original 1963 Aston Martin records, through its Newport Pagnell restoration, AMOC concours success, more than twenty years in the Sondes Fields Collection, its documented Bonhams sale and subsequent specialist restoration, right through to its current ownership, there is a continuous story here.

Today it combines that history with a specification that makes it possible to do something many significant classics rarely get the opportunity to do.

For the collector looking for a genuinely rare David Brown era Aston Martin, but also somebody who wants to experience and enjoy their collection rather than simply look at it, this is a very special opportunity.

1963 Aston Martin DB4 Convertible

Series V | 1 of 70 | Chassis DB4C/1091/R | Registration 247 EXN

Available now through Speedbroker.

** PLEASE NOTE: THIS CAR IS LOCATED IN ESSEX **

Full history, further photography, inspection details and private viewing available on application.

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