Ian and Kaye's run - Aston Martin Owners Club Victoria

1961 Aston Martin DB4 Vantage Convertible
To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RMs Salon Prive event, June 23, 2011 Chassis
No. 1068L Estimate: £250,000 - £320,000 240 bhp, 3,670 cc DOHC inline sixcylinder
Vantage engine, triple SU carburettors, four-speed manual gearbox with
overdrive, independent front suspension with upper and lower control arms, coil
springs and anti-roll bar, live rear axle with trailing links, coil springs and Watt
linkage, and hydraulic four-wheel disc brakes. Chassis 1068L
The 1961 DB4 Vantage Convertible offered here, chassis 1068L, carries fascinating
celebrity provenance, having been ordered new by none other than the legendary
actor, playwright and diplomat Sir Peter Ustinov. It was delivered to him at
Switzerland’s Montreux Palace Hotel on 27th July 1962 and registered 911 CGT. As
the DB4 was intended for use on the Continent, Mr. Ustinov specified the car with
left-hand drive and the uprated Special Series (more commonly known as the
Vantage) engine. Originally delivered in Desert White with red Connolly hides, the
DB4 was also equipped with such desirable items as chrome wire wheels and
overdrive. Copies of the Aston Martin build sheet confirm that 1068L returned to the
works for servicing three times between 1962 and 1968. In September 1979, it was
noted that the exterior of 1068L had been refinished in Royal Claret, and it remains in
this colour today. After Mr. Ustinov, the next owner was Major R.L. Peel, followed
by David Fyle Jamison. The current owner purchased 1068L in 1984 from the famed
racing driver David Piper in the UK, and following acquisition he drove it from the
UK to Switzerland, where it joined a private collection. Prior to the collection of the
car, David Piper had the car serviced, fitted a new hood and re-trimmed the interior.
The current owner informs us that driving the car to Switzerland was a very
memorable experience and that the car, although not fully restored, performed
beautifully. Since then, 1068L has seen very little use. However, it starts promptly
and does not smoke even when cold. While the current owner advised that it will
benefit from sympathetic recommissioning prior to road use, 1068L nonetheless
remains an exceedingly rare example in left-hand drive Vantage form with celebrity
provenance to boot.
RUNNING AMOC Winter 2011 20