4 minute read
History Repeated
Car companies, as a whole, are a forward-thinking bunch, always looking ahead for the next big market trend. But could the future for some manufacturers actually lie in the past? Aston Martin seems to think so, and is starting to release modern recreations of classics from its own back catalogue – which it helpfully calls the Continuation line.
The story of these new, yet old, cars stems from Aston Martin’s Newport Pagnell factory, just north of London. This site was used for vehicle production until 2007, at which point the company moved its main operations to Gaydon, with the Newport Pagnell location housing Aston Martin Works instead – the maintenance side of the business, with skilled staff able to service and restore any Aston Martin from any era.
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As Paul Spires, president of Aston Martin Works, explains, “Aston Martin Works is based in the historic home of Aston Martin, famous for providing an unrivalled restorations programme in the same workshops that many of the cars were originally built in. Artisan skills, knowledge and craftsmanship have been passed through generations to create a passion that is simply unique. This is what allowed us to move forward to return production to Newport Pagnell with the Continuation cars.”
Perhaps there came a point, working on a classic in the workshop one day, where somebody asked the question, instead of just making replacement panels or engine parts, why not build an entire car? The announcement came in 2016 – Aston Martin Works would recreate the cars of yesteryear, and the first would be the DB4 GT Continuation, based on the DB4 GT, itself a race-spec version of the DB4, built from 1959 to 1963. S pires explains why the DB4 GT was the perfect choice. “It was one of the first cars to be made at Newport Pagnell, and is certainly one of the most iconic. Also, it won its first race in 1959 at Silverstone with Sir Stirling Moss at the wheel. It was, and still is, a car with a tremendous following, and it’s incredibly rare.”
Shorter, lighter and more powerful than a four-seater DB4, the two-seater GT was built to excel on the track, and with its 3.7-litre straight-six engine was Britain’s fastest passenger sports car at the time. Trying to get hold of one today, however, is near-impossible. Only 75 were originally released, including eight stripped-down lightweight versions (missing the bumpers, radio and even the glovebox lid to help it reach greater speeds). Legend has it that Aston Martin planned to create 100 in all, which is why just 25 Continuation models will be built to complete the run – even giving them follow-on VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) plates to continue the same bloodline.
But while 75 models were sold by Aston Martin, another 19 were given to Italian coachbuilders Zagato, which added its own lightweight touches, creating the DB4 GT Zagato, again used mainly for racing, with a few built for the road. Another Italian coachbuilder, Bertone, also received a DB4 GT to make its Bertone Jet version.
If you can find a DB4 GT, the rarity of it means it will carry a high price. A 1959 example driven by actor Peter Sellers in the 1963 movie The Wrong Arm of the Law recently sold at a Sotheby’s auction for USD3.48 million, while the lightweight version has been known to top USD3.93 million. The track-only Continuation version from Aston Martin Works, based on the lightweight original, will set you back USD1.97 million.
Considering the work that goes into each one, however, it has to be money well spent. It takes a team of 30 people an estimated 4,500 hours to handbuild every DB4 GT Continuation, with the first examples delivered to their owners earlier this year. In terms of its looks, it appears to be the same car. How it drives is similar also – modern safety standards and technology, including the engine, permitting.
But reproducing an existing classic was not as easy as it sounds. “We used original drawings and combined them with modern techniques – 3D scanning and even CT scanning examples of the original car,” says Spires. “Authenticity is crucial to us, and all of the components are transferable between the new chassis and an original. We even reignited the relationships with the original suppliers to ensure this is a true DB4 GT.”
Borane made the 15in wire wheels for the Continuation model, as it did the first time around, and even the company that supplied the door locks still had the original tooling. Modern additions include an FIA-approved roll cage, bucket seats and a ‘bagged’ fuel tank to reduce the chances of an explosion – how dangerous racing must have been back then.
The performance has been improved too, with a 4.2-litre engine, still a straight-six, but with the power upped to 340bhp, giving a top speed of 241km/h and a 0-100 time of 6.5 seconds – around the same as the first car. Better brakes and suspension are included too, which the owners can put to the test in the Aston Martin Works two-year international track driving programme, visiting the world’s top circuits, including Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina, with tuition from Aston Martin Racing’s own professionals.
So, will the Continuation models be a success? Quite possibly, seeing as Aston Martin Works has just opened a Heritage satellite showroom in London’s Mayfair, where it can showcase its restoration services and promote its next projects – 25 recreations of James Bond’s DB5 from the movie Goldfinger, complete with working gadgets, priced at USD3.28 million each; and 19 Continuation versions of the DB4 GT Zagato, each costing USD3.94 million. Neither will be road legal.
Perhaps ‘looking back’ is the new ‘looking ahead’ for some manufacturers. In addition to Aston Martin with its Continuation line, Jaguar has recreated its classic lightweight E-Type, with Land Rover reviving the original Range Rover Classic.
Modern cars are all well and good, but nothing beats the charm of an old classic – even one built recently.
