1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato For Sale

It’s a real Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato. And it’s for sale.

For any fan of GT cars there can be no better era than the late 50s and early 60s. Open road races still took place in some corners of the world, manufacturers had not yet focused the majority of their talent and budgets on sports prototypes, and aesthetics dictated a car’s shape as much as hard logic. Better still, manufacturers bolstered their racing efforts by crafting specialized versions of their GT cars that pushed the balance between road and race firmly towards the later. The resulting cars bore names like Porsche 356 Carrera GT, Jaguar XKE Lightweight, Ferrari 250 GTO and, in the case of this car, Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato.

To be sure, the DB4 GT Zagato was built for racing and traded most of the standard DB4’s niceties for outright performance. The 3.7-liter straight six-cylinder gained twin-plug ignition, weber carburetors, and a 9:1 compression ratio, and the chassis was shortened and gained revised disc brakes and a close ratio transmission with a dual-plate clutch. Inside, the interior was stripped of all nonessentials like the radio and backseat and the entire car was then clothed in the thin, Zagato-crafted aluminum bodywork for which the car is now known.

This particular car was originally supplied in the well-loved “Almond Green” hue that has graced most of the manufacturer’s factory race cars and was first used as a factory test car before being sold as part of an agreement Aston Martin had just entered into with Dunlop. The Girling disc brakes Aston Martin was then using on both its street and race cars were causing excessive pedal travel and Dunlop set about designing better brakes with this DB4 GT Zagato as the test car. After some 25,000 miles the car passed through the hands of several owners before being purchased by Anthony Bamford who sent the car back to the factory for a complete restoration and a color change to red. Later the Aston Martin passed through the hands of several well-known owners before recently being restored to its original specification.

Photos show the car to be in absolutely impeccable condition with outstanding paint and bodywork, well-sorted and detailed mechanicals, and a beautifully patinated interior. The seller indicates the car has completed numerous rallies and tours and all indications are that the Aston Martin stands ready to take to road or track at a moment’s notice.

Few cars stir the emotions of sports car fans like the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato and, with just 20 examples built, they will remain blue chip investments eligible for the world’s finest concours and vintage races. Find the Aston Martin for sale here on the Gregor Fisken website in London, England.