The Summer of 1969

We take a step back in time at The Classic Motor Hub

It’s the Summer of 1969 and a group of friends get together at The Classic Motor Hub. They try out the Aston Martin DB6, the bright red Jaguar E-Type and the Henri Chapron Citroen DS21 Décapotable. These were very much cars of their moment in the 1960’s. Now jump forward 52 years and it’s the Summer of 2021 and all three of these exceptional cars are currently for sale at ‘the Hub’ - with the DB and the DS already on the website - and the E-Type ‘coming soon’!

The 1969 Aston Martin DB6: In Silver Birch with black interior, this specific example has and upgraded 4.2-litre straight-six-engine and a Harvey Bailey suspension kit.

The fabled bloodline of DB4, DB5 and DB6 represents many enthusiasts’ idea of the archetypal Aston Martin. The blend of Italian styling and British engineering make them among the most recognisable and coveted of all classic cars.

The Aston Martin DB6 being offered for sale by The Classic Motor Hub left the Newport Pagnell factory on 14 February 1969 and was sold via the HR Owen dealership. Chassis number DB6/3550-R was fitted with engine number 400/3969, and when new it would have cost its first owner the princely sum of just over £4,000 including taxes.

Originally supplied in black with matching trim, the DB6 was fully restored during the early 2000s. As part of that extensive process, which is documented in the history file, the car was stripped to bare metal and repainted in the iconic Aston Martin shade of Silver Birch.

The Borg Warner automatic gearbox with which it had left the factory in 1969 was replaced with a genuine S5/325 ZF five-speed manual unit, while in the cabin the headlining was replaced and a full set of black Wilton carpets fitted.

Further work was carried out in 2009, when a Harvey Bailey suspension kit was fitted in order to improve the car’s roadholding. The upgrades comprised new springs and dampers all round, including the adjustable Armstrong Selectaride rear dampers that had been optional extras on the DB4 and DB5 but were standard on all DB6s.

The DB6 was then sold by Oselli Classic & Sports Cars in 2015 and was treated to further restoration work by the same company. The job list included a respray – once more in Silver Birch – as well as rechroming the brightwork, replacing the windscreen and fitting all new rubbers and seals, a complete retrim, and a rebuild of the front suspension. The steering geometry was reset at the same time.

A modern high-torque starter motor dramatically improves starting performance, and the original engine has

been upgraded to 4.2-litre specification. The cylinder heads have been converted so that it will run on unleaded fuel, too.

Electric power steering completes the package and the result is an Aston Martin that drives beautifully, as befitting its status as the ultimate development of the original DB line.

Model history When it was launched in 1958, the DB4 represented a fresh start for Aston Martin. Seeking to replace its ageing DB2 line, it combined a new platform chassis with a sharp body that was designed by Touring and built using that company’s lightweight Superleggera system.

Beneath the bonnet was Tadek Marek’s new 3.7-litre twin-cam straight-six, and the DB4 progressed through Series I to Series V variants – as well as the shortwheelbase, competition-focused DB4 GT.

In 1963, the DB4 was replaced by the DB5, for which the engine was enlarged to 4 litres. There were myriad detail differences, but in essence this newest variant was a logical development of the last DB4s. It became the most famous of the DBs, however, thanks to its big-screen association with James Bond.

More fundamental changes came with the 1965 introduction of the DB6. In order to increase cabin space, the wheelbase was extended by almost four inches and the rear end was redesigned with a Kamm-style tail and integral lip spoiler.

The Superleggera construction was dropped, with the result that the body was considerably more rigid for a weight penalty of only 17lb.

The 4-litre engine was carried over from the DB5 and produced 282bhp, or 325bhp in Vantage specification – enough to give that model a top speed of 150mph. There was a choice of five-speed ZF manual gearbox or threespeed Borg Warner automatic, disc brakes were fitted all round, and for the

first time there was the optional extra of power assistance for the rack-andpinion steering.

A total of 1786 Aston Martin DB6s were built before the model was replaced in 1970 by the DBS, which heralded both a new design direction and the end of a glorious era.

The 1967 Citroen DS21 Décapotable This Certified Chapron-built car looks stunning in the summer sunshine, in its very rare specification Rouge Rubis with Cuir Gold interior.

