Aston Martin 1962

Classic Car Catalogue

Aston Martin 1962

Great Britain

DB 4 (R6, 3670cc, 240 bhp; wb 8ft 2in)
Saloon
Drophead Coupé
DB 4 Vantage (R6, 3670cc, 262 bhp; wb 8ft 2in)
DB 4 GT (R6, 3670cc, 302 bhp; wb 8ft 2in)
DB 4 GT Zagato (R6, 3670cc, 314 bhp; wb 8ft 2in)

March saw the introduction of DB4 Vantage Saloon, which features faired-in headlamps, GT type facia and the Special series, high compression engine with three carbs, which develops 260 bhp at 5750 rpm. Price £3746. DB4 Convertible was introduced in the autumn of 1961 and it is slightly larger than the saloon and shares the same modifications such as a smaller bonnet air intake, restyled radiator grille, and the availability of an optional special series engine.

Several changes have been made for 1963 to this very rapid and meticulously engineered Grand Touring car, which is exhibited in its usual two forms, saloon and convertible. The body is lengthened by nearly four inches, the line of the wings revised, and the roof raised by an inch, to the benefit of rear-seat headroom. In spite of the car's slightly increased overall height, the impression of very low build remains, thanks to the reproportioning brought about by the extra length. The normal DB4's twin S.U. carburettors now inhale from a cold-air box similar to the one used on the triple-carburettor Vantage variant. In the engine department, a wide range of permutations takes effect; an otherwise standard DB4 saloon or convertible, for instance, can be supplied with Vantage-type triple S.U.s, while the three-Webers set-up associated with the GT models is obtainable on Vantage-engined cars. Other developments for '63 include enlarged luggage boots and the incorporation of a ballast resistor in the ignition system to provide a hotter spark for starting.
With their triple-century power outputs - 302 b.h.p. for the normal GT model and 314 for the Zagato - the engines of these ultra-fast cars are among the most potent ever fitted to off-the-shelf passenger cars. Road tested by Autocar, the Zagato variant, which has a slightly higher compression ratio than the regular GT, exceeded i53 m.p.h. A single basic engine is common to the whole Aston range but in GT form it features dual distributors and two sparking plugs per cylinder. At 7ft. 9in., the GT and Zagato GT chassis is five inches shorter than that of the straight DB4. Chassis are shipped to Italy for fitting Zagato bodies, which are panelled in light alloy and have Perspex windows at the sides and back to save weight. Both GT models will go from zero to 100 m.p.h. and back to zero in 20 seconds. As an aid to road-holding - and thus, indirectly, to braking - the back axle is very positively located in two planes, by radius arms and a Watts linkage.

March advert.