Few cars can match the combination of style and comfort offered by the Citroën DS Décapotable, and the example now being offered for sale by The Classic Motor Hub has been superbly restored to original specification.

The Henri Chapron order form is included in the car’s history file and shows that chassis number 4376093 was delivered to the carrosserie’s Rue Aristide Briand premises in central Paris on 8 December 1966. Built under the Chapron number 9092, it was finished in Rouge Rubis with a Cuir Gold leather interior and left Chapron on 14 February 1967.

This DS21 Décapotable is a rare find in that it features the earlier style of ‘Frogeye’ headlamps but benefits from using LHM hydraulic fluid. That combination was produced only between September 1966 and September 1967, before the front end was updated with the ‘shark’ style of enclosed headlamps for the 1968 model year. The mineral oilbased LHM fluid had been introduced in order to replace the previous LHV and LHS fluids, which were hygroscopic˙and therefore much more prone to wear.

It is also one of only 60 DS21 Décapotables that were sold in 1967 with the ‘semi-automatic’ gearbox. One of the DS’s many advanced features, this system uses a standard clutch and gearbox, but the clutch is operated via the column-mounted gear lever rather than a pedal.

A registration document in the history file shows that this particular car was living in Le Vesinet in the western suburbs of Paris during the mid-1970s, but in 1978 it was acquired by Alistair Hacking and exported to the UK. It was fully restored in 1992-1993, and more recently was transported to a Dutch Citroën DS specialist to receive a further restoration during 2019-2020. This latest work covered everything from the interior to the mechanical components, the hydraulic system, the brightwork and the bodywork.

The car has retained its matchingnumbers status, with the chassis and body numbers matching those on the Chapron register, and the original engine is still fitted. Further testament to its originality is the fact that several of the Chapron markings are still visible on the various body panels. It has been certified by Henri Chapron via a document issued by Noëlle-Eléonore Chapron-Paul in 2019.

The Citroën DS Décapotable is the most sought-after variant of an iconic design, and Chapron built 1365 in total. Only 483 were based on the DS21 model, and this particular example is the 340th of those. Now presenting in exemplary condition following its recent restoration, it drives beautifully and – with its cosseting interior and refined hydropneumatic suspension – redefines the concept of comfort.

As Jay Leno has said of driving his Citroën DS21, it’s ‘like riding in a cloud’, and there are surely few more stylish ways to travel.

Model history When it was launched in 1955, the Citroën DS was like nothing else on the road. Its confident, flowing design swept away any sense of dour post-war austerity and instead looked to the future and the burgeoning jet age.

But there was more to it than showstopping looks. It was the first massproduced car to be fitted with disc brakes, and its hydropneumatic suspension

system set a new standard in ride quality and offered comfort without sacrificing control. There was power steering, too, plus a semi-automatic transmission system.

Such was its instant impact that 12,000 orders were placed on the day of its unveiling at the 1955 Paris Motor Show. Citroën’s original intention had been to fit an air-cooled flat-six engine, but instead it had to settle on a 1911cc development of the four-cylinder engine from the Traction Avant. Over the years, that was upgraded into 1985cc form, and then in 1965 came the DS21 with a 109bhp 2175cc engine. The final development was the 1973 2347cc DS23, which was also offered with fuel injection.

In total, almost 1.5 million Citroën DSs were built before production ended in 1975, and variants included a Safari estate and – most famously – the Chapron convertibles.

Henri Chapron had presented his prototype at the 1958 Paris Motor Show, and over the next two years worked closely with Citroën in order to make it a production reality. The first Chapron DS Décapotable Usine – ‘factory convertible’ – left the Rue Aristide Briand workshop in October 1960, and they remain the most coveted of Citroën DS models.

Credits: Photos taken in June 2021 and styled and edited for a 1969 look. Photographers: Del Gregory & Leanne Punshon (images 5,6 & 12) ‘Polaroid style’ editing: Del Gregory Location: The Classic Motor Hub, Bibury Cars: Aston Martin DB6, E-Type Jaguar, Citroen DS Clothes: Vintage To Vogue Bath Sunglasses: Sophie Moda Luggage: The Classic Motor Hub Models: Leanne Punshon, Scotty Chalmers, Elizabeth Gregory Instagram: @b500magazine @littlebirdphotography_uk @theclassicmotorhub @vintagetovoguebath @thesophiemoda